Ronald Everett

Q: Backup says Time Machine running

I'm using an iMac, OS X 10.10.5 with a Seagate Backup Plus. I recently lost some pictures and tried to recover them from the backup system. I clicked on the Seagate backup and selected an earlier time frame, then clicked on "Macintosh HD", then clicked on "Applications", then clicked on "Photos". It says "You can't open the application "Photos" because it is in a Time Machine backup." I do not know what this means. I then tried to open Time Machine and got the message "You can't open the application "Time Machine" because it is in a Time Machine backup." So how am I supposed to get to the photos I lost?

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Feb 3, 2016 2:49 PM

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Q: Backup says Time Machine running

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  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Feb 3, 2016 4:31 PM in response to Ronald Everett
    Level 10 (84,540 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Feb 3, 2016 4:31 PM in response to Ronald Everett

    You can not open TimeMachine backups - you use TM to restore them then open the restored library

     

    and in the future it helps to report the exact complete error accurately

     

    Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac - Apple Support

     

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

     

     

    LN

  • by Ronald Everett,

    Ronald Everett Ronald Everett Feb 4, 2016 9:22 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (13 points)
    iPod
    Feb 4, 2016 9:22 AM in response to LarryHN

    Thanks Larry, but I have no idea what you are saying. I only use my computer in a simple manner and am not at all familiar with computer jargon. To understand any directions I need to have it provided click by click. I wasn't aware that I was even using Time Machine or even had it on my compute until I got the message in trying to get to my photo backup. That's why I bought the Seagate backup. I thought that was where my backups would be maintained. I have no idea how any backup system works but felt I needed some sort of backup and the Apple Store recommended the Seagate. The Seagate provided no information on how to operate it and as far as I can remember, all I did was plug it in. Seagate has no customer service line to call so I'm not sure how to find out how to use it.

     

    You say that to use TM to restore them then open the restored library. I have no idea where to find that library. The only library I found was the one that was originally stored when using iPhoto. None of my photos using Photos is in that library. Your final comment was, "in the future it helps to report the exact complete error activity accurately. "That is what I thought I was doing by showing click by click what I was doing and the result. So what should I have done to report the compete error activity?

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 4, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Ronald Everett
    Level 10 (106,799 points)
    iLife
    Feb 4, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Ronald Everett
    I clicked on the Seagate backup and selected an earlier time frame, then clicked on "Macintosh HD", then clicked on "Applications", then clicked on "Photos". It says "You can't open the application "Photos" because it is in a Time Machine backup."

    You tried to access the Photos application on the Time Machine drive.  Your photos are stored in the Photos Library, not in the Photos application, and so you need to restore the Photos Library from your Time Machine backup, not the Photos application.

     

    Time Machine is creating incremental backups, each backup stores the differences to to previous backup.  You cannot simply extract the Photos Library by going directly to your Time Machine drive  Run Time Machine to restore the library from the backup.

    This document shows how to restore a photo library (it is similar for Photos):  iPhoto '11: Restoring from Time Machine with iPhoto '11 (9.2 or later) and OS X Lion 10.7.2 (or later) - Apple Support

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 4, 2016 9:52 AM in response to léonie
    Level 10 (106,799 points)
    iLife
    Feb 4, 2016 9:52 AM in response to léonie

    Basically, open your Pictures folder, then launch Time Machine.

     

    In the Timeline to the right go back in time to a moment, when your photos have still been there.

    Select the Photos Library in the Pictures folder and click "Restore".

     

    Screen Shot 2016-02-04 at 18.35.59GMT.jpg

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Feb 4, 2016 10:16 AM in response to Ronald Everett
    Level 10 (84,540 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Feb 4, 2016 10:16 AM in response to Ronald Everett

    read the  informaiton I supplied

     

    You can not open TimeMachine backups - you use TM to restore them then open the restored library

     

    and in the future it helps to report the exact complete error accurately

     

    Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac - Apple Support

     

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

    The link on using TM to restore gives detailed instructions and the FAQ link gives lots more information including answers to most additional questions

     

    To report the error accurately give us word for word what the error says or include a screen shot of the error

     

    this is not an error message you got

     

    Backup says Time Machine running

     

     

    LN

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Feb 4, 2016 11:25 AM in response to Ronald Everett
    Level 10 (141,085 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 4, 2016 11:25 AM in response to Ronald Everett

    Here's how to restore a Photos or iPhoto library with Time Machine:

    PHOTOSTMlibrestore.png

     

    OTsig.png