Trying to recover old address book data from an external HD backup but I can't find the files.

Question

Level 1

8 points

Trying to recover old address book data from an external HD backup but I can't find the files.

I have an external hard drive that contains the files from time machine backups from an old computer. It is the only place left on earth with any vestiges of the contents of my address book. That last backup is about a year old and it is not a TM backup of my current computer. Is there any way to get the addressbook data into the addressbook on my new computer? Please don't tell me to move the files from /application support/addressbook because if the addressbook folder is on the old backup I have yet to discover how to view it. Thank you all...

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Jul 10, 2013 5:59 PM

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Answer 1

Justimmy Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 10, 2013 8:53 PM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks for the input. I tried that but it says folder not found. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, this is the nomenclature I used in the Go to Folder window:

/Volumes/external drive name/Backups.backupdb/...etc.../Library/Application Support/AddressBook

I couldn't say what version of OSX I was using a year ago, only that it was relatively current for the time.

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,791 points

Jul 10, 2013 8:40 PM in response to Justimmy

If the old computer was running OS X 10.7 or later, then the user Library folder is invisible in the backups. You can use the Go to Folder menu item in the Finder to navigate to it.

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,791 points

Jul 10, 2013 9:10 PM in response to Justimmy

If it's a Time Machine backup, you should do as follows.

First bring the Contacts window to the front.

Hold down the option key and select Browse Other Backup Disks from the Time Machine menu. Select the backup volume you want. You should then see snapshots of the Contacts window going back in time. Choose one and select the contacts you want to restore. Click the Restore button in the lower right corner of the window.

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Answer 4

Justimmy Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 10, 2013 9:27 PM in response to Linc Davis

That's a neat tip with the option key. Didn't work, though. I could see that there were other backups but it wouldn't navigate to them. Interestingly, I tried this method to restore an addressbook from my current TM backup and it acted as though it was going to work up until the restored window came back to my main screen and it was yet un-restored :-(

I did find the actual hard drive from my old computer (not the TM backup of it). I tried navigating to the addressbook in application support using go to folder and it also said folder not found. Using get info on the external drive it says its OSX 10.7.3

The go to folder command worked at unhiding that same folder on my current drive, just not the external one

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Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,791 points

Jul 10, 2013 9:37 PM in response to Justimmy

If you're sure the folder isn't on the source volume, and isn't in the backups, there's nothing that can be done.

If you can't verify that your current backups are restorable, that's a serious problem in itself. You should move the AddressBook folder to the Desktop, relaunch Contacts, and see whether you can restore the database (which will now be empty.)

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Answer 6

Justimmy Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 10, 2013 10:00 PM in response to Linc Davis

I'm sure that the folder must be on my former hard drive and on its TM backup drive. Addressbook was working fine when I discontinued using the drive and i certainly didn't touch those files.

Apparently, it's just impossible to find it or get at it.

BTW: I tried what you suggested restoring my current backups (doesn't contain the data I am actually trying to get at). It all appears to work as expected up until the window is restored to my home screen. Disconcerting to know that TM isn't working as expected either (even though it wouldn't have helped my current case).

I do appreciate you, and people like you, taking the time to help out neophytes and neanderthals like me when we make a mess of things. Cheers!

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Answer 7

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,791 points

Jul 10, 2013 11:00 PM in response to Justimmy

Open the Info window on the old backup volume, unlock the settings, and check the box marked Ignore ownership on this volume, if not already checked.

Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

ls -d /V*/*/B*/*/*/*/U*/*/L*/A*/Add* | tail | open -f -a TextEdit

Copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C).

Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.

Paste into the Terminal window (command-V).

The command may take a noticeable amount of time to run. Wait for a new line ending in a dollar sign (“$”) to appear.

A TextEdit window will open with the output of the command. If the command produced no output, the window will be empty. Each line ending in the word "AddressBook" is the complete path to a snapshot of the folder. Select one of those lines (if any), right-click, and then choose Services > Open from the contextual menu.

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Answer 8

Justimmy Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 11, 2013 12:17 AM in response to Linc Davis

MAGIC!!

I did know the right directory names after all, but "services>open" on a text line was the missing link for "open sesame".

Are you married? Because I am ready to propose. It had been an awful day from 5 different angles, this makes up for all the other 4. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Justine

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Answer 9

Justimmy Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 11, 2013 12:18 AM in response to Linc Davis

MAGIC!!

I did know the right directory names after all, but "services>open" on a text line was the missing link for "open sesame".

Are you married? Because I am ready to propose. It had been an awful day from 5 different angles, this makes up for all the other 4. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Justine

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