Trying to recover file from '.inprogress' Time Machine file.

You need to use the user interface that Time Machine provides to restore files correctly. Digging into the backup structure can often lead to frustration & mistakes.

In Finder open the folder that interests you, since it is within a hidden folder (your user Library is hidden by default) you will need to do the following…

'Go menu > Go to folder…', enter this next line as the path & open that location.

~/Library/Application Support/Vectorworks/

Now use the Time Machine menu to 'Enter Time Machine' within that folder. The history will be shown in the 'star field' UI. Find a desired version & then restore it to a new location (via the 'gear button'). Enable the Time Machine menu item if you do not have it active, it is in 'System Preferences > Time Machine'.

NOTE: I don't have Vectorworks installed, so I am assuming the folder is stored within your users hidden Library, otherwise open the correct location in Finder before you 'Enter Time Machine'.

You have posted a question about Time Machine......which is software and part of the OS X operating system.....in the support forum for the Time Capsule....which is hardware.

It is possible that someone here might be able to answer your question, but you will likely get a much more prompt and informed answer if you post your question in the support forum for the operating system that you are running......where the Time Machine experts hang out.

If you decide to do that, click the link below, then click on the appropriate operating system for your needs:

Mac OS & System Software

Ron Brown wrote:

Thanks for your help. Unfortunately, I'm not getting it to work. I have enabled enabled 'show-all-files' in finder.

You don't need to enable hidden files. I suggest you disable that - it simply encourages you to poke at things that you do not need to see.

To make the user Library visible in Finder follow this guide (but it really isn't required)…

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/mavericks-easily-make-user-library-folder -visible

Ron Brown wrote:

Attached are views of (1) the backup 'Application Support' directory, which is truncated at the letter 'S',

You are looking in the wrong place! There are MANY library folders on OS X. Each has it's own content…

Ron Brown wrote:

(3) the 'Application Support' directory on a new Macbook than covers the entire alphabet...

Look at the bottom of that window…

Macintosh HD / Users / ronbrown / Library / Application Support

Your other windows appear to show you are looking inside a folder called 'archworks' (which is probably the system disk name). You are looking in the wrong place - this is why you need to stop digging into the backups in Finder.

To view those files in the backup open the path ~/Library/Application Support via the go menu & use 'Enter Time Machine' as described.

Drew is doing a good job. Hopefully, Linc Davis will see your post and respond. If anyone will know, he will know.

The .inprogress folder is the latest backup that is happening (or was terminated when the Time Capsule was taken offline). I can't see the logic of viewing that data. It would cover the last content that could still be on the Mac. Using the last complete backup seems more appropriate to me.

The idea behind opening the Library in Finder & then using the 'Enter Time Machine' option is to 'anchor' the folder you want to view the history for. If the Time Capsule was on your network it should detect that & use the computers backup history on that Capsule ('browsing other disks' would work to see the older Mac data).

If you must view data inside the .inprogress folder within Finder you can right click (or ctrl+click) & use 'Show Package Contents'. That will have the data in whatever state it was in before the backup completed. To be honest this may be incomplete & seems like the wrong way to view backups to me - the Apple 'star field UI' is intended for recovering files, even from backups of other Macs.

The structure should look like your computer layout, so inside the package contents…

[ big-long-string-that-is-an-ID ]ArchWorks/Users/ronbrown/Library/Application Support

should be the path to the VectorWorks folder.

Ron Brown wrote:

I have been able to pull several 'Application Support' directories out of the 'InProgress' file but each has subdirectories running from 'A' to 'S', no 'V', which seems very odd. 3-4 'Application Support' all truncate in exactly the same place, 'S"...

I'm still convinced you are looking in the wrong folder. The 'truncated' folder is shown in your first screenshot here – that location is not your own user Library - that location is the 'system wide' Library. It is stored at the base of the 'ArchWorks' disk.

Can you do the 'show package content' I mentioned earlier within the backup.inprogress and post a screenshot of the contents of…

[ big-long-string-that-is-an-ID ]ArchWorks/Users/ronbrown/Library/Application Support

There is a possibility the backup is incomplete & you are correct in which case I apologise for wasting your time.

Ron Brown wrote:

Hi Drew,

Yes, I agree. I have been using 'show package contents' all along. Then I find an instance of the 'Application Support' directory, copy it to my hard drive and sort through it there. Please see path at bottom for first posted screen shot...

I have read that path multiple times & it is wrong, if you don't to read or cannot understand what I post I cannot help you, sorry.

[ big-long-string-that-is-an-ID ]ArchWorks/Library/Application Support

Is not the same as.

[ big-long-string-that-is-an-ID ]ArchWorks/Users/ronbrown/Library/Application Support

Look inside your home Library - that is where the 'Vectorworks' folder is shown. You need to locate the user Library folder in your backup to view that folder.