Can't access folders saved using time machine

[ProfMP]

Hi

Following some problems with antivirus software, my University MacBook Pro (Intel) had to be rebuilt. My username as admin had been equivalent to abcdefgh. The engineers who rebuilt it decided, using the standard rebuild of my university, in their wisdom gave me a different admin username, the equivalent of qrstuvwxyz. I had some difficult installing my files as a result but eventually managed it. I used the same password on qrstuvwxyz and abcdefgh.

I can now use the MacBook, except for one very annoying problem. I'd like to recover some files that I'd deleted a year or so ago that I know are still present in earlier TM backups. However, when I open the backup disk in Finder, the system will not allow me to access the pre-build backups and shows them blocked and linked to my old username of abcdefgh.

So I tried try to add an admin account with the old username, but the OS tells me that this account already exists and I've found that I can login to Mac with that previous username and my current & previous password, as well as with the new username.

I'm no techie, but I presume that the new username of qrstuvwxyz and the old one of abcdefgh, though they share the same password, have different numeric IDs in the rebuilt machine.

Please can some tell me how to access the earlier TM backup on the backup disk?

Many thanks

MP

 

[TonyAguila]

Hi

Following some problems with antivirus software, my University MacBook Pro (Intel) had to be rebuilt. My username as admin had been equivalent to abcdefgh. The engineers who rebuilt it decided, using the standard rebuild of my university, in their wisdom gave me a different admin username, the equivalent of qrstuvwxyz. I had some difficult installing my files as a result but eventually managed it. I used the same password on qrstuvwxyz and abcdefgh.

I can now use the MacBook, except for one very annoying problem. I'd like to recover some files that I'd deleted a year or so ago that I know are still present in earlier TM backups. However, when I open the backup disk in Finder, the system will not allow me to access the pre-build backups and shows them blocked and linked to my old username of abcdefgh.

So I tried try to add an admin account with the old username, but the OS tells me that this account already exists and I've found that I can login to Mac with that previous username and my current & previous password, as well as with the new username.

I'm no techie, but I presume that the new username of qrstuvwxyz and the old one of abcdefgh, though they share the same password, have different numeric IDs in the rebuilt machine.

Please can some tell me how to access the earlier TM backup on the backup disk?

Many thanks

MP

I’ve never used Time Machine recovery in Finder. I don’t think it was intended to be done so. Try opening the folder that you think contains the data you are trying to recover, then launch Time Machine.app (in the /Applications folder). The app should take over and you can familiarize yourself with how to navigate back and forth in time. To make it easier to launch Time Machine without bothering to navigate away from your target folder in Finder, I suggest loading Time Machine.app in the dock for direct access.

 

[Rodananne]

Time Machine files cannot be opened in the finder like "normal" file you need to use the Time Machine app. Launch TM from the Applications Folder or System Settings and check that TM is set to display on the Menu Bar. Click the TM Menu Bar icon and you will see;

Choose Browse Time machine Backups. You will see an image of your Desktop and a scrollable Time Line on the right. Navigate to the location of the file/s you want on the front Finder window and or scroll back to a time they were there then click restore.

 

[Macsaviour]

It sounds like your Mac’s user permissions are blocking access to your previous Time Machine backups, tied to the old account (abcdefgh). To regain access, start by modifying the permissions on the backup disk. In Finder, right-click the backup drive, select Get Info, unlock Sharing & Permissions, and add your current username (qrstuvwxyz) with read & write access. Apply this change to all enclosed files to ensure access throughout the backup.
If that doesn't work, you can also try using Terminal for deeper access. Open Terminal and type:
sudo -i
ls /Volumes/[Backup_Drive_Name]/Backups.backupdb/[Computer_Name]
This should let you list files within the old account, as long as you replace the placeholders with your actual drive and computer names.
Alternatively, If this doesn't help much or if you find it difficult, try Stellar Mac data recovery Software to get back your files.