Restoring Photos from Trash

[MacInWin]

I never knew that restoring from Time Machine would be that complicated for a rookie. Apple makes it sound so easy. I guess I will just keep backing up with TM and hope that I never have to restore anything. BTW, I did read all your references except for the Light Company. In fact, I had already seen and printed the website for Restoring a Library from TM in Photos on Mac, and I planned on trying those instructions. I assume that is something you recommend I try since you included it as a reference. If I am careful, do you think it will work in my case?

I am a firm believer in backups. On my two Windows 10 computers, I do weekly backups to several different external hard drives using three different programs (Acronis, Macrium, and the standard Window backup). All my backups are automated. The few times I have had to restore, I never had a problem. And now Windows has a program called File History that is somewhat similar to TM. File History regularly backs up versions of all my data files, so I can easily do a restore of any file or folder.

And then there is Time Machine on my iMac, where everyone cautions me, as a rookie, to stay away from when it is time to restore, lol. Thanks again for educating me.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying don't use TM or that it is hard to use. It really is dead simple to recover a lost file, or entire drive, for that matter. Just open TM to the Finder-like interface, scroll back in time to the backup that has the file/version you want, select it and click "Restore." Done. What needs to be cautioned is not to go to the backup drive directly in Finder, without opening TM first. That is where the risk comes in. It is slight risk, but it is there.

There is also a Version system on the Mac. I am not familiar with Windows File History, but Version keeps literally that, versions, of files in the storage. You can read about that here: View and restore past versions of documents on Mac

Unfortunately, the versions system doesn't support deleted files as the versions are also deleted with the file itself. But if you just want to go back to a previous version of a file, it's worth a try. Note that the versions in this system are totally separate from Time Machine and that not all documents/files are versioned.

 

[Rod]

You will find that like yourself durango, most if not all of us here on these forums use more than one type of backup, TM is great and has specific uses for which it works very well. Most of us would also have a "clone" of our device for the unique features that offers and because (I beleive) one backup is simply not enough.
I have a Zoom meeting now and I'll get back to you after that but for now at least we can be grateful you still have your 900+ photos in their folders in your Pictures Folder.

 

[durango]

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying don't use TM or that it is hard to use. It really is dead simple to recover a lost file, or entire drive, for that matter. Just open TM to the Finder-like interface, scroll back in time to the backup that has the file/version you want, select it and click "Restore." Done. What needs to be cautioned is not to go to the backup drive directly in Finder, without opening TM first. That is where the risk comes in. It is slight risk, but it is there.

There is also a Version system on the Mac. I am not familiar with Windows File History, but Version keeps literally that, versions, of files in the storage. You can read about that here: View and restore past versions of documents on Mac

Unfortunately, the versions system doesn't support deleted files as the versions are also deleted with the file itself. But if you just want to go back to a previous version of a file, it's worth a try. Note that the versions in this system are totally separate from Time Machine and that not all documents/files are versioned.

Thanks, Jake. Now I feel a little better about trying to recover my organized photos using Time Machine.

And yes, it does sound like Version is similar to File History. I had not yet explored it. But I guess you are saying that because I 'trashed' my 900 photos, I can't use Version to restore them. Correct?

BTW, I noticed that you are from Winchester, VA. Before I retired to the Ozark mountains of Arkansas 22 years ago, I lived just up the freeway in Centreville, VA. I often rode my Harley through Winchester and would sometimes frequent the Harley dealer there. I would imagine things have changed in 22 years.

 

[durango]

You will find that like yourself durango, most if not all of us here on these forums use more than one type of backup, TM is great and has specific uses for which it works very well. Most of us would also have a "clone" of our device for the unique features that offers and because (I beleive) one backup is simply not enough.
I have a Zoom meeting now and I'll get back to you after that but for now at least we can be grateful you still have your 900+ photos in their folders in your Pictures Folder.

Rod, do you use a 3rd party program to do your cloning and/or backup? If so, may I ask what you would recommend? Thanks.......

 

[MacInWin]

Thanks, Jake. Now I feel a little better about trying to recover my organized photos using Time Machine.

And yes, it does sound like Version is similar to File History. I had not yet explored it. But I guess you are saying that because I 'trashed' my 900 photos, I can't use Version to restore them. Correct?

BTW, I noticed that you are from Winchester, VA. Before I retired to the Ozark mountains of Arkansas 22 years ago, I lived just up the freeway in Centreville, VA. I often rode my Harley through Winchester and would sometimes frequent the Harley dealer there. I would imagine things have changed in 22 years.

We moved to Winchester 11 years ago. Before that we were in Fairfax, near Centreville. Yes, it's changed a bit! We had lived in Fairfax for about 27 years, all told, before we decided to get out of NoVa.

Version only works for some files, not all of them, so it's not complete. But TM is. For Clones, most of us use either Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper!. Both of them do well. There is a third way of doing backups, which is synchronization. I use a tool called ChronoSync to sync my photos library to a copy on a separate drive just for that purpose. I am paranoid about losing photos. A few years ago I had my internal drive fail and on the very same day the backup drive also failed and I lost everything, which included a bunch of irreplaceable photos. So now I have a TM backup, plus sync to iCloud, plus on my iPhone and iPad, plus a network copy and a clone copy plus a synchronized copy with ChronoSync. I think 7 copies should do but I'm still paranoid enough to test each backup periodically to make sure it actually works!

 

[Rod]

Rod, do you use a 3rd party program to do your cloning and/or backup? If so, may I ask what you would recommend? Thanks.......

