How to reconnect and retrieve data from a disconnected Time Capsule?

The version of macOS installed on your MacBook Air may explain why you're having difficulty reconnecting to your Time Capsule.

Apple removed support for the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) in macOS 27 Golden Gate. Unfortunately, Apple's AirPort Time Capsule relies on this older protocol for accessing its internal storage. As a result, Macs running macOS 27 can no longer access a Time Capsule's stored files or Time Machine backups using the original AFP connection.

The good news is that your existing data should still be on the Time Capsule, assuming its internal hard drive is functioning properly.

To recover your data, I would suggest the following:

1. If you have access to another Mac running macOS 26 Tahoe or earlier, connect the Time Capsule to your network using Ethernet.
2. On that Mac, open AirPort Utility to determine whether the Time Capsule is recognized.
3. If it is recognized, use Finder to connect to the Time Capsule and access its stored files or Time Machine backups.
4. Copy any important data to another storage device before making changes to the Time Capsule.

A few questions that would help us determine the best approach:

• Which model of AirPort Time Capsule do you have?
• Is the Time Capsule connected to your network using Ethernet, and what color is its status light?
• Are you trying to recover individual files stored on the Time Capsule, or files from previous Time Machine backups?
• Do you have access to another Mac running an earlier version of macOS? If not, you can try using a Virtual Machine (VM) manager, like Parallels (paid subscription) or UTM (free) to run a VM of an earlier version of macOS and use it to attempt access to the TC.