Time Machine and Excel Missing File

Question

Time Machine and Excel Missing File

Hello, this is my first posting here and I would appreciate some help.

An important Excel file of mine just disappeared both on my hard drive as well as on my Time Capsule backup, which is really puzzling me. Here are the facts:

1. I am using an iMac, running Mac OS X 10.5.8, with Excel:mac 2008 version 12.2.7. I religiously update both my OS and applications, so they are both up to date

2. Within Excel, if I go to File/Open Recent, there is a dropdown of recently opened files. The missing file is shown there but the "xlsx" tag is missing on that name, oddly. The other files (which are all still there) still have the "xls" or "xlsx" tag. When I click on that file, I get that error message that the file cannot be found

3. I then opened up my Time Machine on my Time Capsule and went scrolling back in time, and really weirdly, this file is missing in every version of backup. My Time Machine has the default backup of hourly for the past 24 hours, daily for the past month, and weekly before. I went into the folder where I kept the file all the way back to July (when I got the Time Capsule) and this file is missing from EACH backup. All other files are there.

I work on this file every day and I tend to keep it open on iMac. Usually when Excel crashes or something, it reloads with a recovered version but Excel hasn't crashed recently. I worked on this file as recently as yesterday and saved it in the same place where I've been saving it for the past several months.

OK, what's changed from yesterday to today? Last night when I updated my software there was an update from Microsoft for a security patch. Could it have detected a virus in this file and deleted this file from my hard drive and then from each and every backup in Time Machine?

The second change was that I selected "Back Up Now" for the first time on Time Machine last night after that patch. I usually had Time Machine run automatically, but while I was updating, I decided to do a forced backup. Could this forced backup have deleted all prior instances of this file if it was missing on my hard drive then?

This file is important to me, does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can retrieve it? I thought having Time Capsule would save this kind of headaches. I did a search within the backups, in case the file mysteriously "moved", but the file is just plain missing on all backups and on my hard drive. To make things worse, I Emptied my Trash last night, so I can't see if it is in there. Though, I didn't delete the file.

Thanks for any help!

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Nov 23, 2010 12:39 PM

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Answer 1

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Nov 23, 2010 3:20 PM in response to NewMacxUser2010

NewMacxUser2010 wrote:
Hello, this is my first posting here and I would appreciate some help.

Hi, and welcome to the forums.

Could it have detected a virus in this file and deleted this file from my hard drive and then from each and every backup in Time Machine?

Seems very doubtful, especially since there are no viruses that run on OSX.

There is a small amount of malware, but you have to actively participate in getting it onto your Mac.

But . . . are you running any anti-virus software? Some of it does cause all sorts of problems on Macs.

The second change was that I selected "Back Up Now" for the first time on Time Machine last night after that patch. I usually had Time Machine run automatically, but while I was updating, I decided to do a forced backup. Could this forced backup have deleted all prior instances of this file if it was missing on my hard drive then?

No. A backup is a backup is a backup; they're all the same, no matter how they're started. And Time Machine only deletes things when it "thins" backups. Basically, it keeps all backups for 24 hours, except the first of each day, which it keeps for a month, and the first of each week, which it keeps as long as there's room.

So it's a bit unpredictable, but if a file is on your Mac for at least 24 hours, its backup will be kept for at least a month.

This file is important to me, does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can retrieve it? I thought having Time Capsule would save this kind of headaches. I did a search within the backups, in case the file mysteriously "moved", but the file is just plain missing on all backups and on my hard drive. To make things worse, I Emptied my Trash last night, so I can't see if it is in there. Though, I didn't delete the file.

I don't use Excel, so can't help much with specifics. Is it possible this is some sort of temporary file that's either never actually saved to disk, or is saved with a different name each time?

Are all your other, similar files in your backups?

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Answer 2

Nov 23, 2010 5:18 PM in response to Pondini

Thanks for the response.

In terms of your questions, I am not running any anti-virus software. This file is a permanent file (not a temporary file). I've often saved it, and it's my main work file on the desktop. And I've reloaded it often. Frankly, it's often the only reason why I turn on the computer. Also, all the other files are on the hard drive as well as within Time Capsule. It's just this one file, for some odd reason. I think a specific clue is that the spelling changed within the File/ Open Recent, where no other file changed its name.

What's really weird is that this file is missing in my Documents folder and it is also missing in every backup on Time Capsule/ Time Machine. I understand that as time goes on, the Capsule will delete files to save space, but I have a one terabyte Capsule and only 300gb are used so far. And, I've worked on this file every day for the past four months, and every interval backup within Time Capsule is missing this file but has all the other files. I've always "saved", not "saved as", so each save was on top of each other. And, I've often rebooted the computer and reloaded Excel and reloaded the specific file from the File/ Open Recent command, so it has definitively saved many times over the past several months.

You didn't ask this, but I am the only User on this desktop and no one else has access to this personal desktop. Also, I ran Disk Utility today and there were no issues with my hard drive. I loaded Houdini for the first time and looked for invisible files, but there were not strange going on (I thought maybe this Excel file became invisible with a name change of some sort).

If anyone has any help, I would greatly appreciate it as I really need this file.

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Answer 3

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Nov 23, 2010 5:32 PM in response to NewMacxUser2010

NewMacxUser2010 wrote:
. . .
What's really weird is that this file is missing in my Documents folder and it is also missing in every backup on Time Capsule/ Time Machine. I understand that as time goes on, the Capsule will delete files to save space, but I have a one terabyte Capsule and only 300gb are used so far. And, I've worked on this file every day for the past four months, and every interval backup within Time Capsule is missing this file but has all the other files. I've always "saved", not "saved as", so each save was on top of each other.

Then Time Machine should have many different versions of it. 😟

Just to confirm, you've browsed the Documents folder in your backups, via the "Star Wars" display, right? Not just searched via Spotlight and/or the search box in the "Star Wars" display?

You mentioned Excel crashing and reloading with a "recovered version." Is that from an autosaved file? Is that file anywhere to be found in your backups?

And, I've often rebooted the computer and reloaded Excel and reloaded the specific file from the File/ Open Recent command, so it has definitively saved many times over the past several months.

That's different, of course, coming from your internal HD, not your backups.

Also, I ran Disk Utility today and there were no issues with my hard drive.

What did you run? Just to be sure, run +*Verify Disk,+* then +*Repair Permissions.+*

Then run +*Repair Disk+* on your backups, per #A5 in [Time Machine - Troubleshooting|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/Troubleshooting.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum). That will take a while.

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Answer 4

Nov 23, 2010 5:42 PM in response to Pondini

Yes, that's why I think this is so strange. I would think Time Machine would have many backups of this file but somehow not only did my version on the hard drive disappear, it then somehow deleted each one out of each version on Time Machine.

I looked within the Document folder within those backups in Time Machine (with that starry background). I even did a search within those backups. I know exactly where this file was saved, as there was a folder created just to store the file within the Documents folder.

On my "recovered version" comment, I was just mentioning how if a computer crashed with Excel open, when you reload Excel, it would automatically try to recover the file. But in my case, since Excel did not crash in the last day, there was no recovery attempt. It's a bit of a red herring, sorry I mentioned it. But, it is weird how the file name is changed within the File/ Open Recent.

I ran Disk Utility, and clicked on both "Verify Disk" as well as "Repair Disk Permissions". Right now, I am trying some of these free downloaded versions of undelete applications. I won't mention names, but the first one required another hard drive to run (I don't have one, not sure if I can use Time Capsule). The second one just got stuck. The third one is running right now, and I hope maybe it can uncover the file on my hard drive. If it does find it, I will post again here and then someone can figure out why Time Capsule doesn't back it up. I've never fiddled with any of the Time Capsule settings, and it's just the factory settings by the way.

Thanks

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Answer 5

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Nov 23, 2010 5:55 PM in response to NewMacxUser2010

NewMacxUser2010 wrote:
Yes, that's why I think this is so strange. I would think Time Machine would have many backups of this file but somehow not only did my version on the hard drive disappear, it then somehow deleted each one out of each version on Time Machine.

Just to double-check, look in the exclusions box of +Time Machine Preferences > Options,+ to be sure there's nothing there that would prevent it from being backed-up.

But, it is weird how the file name is changed within the File/ Open Recent.

Yes. I suspect that's a clue, but I have no idea what it means. 😉 Perhaps the folks at Excel will?

I ran Disk Utility, and clicked on both "Verify Disk" as well as "Repair Disk Permissions".

Sooner or later, do try to repair the backups, too. It seems quite unlikely that's the problem, but this whole thing is completely bizarre, so it's worth a shot.

Right now, I am trying some of these free downloaded versions of undelete applications. I won't mention names, but the first one required another hard drive to run

Yes, most of them do. For what it's worth, +Data Rescue 3+ seems to be mentioned more often than the others.

not sure if I can use Time Capsule).

Very doubtful. 😟

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Answer 6

Nov 23, 2010 6:02 PM in response to Pondini

I checked Time Machine and yes, there are no exclusions.

I'll try repairing Time Machine if this application fails... it's taking quite a while... after an hour, it has read 1,343,050 blocks out of 164,069,604 unused blocks... Oh geez, another 163 hours to go! I'm regretting getting the large internal hard drive!

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Answer 7

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Nov 23, 2010 6:26 PM in response to NewMacxUser2010

NewMacxUser2010 wrote:
. . .
I'll try repairing Time Machine if this application fails... it's taking quite a while... after an hour, it has read 1,343,050 blocks out of 164,069,604 unused blocks... Oh geez, another 163 hours to go! I'm regretting getting the large internal hard drive!

Yup, it's gotta poke around in every nook and cranny. 😟

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