want to restore 1 file from old drive, can navagate time machine to the file but restore button is grayed out. I stared by opening the original folder in finder. what am i doing wrong? I have updated to Catalina after that backup was used

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Level 1

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want to restore 1 file from old drive, can navagate time machine to the file but restore button is grayed out. I stared by opening the original folder in finder. what am i doing wrong? I have updated to Catalina after that backup was used

I want to restore 1 file subfolder from old retired drive, I stared by opening the original folder in finder then entering time machine. In time machine the timeline does not appear back from today. I can navigate to that drive in time machine and to the file but restore button is grayed out. What am I doing wrong? I have updated to Catalina after that backup drive was used could that be an issue.

iMac 27″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Mar 21, 2022 8:28 AM

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Answer 1

Chris_D13

Community Specialist

Mar 22, 2022 11:00 AM in response to Alarmo123

Greetings Alarmo123,

If the file was backed up with Time Machine, attempt to use Spotlight to initiate a search for that file.

Check out those steps in the following article: Recover files using Time Machine and Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support

If the issue continues, use Disk Utility to repair the disk: If you can't back up or restore your Mac using Time Machine - Apple Support

"If your backup disk is connected directly to your Mac, use Disk Utility to repair the disk."

Kind regards.

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Answer 2

Alarmo123 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2022 2:26 PM in response to Alarmo123

FYI and anyone you can help I was able to restore the file. When I retired the drive I removed it from TM backups in TM preferences. I added it back and then was able to enter TM and go back to the file and restore.

Nowhere did I read anything but plug in the drive & open time machine... GO KNOW!

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Answer 3

Alarmo123 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 25, 2022 2:12 PM in response to tbirdvet

Thanks for the suggestion however once in time machine the timeline still stays at today will not allow me to go back any other suggestions. Navigating to the file I want is possible however restore button still stays gray

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Answer 4

DerekM87

Community Specialist

Mar 25, 2022 2:28 PM in response to Alarmo123

Alarmo123,

If you're unable to search backwards for that specific file it is likely there is no alternate or backed up copy of it.

If you try to search for other files on that drive viia Time Machine, are you able to locate them?

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Answer 5

Alarmo123 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2022 5:32 AM in response to DerekM87

When That drive is powered up I can search the drive itself and see everything on it and if I open it in time machine the timeline does not show anything other than today and once again when I’ navigate to those folders and file they are there but the Time Machine restore button does not light I did copy some of the Images and put them in a folder however I have not been able to figure out how to open them again in Lightroom

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Answer 6

tbirdvet

Level 6

14,489 points

Mar 22, 2022 11:37 AM in response to Alarmo123

Once in TM use shift-command-c to bring up the drive structure. Then go back in time and get the file by looking down through the drive to your user directory.

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want to restore 1 file from old drive, can navagate time machine to the file but restore button is grayed out. I stared by opening the original folder in finder. what am i doing wrong? I have updated to Catalina after that backup was used

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