How can I unhide the Library folder in a TM backup file?

If you want to unhide and view the user library in the Finder view of a particular TM backup:

Navigate to the backup on the TM disk you wish to view. Select your Home Folder in the user folder of that backup. Right click on your account name (control Click) and then hold down the Option Key. Select copy "***" as Pathname.

Then, go the the Finder, select Go from the menu, then Go To Folder and paste the copied pathname to the window. Add /Library to the end of the pathname in the window, then hit Go. A Finder window show open that backup user Library folder.

I don't think you can unhide the library folder of all backups where it was hidden on the backup originally on a permanent basis for direct viewing.

You can also follow dialabrain's post and view the files in the TM viewing. You can restore the files to a different location such as the desktop so you can decide on what you want to replace directly.

For the future, ensure that your user library on your boot drive is no longer hidden and your future TM backups will also show the user library for viewing directly.

I don't use Outlook 365 but isn't it cloud based? Shouldn't all of your emails and contacts be accessible through the cloud?

I don't recommend trying to do anything to actual Time Machine files without restoring them first, you could corrupt your entire backup.

FWIW, if you "unhide" the user Library on your Mac, the Library on the TM backups should be visible. If not, just select your ~/Library folder on your Mac then choose "Enter Time Machine" from its menu.

As Mike said, do not try and erase anything manually from TM backups.

Expanding on dialabrain's post, go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Now it should be visible when you enter Time Machine.

I did too, so I thought I would test this out.

I hid my user library and did a backup to test. It was hidden in the TM backup as well, but the previous backups were still showing the user library. I unhid the Library in my user account and did another backup and the new backup showed the Library, but it did not show in the previous where it was hidden.

So changes made do no affect previous backups in how they were saved and viewed.

I always wondered this point myself, but now I know for sure.

From what I know Eric, that will only make future backup show the visible Library, not past.

You may be right. I have always had my user Library visible, so I've always been able to see it in a backup.

Thanks for the feedback. Add that piece of trivia to my mental notes somewhere.

You're Welcome