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Abrasrose
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Q: Recovering Single File from 2015

I have two back up drives that I used in 2015 and earlier and I need to search them for a particular file. Both were used with Mavericks. I now have a different computer, which runs El Capitan. When I attached the drive and opened Time Machine the only files that were accessible were files from today and yesterday despite the fact that I haven't used those drives in six months. How do I view my earlier backups and why can't I see them?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Feb 26, 2016 9:18 AM

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Abrasrose

Q: Recovering Single File from 2015

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  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Feb 26, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Abrasrose
    Level 10 (270,010 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 26, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Abrasrose

    You should find the answer at Pondini's Time Machine FAQ for help with Time Machine.

  • by Abrasrose,

    Abrasrose Abrasrose Feb 26, 2016 11:32 AM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2016 11:32 AM in response to Kappy

    Hello Kappy,

     

    #17 does seem to apply to my question, but it doesn't appear to have been updated for El Capitan. It refers to actions that I can't perform anymore with El Capitan. For example, I can't right click on the Time Machine icon in the Dock since there is no icon in the dock. Is there an updated page?

     

    Thanks!

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 26, 2016 11:39 AM in response to Abrasrose
    Level 5 (7,451 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 26, 2016 11:39 AM in response to Abrasrose

    Abrasrose wrote:

     

    Hello Kappy,

     

    #17 does seem to apply to my question, but it doesn't appear to have been updated for El Capitan. It refers to actions that I can't perform anymore with El Capitan. For example, I can't right click on the Time Machine icon in the Dock since there is no icon in the dock. Is there an updated page?

     

    Thanks!

    The author of that page died some time ago.

     

    You can add Time Machine to the Dock if you want it there, just grab it from /Applications & drag it to the Dock (or drag & drop from Launchpad).

    The same option is available in the Time Machine menu, hold 'alt' (a.k.a. option) & select the relevant 'Browse other…' option.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 26, 2016 11:42 AM in response to Abrasrose
    Level 9 (60,585 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 26, 2016 11:42 AM in response to Abrasrose

    Podini's Time Machine pages have not been updated since his untimely death.

     

    But that section is still applicable as written:

    I can't right click on the Time Machine icon in the Dock since there is no icon in the dock.

     

    when any Application is running, you can keep its Icon in the Dock by right-clicking on the Icon and choosing "Keep in Dock".

     

    any Application that is not running can be dragged from the /Applications or /Applications/Utilities folder to any place in the Applications section of the dock (above or to the left of the divider).

  • by Abrasrose,

    Abrasrose Abrasrose Feb 28, 2016 8:52 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 28, 2016 8:52 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. When I enter Time Machine my dock is not active. I can't see the dock to keep the icon there. I don't see anything else to click on other than Enter Time Machine. It's not in Launchpad.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 28, 2016 9:30 AM in response to Abrasrose
    Level 9 (60,585 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2016 9:30 AM in response to Abrasrose

    Control-Clicking the Icon in the dock may have been eliminated in later versions. Try Alt/Option-click the Time Machine Icon in the menuBar:

     

    To see these "other" backups, you need the Browse Other Backup Disks or (Browse Other Time Machine Disks on Snow Leopard or Leopard) option.  It's available by Alt/Option-clicking the Time Machine icon in your Menubar, or by control-clicking (right-clicking) the Time Machine icon in your Dock.

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 28, 2016 11:06 AM in response to Abrasrose
    Level 5 (7,451 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 28, 2016 11:06 AM in response to Abrasrose

    Abrasrose wrote:

     

    I have two back up drives that I used in 2015 and earlier and I need to search them for a particular file.

    …

    How do I view my earlier backups and why can't I see them?

    You can confirm the age of the oldest backup on a Time Machine disk as follows…

     

    Connect the disk, open 'System Preferences > Time Machine'.

    Next to the disk will be the 'Oldest backup' date.

     

    If it that date is after 2015 you may have had older backups deleted - Time Machine doesn't keep everything forever. It will remove older data to make way for new files.

     

    It may explain why you are having a tough time finding things but at present it just looks like you are getting caught up in how to use Time Machine.