Delete dangerous files from Time Machine

Several files on Time Machine are infected.

Is there a procedure for deleting a file or folder from Time Machine?

Mac mini, macOS 26.1

Posted on Oct 29, 2025 6:58 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 29, 2025 7:16 PM

DO NOT manually interfere with Time Machine drives.


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Time Machine saves, and can re-create, ANY Moment in time for which it still holds backup files.


Example: a user posted that they had installed software that messed up their files. it was installed mid last week. They had done an ordinary restore to recover, but that restored to yesterday, and the problem was still there.


Readers were able to guide them to Time Machine.APP (not to be confused with Time machine preferences). This allowed them to look at the state of the major folder involved, back in time through each previous backup, until right BEFORE the bad software was added -- mid last week-- and restore as of that moment.


They were thrilled.

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 29, 2025 7:16 PM in response to prothstein

DO NOT manually interfere with Time Machine drives.


--------

Time Machine saves, and can re-create, ANY Moment in time for which it still holds backup files.


Example: a user posted that they had installed software that messed up their files. it was installed mid last week. They had done an ordinary restore to recover, but that restored to yesterday, and the problem was still there.


Readers were able to guide them to Time Machine.APP (not to be confused with Time machine preferences). This allowed them to look at the state of the major folder involved, back in time through each previous backup, until right BEFORE the bad software was added -- mid last week-- and restore as of that moment.


They were thrilled.

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Delete dangerous files from Time Machine

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