Durango, as a forum we recommend two cloning applications; Carbon Copy Cloner by Bombich and SuperDuper by Shirt Pocket.
I use Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC). Both are able to create bootable clones (in earlier macOS), scheduled backups and similar preference options. Both offer 30 day, full featured, obligation free trials.
I say bootable in earlier versions of macOS because the latest macOS (Big Sur) has made this almost impossible due to security changes.
A clone offers a copy in the same format as the source. This means it’s very easy to navigate. CCC also has a safety net allowing earlier versions or deleted files to be retained for a nominal time etc. see ccc here; Mac Backup Software | Carbon Copy Cloner | Bombich Software
I use it primarily for restoring files, folders and applications after a “clean” instal of a new macOS. This can be done with Time Machine too but not in the same way. With CCC I can “cherry pick” what I want and leave the rest and everything is in the same place it would have been on the source.

 

[durango]

Jake, as it turns out, I have SuperDuper and previously used it to back up my Yosemite configuration. Since my brother died about 11 years ago, I haven't paid much attention to the iMac. It was basically his computer.

But now, as a change from Windows, I am enjoying learning and playing with it. Thanks for your response.

 

[MacInWin]

I say bootable in earlier versions of macOS because the latest macOS (Big Sur) has made this almost impossible due to security changes.

Don't panic at that statement. It's true, sort of. Bootable clones of Big Sur CAN be made, but because of increased security in BS and Monterey (when it's released), a perfect clone of the operating system is not possible. However, you can install BS and Monterey to an external drive, then clone from the internal to it and have a bootable clone. If, when, you get a new Mac with the new Mx chips from Apple, things get a bit more complex. But for now, with that old machine and SD!, you should be able to make a good clone.

 

[durango]

Don't panic at that statement. It's true, sort of. Bootable clones of Big Sur CAN be made, but because of increased security in BS and Monterey (when it's released), a perfect clone of the operating system is not possible. However, you can install BS and Monterey to an external drive, then clone from the internal to it and have a bootable clone. If, when, you get a new Mac with the new Mx chips from Apple, things get a bit more complex. But for now, with that old machine and SD!, you should be able to make a good clone.

Jake, I will never get to Big Sur on my current iMac because of its age (2009). El Capitan is as far as it will go, and I did that upgrade last week (I'm thinking that's how I lost my photos). Like I mentioned earlier, I have used SuperDuper to make a Yosemite clone in years past, so I only need to relearn the program. Except for trashing all my 900+ photos, I'm a pretty smart guy for my age (83), lol. Have a good weekend.

 

[durango]

Durango, as a forum we recommend two cloning applications; Carbon Copy Cloner by Bombich and SuperDuper by Shirt Pocket.
I use Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC). Both are able to create bootable clones (in earlier macOS), scheduled backups and similar preference options. Both offer 30 day, full featured, obligation free trials.
I say bootable in earlier versions of macOS because the latest macOS (Big Sur) has made this almost impossible due to security changes.
A clone offers a copy in the same format as the source. This means it’s very easy to navigate. CCC also has a safety net allowing earlier versions or deleted files to be retained for a nominal time etc. see ccc here; Mac Backup Software | Carbon Copy Cloner | Bombich Software
I use it primarily for restoring files, folders and applications after a “clean” instal of a new macOS. This can be done with Time Machine too but not in the same way. With CCC I can “cherry pick” what I want and leave the rest and everything is in the same place it would have been on the source.

Thanks for the cloning recommendations. I already have SuperDuper and previously used it to clone Yosemite, so it's just a matter of relearning the program for El Capitan.

I do have a question. Will SuperDuper allow you to "cherry pick" what you want like CCC does? I never used SD for that purpose, so I don't know. Have a nice weekend.

 

[Rod]

Someone else may need to confirm this but I believe like CCC the drive when mounted like a standard external HD it should look much the same as the source. Eg. After a "clean instal" I connect the CCC clone, open it on the desktop and drag the contents of it's Documents folder into my now empty Documents folder on the internal drive. I do this for everything except the apps that require an installer. In most cases I have that installer so I drag that across and run it to install a fresh copy of the app.

 

[MacInWin]

Someone else may need to confirm this but I believe like CCC the drive when mounted like a standard external HD it should look much the same as the source. Eg. After a "clean instal" I connect the CCC clone, open it on the desktop and drag the contents of it's Documents folder into my now empty Documents folder on the internal drive. I do this for everything except the apps that require an installer. In most cases I have that installer so I drag that across and run it to install a fresh copy of the app.

That is one way to do it. Booting from the backup and cloning back to the internal is another. And using Migration Assistant is another.

 

[Rod]

Ha, in the case of my wife I just “reverse” clone everything back, I never know what she might want and sometimes neither does she. With me I can be more selective and I get rid of a lot of apparently unnecessary junk.
I'm a bit wary of Migration Assistant, that’s just me.

 

[MacInWin]

I use MA any time I can. It sorts out the permissions on the files for me. Drag/drop has created too much additional work, particularly with a new machine or new installation.

 

[Rod]

Maybe I’ll give it another try on my new 2021-22 14” M1X MBP when I eventually get it. The Australian gov. suggests we may be open for international travel at the end of the year and has now recognised SinoVac as a Valid vaccination so we may only need to submit to one week home isolation.
So, if the new MBP is available by then or January-Feb it will be my Christmas present to me.

 

[jpdemers]

TM works great if you just follow a couple of rules: (1) give TM its own volume (or an entire HDD or SSD) to play with, and (2) don't muck about in that volume with anything but TM itself.

You can break rule (2), but only if you really know what you're doing. (And most of us don't really.)