Difficulty recovering mailbox folder

[Alias Undercove]

I am using Mac Mail and accidentally deleted an import mail folder.

No problem right? Just go into Time Machine and recover it. So I focus on Mac Mail, then open Time Machine. It tells me to press the Restore button. Normally it is at the bottom corner of the window but I don't see it.

Bug or am I missing something obvious. Is there a function key programmed to do Restore?

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

Can we see a screenshot of what you see?

Does this only happen when you're recovering from Mail, or any folder or application?

 

[Alias Undercove]

Jim, here is the screenshot which I already sent you via email.

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

Please answer my other question, thanks!


For now, it's very interesting that the time line is missing on the right and also the bar on the bottom and arrows for navigating the time line, cancel and restore.

Would not hurt to double check the backup drive assigned to TM is correct as I see you have numerous mounted drives. Double check the wiring, i.e. if you're using firewire, and make sure you can navigate folders within the external drive, i.e. that it's hooked up properly.

Maybe the lack of a timeline, etc., also happens when there is no backup or backup is corrupt for the selected folder or app. I never saw that because when I first hooked mine up, it ran a full backup automatically, meaning there was at least one backup for all content on my Mac. I wonder if yours got corrupted somehow.

Before deleting any backup folders in the backup drive (which is a simple way to force TM to start over with a full backup next time it runs or you run it) you should run the verify disk via Apps -> Disk Utility on the backup drive including permissions check to ensure the data is not corrupted.

So check wiring, TM drive setup, disk utility on the drive then if still having issues, then let us know.

If anyone has any other suggestions and has seen this before (i.e. bug with certain Mail folder types and TM), feel free.

-jim

 

[Alias Undercove]

Jim, so far this error only occurs with Mac Mail. All other places where I have used Time Machine, it comes up in the normal way.

I can see my external drive which acts as my backup. I can see folders and things look normal as far as this Mac Newbie can tell.

Once or twice I have gotten an unable to back up message. I am using a firewire 800 connection. I checked the cables and they are connected firmly so that is not an issue as best I can tell.

I just ran a disk check on the external hard drive and it says all is well.

Thanks for your help.

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

Okay, you checked all the common sense things to get that crap out of the way. I also experience a few intermittent failed backup notices, but the next time it runs or if I do it manually, all is well. Up to you if you want to search all the folders for bad data or simply delete/start over all backup folders (temporarily switch off TM first) so you've got a clean slate and let it do a full backup.

Beyond this, anyone who has experienced failures especially with mail folders and TM, please speak up. Including where to check any logs related to the failures to see details of what happened?

-jim