How can I restore just one application from Time Machine?

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Level 1

5 points

How can I restore just one application from Time Machine?

Hello, I have just one application that is really acting quirky and won't load correctly anymore and I would like to restore that application from Time Machine but am just not sure how to do that. Can someone please walk me through step by step on how to restore just one application. Thank you. Jean

Message was edited by: anokienurse

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.6.3), Using Thunderbird and many open source software, 120 G External Hard drive

Posted on Mar 5, 2011 2:51 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

ADKIc3mAnX

Level 1

19 points

Mar 8, 2011 11:14 PM in response to anokienurse

Enter Time Machine Click on MacintoshHD>Appliations>Choose The App and Restore or Right Click and Choose Restore To and Applications Folder

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Answer 2

anokienurse Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 10, 2011 8:33 AM in response to Clio1

Hello again, I am not sure what support files to look for related to my googlevoice application as my email address is a gmail address and I don't want to delete just anything that says google on it. The only way I can uninstall it is to just place the icon from the application folder into the trash. I do not know where my son originally downloaded the googlevoice software so I cannot go back to the original download as you suggest. I tried to just place the icon in the trash and go back in time machine to January as I know it was working then but when I try and launch it I again get the message "about blank" and it doesn't load correctly. If you can find the original software and then tell me which ones to delete in my preferences and application support folders it would be most appreciated. Yes, I could just ask my son but he wants me to learn to do this type of thing myself if I can. Thank you for any other help you can give me. Jean

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,566 points

Mar 5, 2011 3:03 PM in response to anokienurse

Open Applications folder. Enter Time Machine. Go back to when you don't think it was acting quirky and restore it. If the application is not self-contained (i.e. its got pieces and parts all over the OS), you'll have to find all the pieces and restore them, also.

However, there is likely nothing wrong with the application itself. Predominately, the code inside the application is not edited and rewritten, so there is very little likelihood that it would get damaged during normal use.

Applications store user data and preferences in the user/Library/ Preferences or Application Support folder.
If you try the application in another user account and it works fine, then there is something wrong with its user support files, not the app itself. If that is the case, then we can try to figure it out.

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Answer 4

Clio1

Level 2

250 points

Mar 5, 2011 3:05 PM in response to anokienurse

Before you restore an application from a Time Machine backup it would be wiser to remove the current installed copy then reinstall from the application's original distribution medium - download, CD/DVD, etc. The reason for this is that Time Machine backs up every hour. By now the bad version of this application is now backed up to your Time Machine backup drive. Restoring from the backup won't resolve your problem.

First, uninstall the old program. If the program came with an uninstaller then use it. If not then start by deleting the application from the Applications folder. Then locate all the support files associated with the application and remove them, too. Look for these in:

/Users/yourusername/Library/Preferences
/Users/yourusername/Library/Applications Support

Applications may come with a separate uninstaller program that could also be in your Applications folder. Some applications may install other files in other locations on your computer. If you tell us what the application is we may be able to provide additional help.

You may find more information here: The XLab FAQs. Read the FAQ on uninstalling software.

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Answer 5

anokienurse Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 10, 2011 8:00 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thank you for answering. Sorry I didn't get right back. I went to print up the answers so I had the information in front of me and my printer will not come back on despite checking power source and restarting computer. Anyway the application is a googlevoice opensource software program so that I can access googlevoice on my desktop. This is because I could not get a local number so must initiate the call thru my computer. My son installed it for me when he fixed my Mac. What happens when I launch it is it comes on and says "about blank" and never loads my contacts. I have tried clearing the history and cache with no success. I have to actually go to google's website to make my call and not all of my contacts are there. It is really nice to just launch from my desktop and make my call. I will try and remember everything that has been said with this post to try and restore it. It was working back in January so I will go back that far. Not being able to print up where else to look for any parts of it though may be a problem. I will keep you informed as to what happens. Thank you.

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Answer 6

anokienurse Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 10, 2011 8:09 AM in response to Clio1

See my post for further information. Thank you for your instructions. Jean

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Answer 7

Clio1

Level 2

250 points

Mar 10, 2011 8:56 AM in response to anokienurse

Just reinstall your Googlevoice application. The support files should be in /Home/Library/Applications Support folder. The preference files will be in /Home/Library/Preferences folder.

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Answer 8

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,566 points

Mar 12, 2011 7:41 AM in response to anokienurse

Without knowing what the name of the app is, I have no way of figuring out how it is set up.
I don't use Google Voice, and I don't know what open source program your son installed.
As already posted, the normal locations for support files is ~/Library/Application Support and ~/Library/Preferneces.
Preference files are usually named with a reverse DNS structure, like com.apple.iPhoto.plist.
In application support, they might create a folder with the name of the program.
However, some programs are ports from other OS's and could use some other convention for storing the files.
For those reasons, it is just not that easy to direct you to the files you need. The best way to get it working again, I would think, is to reinstall the program, not recover it from Time Machine.

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Answer 9

Dwerbay

Level 1

4 points

Mar 28, 2016 10:57 AM in response to ADKIc3mAnX

Thank you soooooo much. This saved me

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