Show hidden files in a Lion Time Machine backup

Hold down the option key and select Go ▹ Library from the Finder menu bar. Then enter Time Machine.

Also, once inside Time Machine, you can press Shift+Cmd+G, then type ~/Library in the prompt.

Doesn't work for me.

All my files are greyed out in time machine. I need to dig into the actual backup files and get things inside the Library folder, yet Apple has hidden this and there appears no way to unhide it INSIDE A TIME MACHINE BACKUP file.

MoogNinja wrote:

. . .

All my files are greyed out in time machine.

Do you mean in the Time Machine browser (the "Star Wars" display)? If so, that's different from not being able to see the ~/Library folder at all. If things are shown, but grayed out, it sounds like they're normally-invisible items that you've used either a UNIX command or 3rd-party utility to show. You won't have permission to see or restore some of those.

Or do you mean the "tick marks" in the Timeline of the TM browser are grayed-out and you can't select them? If so, see the pink box in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #15A

Please clarify (a screenshot would be great).

I need to dig into the actual backup files and get things inside the Library folder, yet Apple has hidden this and there appears no way to unhide it INSIDE A TIME MACHINE BACKUP file.

If you mean accessing them via the Finder, that's often a problem. If you copy things from TM backups via the Finder, you may have permissions problems with the copied files.

To unhide the ~/Library folder in your backups for access via the Finder, you may have to enter a UNIX command via the Terminal application. And, in this case, it's a bit tricky. We can walk you through it, but it would probably be better if you can clarify the situation.

Some of the other things you mentioned in your other thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4449060?tstart=0 may be clues to the actual problem. See my reply there.

Pondini, following your recommendation that will show the active system's Library, not the one which is located into the time machine files. Don't forget that he is talking about a different drive that contains the time machine files.