Time machine backups not showing

I suggest starting by first verifying the existing backup(s), as follows:

Hold down the option key on your Mac while you click on the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the Mac's screen...then, click Verify Backups. The process will take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or so, depending on how much data that you have on the Time Capsule's hard drive.

Ok, that is correct. Typically, when no errors are reported that is a good thing.

I am assuming that the previous backups you are referring to that you can't access are from the Time Machine user interface ... correct?

If so, you can also check "physically" if they actually exist using OS X Finder. I can provide instructions if you need assistance doing so.

Welcome to the Mac!

There are a number of ways to "look" for previous backups:

Option #1 - Via System Preferences

• Run System Preferences > Time Machine
• Each drive used for Time Machine should appear including the backup time span. In the image below, I have two drives that I use for Time Machine. TM is a Time Capsule; SG2 is an external hard drive attached directly to my Mac mini. Note the time span for each include multiple years.

Option #2 - Via the Time Machine user interface

• From the OS X menu bar, click on the Time Machine icon. Then select the "Enter Time Machine" option.
• You should now be greeted with the Time Machine interface where you can go "back into time" to previous backup sets.

Option #3 - Via OS X Finder

Note: This option is intended to be used to verify that the Time Machine backup sets actually exist. It is not meant to administer the actual backups themselves as moving, copying, deleting files from this interface can "break" a set corrupting the backups.

Since this option takes a number of steps, I will refrain, at this time, to post them unless you really want them.

Option #4 - Via Third-party Applications

One such application is BackupLoupe. It provides a graphical user interface to view all of your Mac's Time Machine backup sets.

Yes, thank you.

As you stated, the images from System Preferences > Time Machine does not show backups before yesterday. I am guessing that if you actually went into the Time Machine user interface that it will also only go back to the previous day. As far as Time Machine is concerned there are no earlier backups.

One thing that I noticed is the base station name you have given your Time Capsule (TC). It may be problematic to use names that include spaces or special characters. It would be better to use names that are 16 characters or less that do not include either. For example: TC

• Using the AirPort Utility, select the TC, and then, select Edit.
• Select the Base Station tab.
• Change the Base Station Name as I have suggested above.
• Click on Update.

If any of the data from the earlier backups are NOT critical to you then I would suggest that you start a fresh Time Machine backup set, as follows:

• Using the AirPort Utility, select the TC, and then, select Edit.
• Select the Disks tab.
• Temporarily connect a HFS+ formatted blank external USB drive to the USB port of the Time Capsule.
• Select Archive Disk... (Note: This option will create an archived copy of the entire contents of the Time Capsule's internal drive as a backup.)
• Return to the Disks tab. This time, select the option "Erase Disk..."
• On the next screen leave the default values, and then, select Erase.
• Click on Update. Allow the TC to restart.
• On your Mac, click on the Time Machine icon in the OS X menu bar.
• Click on Open Time Machine Preferences...
• Select the option "Add or Remove Backup Disk"
• To remove a disk, select it from under "Backup Disks," and then, select Remove Disk.
• To add a disk, select it from under "Available Disks," and then, select Use Disk.

What is the aim of the procedure you describe in your post? Can I continue using the newly started set of backup's?

The basic aim is to start with a new backup set. It may be possible the current set has become corrupted ... so, yes, I would recommend that you continue to use the newly created backup set going forward. If, per chance, you experience the same issue again, we would need to look further at what may be causing it. Hopefully, that will not be the case.

Is it correct that with the "archive function" I can create a backup from the TM backup?

Yes, that is correct.

I suppose that I can start a second set of backups (manual) on an other HD, parallel to the automatic backups on the Airport TC. Is this correct?

Yes, that is also correct. Time Machine can be configured to use multiple drives for backups. Again, in my case, I use both a Time Capsule and an external drive. During the backup process, Time Machine will alternate between them ... so the process itself will not run in parallel as Time Machine can only back up to one drive at a time.

In some post I read that the issue might be that the backups are still present on my TC, but just that the dates haven't been reloaded correctly. This is the link to the post, but none of the solutions worked for me.

Pondini's Time Machine Troubleshooting articles are the "gold standard" out there and would have been where I would have sent you to next. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us and they have not been updated for awhile now. If you have already tried his suggestions, that is pretty much the most you can do at this point.