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Old iPhoto File in Time Capsule

I have an iMac and a MacBook air, storing different photos.

Can I retrieve the photo file in the iPhoto from the time capsule ? how ?


I tried by opened my finder and access the time capsule from the location, it shows all weird file name. Or it won't appears in the finder ?

Posted on Mar 10, 2022 9:05 AM

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Posted on Mar 14, 2022 11:21 AM

i can see the .sparsebundle , and chang83’s Mac Mini

double click then it default open by “disk utilities”


Unfortunately, this indicates that your Mac cannot open the sparsebundle file correctly, but I do not know why.


When I try this on my Mac and double-click on the sparsebundle file, another drive named Backups of the name of my Mac appears on the desktop. For example.......





When I open this drive, all of the dates of all of the Time Machine backups of that Mac open in the next window. For example......






When I open a backup, I can use the Finder to navigate to the Pictures folder where the iPhoto or Photo Library is stored and then copy that folder over to another hard drive.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 14, 2022 11:21 AM in response to Chang83

i can see the .sparsebundle , and chang83’s Mac Mini

double click then it default open by “disk utilities”


Unfortunately, this indicates that your Mac cannot open the sparsebundle file correctly, but I do not know why.


When I try this on my Mac and double-click on the sparsebundle file, another drive named Backups of the name of my Mac appears on the desktop. For example.......





When I open this drive, all of the dates of all of the Time Machine backups of that Mac open in the next window. For example......






When I open a backup, I can use the Finder to navigate to the Pictures folder where the iPhoto or Photo Library is stored and then copy that folder over to another hard drive.

Mar 10, 2022 10:01 AM in response to Chang83

Things may be very complicated, and you may encounter permissions issues trying to use a Mac running a newer operating system to see files made by a Mac using an older operating system.


Which Mac......the iMac or the MacBook Air.......made the backups of the iPhoto file on the Time Capsule?


What operating system is currently installed on the Mac that made the iPhoto backups? If you do not know, click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen and then click on About This Mac.

Mar 10, 2022 10:20 AM in response to Bob Timmons

oops, will it more complicated if I tell you my iMac was blackout ? 😓

I think i have another mac mini backup too, but that mini was donated out.


any idea I could check from the backup ?

MacBook Air has not much photo backed up, can ignore.


I can lend from my brother his MacBook Pro macOS Monterey Version 12.2.1

Is that possible using the air or pro to retrieve the iMac and Mac Mini files from TC ?

iMac black out about 5 years ago, Mac Mini latest update should be 2 years ago before donate it

Mar 10, 2022 11:02 AM in response to Chang83

Unfortunately, this makes things even more difficult and more complicated.


I do not have older backups of an iPhoto Library backed up on a Time Capsule that were made on an older Mac, so I cannot test to see if the steps that I suggest might work. You may want to wait to see if another user will reply before you proceed.


On the MacBook Pro running Monterey......

Open any Finder window and look for the name of the Time Capsule to appear under the "Locations" heading.

If it appears there, click on the Time Capsule and another window will open with the name of the drive on the Time Capsule, which is "Data" by default, unless you have changed the name of the hard drive on the Time Capsule

You may need to click Connect As and enter the administrator password for the Time Capsule

Does "Data" appear?


If no, post back with that info.


If yes, double-click to open Data

After a few seconds, you should see .sparsebundle files for each of the Macs that have backed up to the Time Capsule in the past. The name of the Mac will appear as part of the file name. For example, if the Mac was named "Chang83's iMac", then the file name will look something like "Chang83's iMac.sparsebundle" or Chang83's MacBookAir.sparsebundle".


What are the names of the files that you see?

Mar 14, 2022 12:05 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi there.. sorry for the late

i can see the .sparsebundle , and chang83’s Mac Mini

double click then it default open by “disk utilities” , but I cannot find other name from the disk utilities excel the MacBook Pro and Time Capsule (cannot see other tab or drop down from this)


then if I show file content, it show all weird name file.

Mar 23, 2022 8:59 AM in response to Bob Timmons

I donno how, after restart, i double click on the .sparsebundle, then can find the picture, but some how still hang after I click into the picture. Will try again.


However, the older file without .sparsebundle (the backup name "chang83's Mac Mini")

still cannot open, maybe the version is too old. 😭


Thanks for the help anyway.

Old iPhoto File in Time Capsule

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