Erich Bergen
Level 1 (9 points)
Wireless

Q: Getting a specific file off an old Time Capsule and then wiping it clean

I'm currently using the most recent generation Time Capsule in my house as both Airport Base Station and backup drive. Works great.

 

I have an old time capsule that has a file or two on it that I need to access. (Long story as to why the old one has this lost file). So I have two questions:

  1. How do I get that file off the old Time Capsule and on to my computers where I need it?
  2. Once I've done that, how do I wipe it completely clean to then sell on eBay or give to a friend?

 

I plugged in the old Time Capsule, just into the wall, and I get a flashing amber light. I haven't plugged any internet into it, but I don't understand why I'm not seeing it pop up in my airport utility. Do these old TC's not work with the current OS? If thats the case, do I risk corrupting my computer if I plug the TC in to my computer via USB and drag the file over? Is that even possible?

 

Help!

 

Posted on Aug 15, 2016 1:04 PM

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Erich Bergen

Q: Getting a specific file off an old Time Capsule and then wiping it clean

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  • Helpful answers

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Aug 15, 2016 2:10 PM in response to Erich Bergen
    Level 9 (53,016 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 15, 2016 2:10 PM in response to Erich Bergen

    You must select it via network.. ie no USB is possible.

     

    The best way to do this is to plug the new TC via ethernet into the old TC.

     

    Factory reset the old TC and it will then show up in the airport utility.. no files on the old TC are lost doing this.

     

    Do the most minimal setup you can. It should go into bridge mode and you can leave wireless off.

     

    Once you have a new setup on it .. and it might work with old setup if it was previously in bridge.

     

    Open it in Finder.

     

    Now the lost files.. are they inside a TM backup?? Or are they copied and pasted to the drive. The method of access is different. Inside a TM backup you need to open the correct sparsebundle and extract the file.

     

    I have written this up before.

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6503649

     

    If the files were just copied to the TC.. then copy them back.. nothing easier.

  • by Erich Bergen,

    Erich Bergen Erich Bergen Aug 15, 2016 2:26 PM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 15, 2016 2:26 PM in response to LaPastenague

    Thanks so much for your quick response. I'm going to try this and let you know my results ASAP.

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Aug 15, 2016 2:34 PM in response to Erich Bergen
    Level 9 (53,016 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 15, 2016 2:34 PM in response to Erich Bergen

    No problem.

     

    To wipe the TC just open your airport utility.. go to the disk tab.

     

    Use the erase but select one pass. (zero out data) it will take a few hours to low level format the drive.

     

    Screen Shot 2016-08-16 at 7.32.28 AM.png

     

    Screen Shot 2016-08-16 at 7.32.43 AM.png

  • by Erich Bergen,

    Erich Bergen Erich Bergen Aug 19, 2016 2:15 PM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 19, 2016 2:15 PM in response to LaPastenague

    So, I tried what you said. However, once I have the old backup mounted, I can't get into the data itself. It only let's me get to an "in progress" file. See photo. Any thoughts?

    Screen Shot 2016-08-19 at 5.14.57 PM.png

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Aug 19, 2016 2:43 PM in response to Erich Bergen
    Level 9 (53,016 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 19, 2016 2:43 PM in response to Erich Bergen

    That is not good.

     

    I would say the TM backup is broken.

     

    An inprogress file might contain data but it is corrupt..

     

    If that is the only TM backup on the disk then I really don't have much to offer you.

     

    I just tested manually accessing the backup again over network from El Capo since I have tended to use Mountain Lion up to recently and I still have no trouble accessing old backups from different computers.

     

    You can look up how to get into inprogress file.. but generally we just delete them.

     

    http://pondini.org/TM/A10.html

     

    Trying Recover Data from an In Progress Sparsebundle

     

    https://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/beware-time-machine-users/

     

    The problem is .. you have no idea if the files you want are in there or not.. so try rename or creating alias etc.. as per other threads and see how you go.