Time Machine backups and deleted photos

Where did you store the photos on your Mac? Was this the iPhoto Library, or are you using another application?

Have you checked your Time Machine backups to see if the photos are there?

I decided to delete all the photos from my Mac in the thought that they would remain on the Time Machine.

We take pity on you .. but all the pity in the world cannot recover your photos.. as soon as you ran out of space TM would begin removing files no longer on the computer.. it is doing exactly what it is designed to do.. TM is not an archive software.. it is an image with a bit of history if it fits.

Look for your libraries in the backup.

http://pondini.org/TM/15.html

There is specific info for iphoto.

http://pondini.org/TM/15p1.html

Good luck.

Is the SD card included in the backup??

You should immediately go out and buy a USB drive of equal or larger size to your TC.

Archive the TC to the USB drive.

Once you archive the disk, work from the archive to find your backups.. simply mount the archive in finder and allow sufficient time and search for the library.

You can then continue backing up the computer.. but please do a manual copy of the existing library from SD card also to the USB drive. This is what you should have done in the first place.

Sorry.. I keep thinking in the Time Capsule discussion area we are talking about TC..

If you copied the pictures to the WD drive then none of this would have happened.. it is the fact you deleted them from the Mac and assumed you would then have a backup inside the TM.

I know it is well after the event but Pondini in that same FAQ states with extreme clarity

See Q20. for the rest of why not.. the disk is slowly filled with current changes to file.. If you manipulate a large file it is backed up every hour.. it takes very little time to fill up the disk.. especially if it is so small.

Once full TM simply deletes from the backup what is deleted on the Mac.. since you obviously no longer think it important.

Actually you should read the whole thing about how TM works.. as it thins backups on a daily and then weekly basis, and there is no telling when it will delete your files, once they are gone from the Mac.

You don't have to copy the existing backup.. just buy another USB drive.. a decent size one this time.. and USB3 for future use.. 2TB or greater. And start a new backup to that.. Include the iphoto library in it.. but also copy the files manually so you have a backup unrelated to Time Machine.

Actually I would spend the money and buy Carbon Copy Cloner (or like backup software) as it does a better job of creating a backup of your files. You can also make a bootable clone of your existing hard disk.. that is hugely superior to the way TM works to get a dead drive computer running again.

Learn the lesson.. we all have to lose something before the knowledge we should backup is hammered home.. it is just sad it is digital photos which are so valuable and irreplaceable.. No amount of backup is too much for digital photos.. you are a few seconds from disaster and losing everything once you move away from films and negatives that can be reprinted for years and years.

I still cant seem to work out why the WD is so full though.

Did you read how TM works.. ??

http://pondini.org/TM/Works.html

Every little change you make is recorded.. every hour.. if you have lets say a file of 1GB and you are working on it.. every hour you will save another 1GB.. that adds up pretty quick.. even if the change you made was just 1KB.. TM has to backup 1GB.. this is especially so where you use parallels, cloud storage with local cache or any dual boot / VM system.. tiny changes create huge backups.

Measure how much usage per day your normal browsing is using now.. with all the graphics intensive sites.. much of which is downloaded to your computer and backed up by TM. It is going to backup huge amounts in no time.

Should I just do away with TM after I have saved it all?

TM has its place.. Clones have their place.

Read and see what is best.. IMHO best is using both and multiple locations and disks stored in other people's houses or in fireproof cabinets..

http://pondini.org/TM/Clones.html

Since the wonders of Mavericks.. (stand back it kicks) I am strongly recommending Clones.. as a precaution.

Im now lost my self.

LOL.. welcome to computers. I have spent the last 3 days; night and day,working on getting Windows 8 working.. It is a horrible nightmare.

They are made with a mixture of science technology and voodoo.. (software writers are the source of the voodoo!!)

Anyway.. I am very happy you found your files.

TM has this wonderful ability to backup but is not the easiest of softwares to make it spit backed up files out again.

Use both TM and clones and manual backups. Never again allow your pictures to be lost because they are in an iphoto library.. today.. export your pictures as files.. export them to a new USB drive where you can keep them as a collection you hopefully will never have to use.. copy your iphoto library there as well.. then do clones and TM backups and keep another copy offsite.

Become paranoid.. you have got off the hook this time.. don't think it will happen again.