Retrieving lost data in Numbers

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Level 1

10 points

Retrieving lost data in Numbers

Today I have become aware thagt I havea gaping hole in my Budget Spreadsheet. I have lost the data from the two dates in this screenshot. Perodicly I might delete a row but never a period like this. I run Time Machine daily, perhaps multiple times. Is there a way to look at backups to determine how far back this gap was created without actually restoring any given day/time? In addition while using the Organize feature could this loss have happened?

[Edited by Moderator]

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 15.6

Posted on Aug 7, 2025 6:05 AM

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Answer 1

Badunit

Level 7

30,336 points

Aug 7, 2025 8:57 AM in response to dtryon9981

Are the rows actually gone, not just hidden or filtered to not show? There will be a jump in the row numbers, skipping over the filtered/hidden rows. There will also be a thicker line between row numbers where hidden/filtered rows are.

I don't use Time Machine so I do not know what its file system looks like or its method for keeping older versions of files. Can you browse through the Time Machine drive and open files, including older versions that are still present?

You might also be able to use Numbers->Revert to->Browse all versions to look at past versions of your document. Just be careful not to restore version. You might be able to do it on a duplicate of your document so you can restore an old version then copy/paste stuff back to your latest version. I've never used this feature (in all my years of using Numbers) so, again, not sure how it all works.

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Answer 2

SGIII

Level 8

37,532 points

Aug 8, 2025 4:34 PM in response to dtryon9981

Have you looked in File > Revert again?

Also if you're not doing so already, now would be a good time to start backing up via Time Machine.

SG

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Answer 3

Badunit

Level 7

30,336 points

Aug 7, 2025 2:06 PM in response to dtryon9981

If the screenshot is showing the lack of data/rows between those two dates then no rows are hidden/filtered. The row numbers would jump if there were hidden/filtered rows. I wasn't sure what you meant when you said you "lost the data from the two dates in the screenshot" when those two dates were obviously there in the screenshot. Now I get it. The most likely reason for missing rows is they were deleted by accident. It's not the only possibility but is the most likely.

I don't know what to make of blank "versions". Doesn't seem right.

Did you look at the TimeMachine drive to see if you can find older versions?

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Answer 4

SGIII

Level 8

37,532 points

Aug 8, 2025 5:54 AM in response to dtryon9981

dtryon9981 wrote:

I might have moved the storage place for the file.

File > Revert to relies on Versions, a feature of macOS. Versions functionality is dependent on storage. Typically it needs iCloud or your local drive (formatted as APFS or HFS+). But if you moved the file to an unsupported file system (FAT32, NTFS, or third-party cloud) then that might explain why you can't access old versions of your document via File > Revert to.

SG

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Answer 5

dtryon9981 Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 8, 2025 7:22 AM in response to dtryon9981

All is good now. Yesterday I placed the file in Documents in iCloud and all of a sudden the lost data is there.

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Answer 6

dtryon9981 Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 7, 2025 9:14 AM in response to Badunit

I am not seeing a darker line. If it was there would it not be visible in the screen shot I provided as that was taken this morning.

What would I enter in the filtering portion to see if they are still there?

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Answer 7

dtryon9981 Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 7, 2025 3:08 PM in response to Badunit

As far as "Blank Versions" I am wondering the reason for them all being blank could be that I might have moved the storage place for the file. But on the other had wouldn't that new location if there was one move right along with the file?

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Answer 8

dtryon9981 Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 8, 2025 7:00 AM in response to SGIII

Moving it to an unsupported file format would not have happened. It would have been on my local SSD or in iCloud 100% of the time. I do use an external SSD for Time Machine. Where do deleted items go when the deletion is made i iCloud. I checked iCloud recently deleted and there is nothing there and thjere is nothing in the local trash with a Numbers extension.

Can you speculate why the Revert feature has nothing from the past other than a few recent days?

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Answer 9

dtryon9981 Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 8, 2025 2:37 PM in response to SGIII

SG,

I simply don't understand what is going on. Earlier today I reported that all was well and the missing periods were back. I then shut Numbers down completely. It is now about 4 hrs or so later. I open the file again and the same period that was missing and then back is missing again. I swear on my life that it had returned.

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