Knowing how to restore Mac files from a Time Machine backup is very important because it offers a solution when a file is missing or a document has been changed in an unexpected way. Time Machine file recovery is quick and easy and protects the owner from hardware failures and accidents.
Time Machine has been bug-free software built into MacOS since the first version of OS X, which brought major changes and improvements to Apple’s operating system. With Time Machine, backups are automatic, and restoring a missing file or restoring an older version of a document is easy.
How does a time machine work
Instead of simply saving a snapshot of the entire system when the user remembers to back up their drive, Time Machine saves backups every hour and keeps multiple copies of every change made to every file. This means it allows for a kind of time travel where past versions of files can be accessed. If multiple versions of each file were saved every hour, the backup size would quickly become unmanageable. Apple has found a way to only save changes and keep older versions only as long as there is space to store them. As the space allocated to Time Machine begins to fill up, the system deletes older copies of files and saves as many new versions as possible.
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How to get into Time Machine on Mac
To restore a file from Time Machine on a Mac, open the Time Machine app — you’ll find it in the Launchpad or Applications map. If the Time Machine icon appears in the menu bar, the application can be launched by selecting it Enter the time machine from the menu. The Time Machine menu icon looks like a clock face surrounded by a counter-clockwise arrow (to suggest that time is moving backwards), which is a nice visual representation of the app’s purpose.
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How to restore Mac files from Time Machine
When the Time Machine app opens, the most recent Finder window will be in the center of the screen with several faded copies of the window extending behind it. It’s a nice effect that immediately gives the feeling of looking back in time. You can click any of the windows behind the main window to return to an earlier view of the content, but it’s much more useful to get a sense of the period you want using the timeline that appears on the right edge of the screen. The most recent copies appear at the bottom, and hovering over a month or day expands that period to show more detail, allowing for more precise time selection. Clicking anywhere on the timeline will display the contents of the current Mac folder at the specified time and date.
Step 1: Find the file you want to restore, then right-click the file or folder and select Return to… from the menu.
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Step 2: A file browser window will appear asking where to save the file or folder, and if an item with the same name already exists there, MacOS will give you options Keep the original, Keep bothor To replace. If both versions are kept, the older version will have “(original)” appended to the end of the file name.
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Step 3: After restoring the file or folder, it will appear in the destination folder you selected.
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How to use Quicklook to better search Time Machine
Sometimes being able to choose a time and date isn’t very helpful if a specific change in content is what’s relevant. For example, seeing when another paragraph in a document was revised and restoring a file from that date could be much more useful than blindly restoring a file saved on April 1, 2022 at 12:34 PM. The MacOS QuickLook feature helps preview documents and images simply by pressing the spacebar when a file of interest is selected.
By navigating through the times and dates with Time Machine and using QuickLook, you can find the correct version of the file. Missing files are even easier to find if you know the folder where they are located.
What if Time Machine is not enabled?
Time Machine backups are only available if the feature is set and a backup drive is connected before changes are made to the file. It is not possible to restore a file from Time Machine if it was never saved. In that case, you might want to check if there are any other backups saved. For example, iCloud can be used to store backups, and there are several third-party solutions. If no backups have been made, the required file may need to be shared on the iPhone or iPad, and a copy can be sent back to the Mac.
What if Time Machine doesn’t work?
If Time Machine opens but does not allow searching until another date, the backup may not be available. For an external drive, make sure it’s connected to your Mac. If the backup drive is connected via Wi-Fi, network issues can interfere with Time Machine.
Restoring files using Time Machine on Mac is quick and painless. Even when troubleshooting is needed, it’s often just a matter of turning on the backup drive. While iCloud is convenient for backing up iPhone photos and videos, it can lead to higher monthly subscription costs. Time Machine is a good solution for saving backups on Mac, and it’s free. Apple’s Time Machine makes using the Mac easy and is there to take care of the occasional mishap and malfunction, keeping all the user’s important files safe.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn