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Time Capsule 4th Gen 2TB Questions

I have a Time Capsule 4th Gen 2TB that I purchased about 10 years ago. I used it for about a year then unplugged it and put it in the closet. I would like to recover any information (data) that is currently on the hard drive. Here are my questions;

  1. I forgot the password. I tried the process in the Users Manual but I cannot get the unit to reset into Manual Set-up Mode. Is there another way to reset the password?
  2. I don't want to connect the Time Capsule to the Internet. I was hoping to power it on and only connect one of the LAN Ports to my MacAir. Is this possible?
  3. Any other suggestions on how to access the hard drive?

Thank you!

Time Capsule

Posted on Mar 16, 2023 11:47 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 17, 2023 7:40 PM

If the Time Capsule appears in a Finder window, double click on the name of the Time Capsule and another window will open to the right with the name of the Time Capsule hard drive......."Data" by default, unless you have changed the name of the drive.


Double click on the Data to reveal the contents of the drive.


If the data is a Time Machine backup, you will see a sparsebundle file with the name of the Mac. All of the Time Machine backups are contained in this file.


Hold down the option key on the Mac while you click on the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the screen

Select Browse Other Time Machine disks

See if the backups are there

If yes, you can use Time Machine to locate the file and date that you need and restore the file to the Mac's desktop or another destination.





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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 17, 2023 7:40 PM in response to 187

If the Time Capsule appears in a Finder window, double click on the name of the Time Capsule and another window will open to the right with the name of the Time Capsule hard drive......."Data" by default, unless you have changed the name of the drive.


Double click on the Data to reveal the contents of the drive.


If the data is a Time Machine backup, you will see a sparsebundle file with the name of the Mac. All of the Time Machine backups are contained in this file.


Hold down the option key on the Mac while you click on the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the screen

Select Browse Other Time Machine disks

See if the backups are there

If yes, you can use Time Machine to locate the file and date that you need and restore the file to the Mac's desktop or another destination.





Mar 17, 2023 7:10 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob,


I was able to complete your instructions. Here is what is going on;


  1. I was able to go through your instructions completely, with the exception of the very last instruction. "Look for the setting for "Status" and "Version". Also, When I clicked "Edit", it did not ask for a Password.
  2. It simply took me to a screen with Five tabs; Base Station, Internet, Wireless, Network, and Disks. There is NO "Status" or "Version" anywhere on this screen. But, if I cancel out and click on the Time Capsule again, on the pop-up that shows the "Edit" command, the last line is "Version".
  3. It shows version: 7.8.1.
  4. When I go to the Finder app, I see the Time Capsule under Network. When I drilled down it says "[My Name] MacBook Pro". When I purchased this Time Capsule 10 years ago, I had a MacBook Pro. I just recently replaced it with a 2023 MacBook Air. But, I still have the MacBook Pro.
  5. After a few minutes, the MacBook Pro says it has 511.16GB on the disk. But, how do I get to the information? It's not letting me in.


Thank you!

Mar 17, 2023 4:02 PM in response to 187

We will assume that you have a Mac running a recent or current operating system.


Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the Ethernet ports on your main router......(there are usually 4 of them).....to the Ethernet port marked "O" on the Time Capsule.


Power up the Time Capsule and let it run for a minute

Hold in the reset button on the back of the Time Capsule for 7-8 second and then release

Allow a full minute for the Time Capsule to restart to a slow blinking amber light status


This operation with the Time Capsule will reset the network settings, but will not affect any of the data stored on the Time Capsule hard drive


Open AirPort Utility on your Mac (Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility)

Click on the Other Wi-Fi Devices (1) button near the top of the AirPort Utility window

Click on Time Capsule xxxxxxx





AirPort Utility will take a few seconds to analyze the network and then display the correct setup screen for the Time Capsule. You may be surprised at the setup screen, but it is correct. The window will look very similar to the example below, except that you will see a Time Capsule pictured.





Network Name.......Type in a name for a network (even though you may not be using this network, you still must go through the process to set up the Time Capsule correctly)

Base Station Name......Type in a device name for the Time Capsule

Password......Type in a password that will be used for the Time Capsule

Verify.....Type in the same password again to confirm

Click Next


It will take about a minute for AirPort Utility to apply the settings to the Time Capsule. After a minute, the Time Capsule might display a green light.....or.....a slow blinking amber light.


Close the AirPort Utility window

Then, open AirPort Utility again and click on the Time Capsule

Click Edit and enter the password that you used during the setup


Look for the setting for "Status" and "Version".

Click on the amber dot next to each entry and report on the messages that you see.


This will tell us what we can and cannot do for the next set of steps.





Mar 17, 2023 1:07 PM in response to 187

Unless you have a Mac that is running a 10+ year old operating system, most of the information in the setup guide for your 4th Gen Time Capsule is not going to be all that relevant.


For example, AirPort Utility versions that have been used for the past 9+ years do not offer a "Manual Set-Up Mode", so you are basically locked into using the templates provided in current versions of AirPort Utility.


For starters, you will not be able to connect the Time Capsule directly to your MacBook Air using an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN ports on the Time Capsule......even if you have an Ethernet to USB adapter handy. As the setup guide illustrates, the Time Capsule must be connected to your modem or router.


Frankly, it's an open question as to whether you will be able to configure the Time Capsule and access the data on the hard drive. We can tell you how to try to do this, but we cannot offer any guarantees that things will work.


Post back if you understand the ground rules and can keep your expectations on the low side. We may encounter a classic Catch 22.












Mar 17, 2023 7:42 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob,


That did it! It appears I was able to access the backup folders all along. I just had to wait a while for it to catch up. I downloaded one folder already and it appears I'm good to go. It will just take me some time to copy and paste all the backup folders.


Thank you again for all your help! You are very, very good at this! It's been a while since I interacted with someone that communicates like you do.


Best regards!

Time Capsule 4th Gen 2TB Questions

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