Sparsebundle file will not open

[komatsu]

Sparsebundle created on a Mavericks system will not open.

When you click on "get info" it comes up as about 920GB but that is as it gets.

The file is stored on a Time Capsule.

Any suggestions on how to access it?

 

[JohnDS]

Right-click (or control-click) and choose "Show Package Contents".

 

[komatsu]

ok finally got the sparsebundle folder to open but now half the contents seem to be missing.

For example, "Documents" folder has just one folder in it. There were at least 20 sub folders...WTF?

 

[JohnDS]

Is this a sparse bundle of a Time Machine Backup, or something else. Can you post a screen shot?

 

[komatsu]

of a TM backup John.

Machine not with me now, so can't post screenshot.

 

[JohnDS]

I am surprised that you would have a folder called "Documents" in the sparse bundle. Time Machine sparse bundles on a Time Capsule look nothing like the drive they are backing up. For instance see the screenshot of my sparse bundle.

 

[MichaelDT]

Time machine tracks individual changes and hard links the rest. It is not a "snapshot" system like windows, at least until we get APFS. Outside of the time machine interface in finder it is extremely difficult to pull up files. It is essentially not a human readable file system. So uh have fun!

 

[Weaselboy]

Time machine tracks individual changes and hard links the rest. It is not a "snapshot" system like windows, at least until we get APFS. Outside of the time machine interface in finder it is extremely difficult to pull up files. It is essentially not a human readable file system. So uh have fun!

Have you ever tried? It does not sound like you have. Here is a screenshot from inside the Backups.backupdb file of my Time Machine backup. Just click whatever date you want it from there is is exactly like looking at the drive in Finder. You can navigate through the folders exactly like you would on your regular internal drive and drag and drop files over to the Desktop or wherever you want. Very simple.

All the hard links do is prevent the backup system from having to keep multiple copies of the same file.

 

[JohnDS]

@komatsu: By the way, why are you trying to open the sparse bundle manually anyway, rather than trying to recover data through the Time Machine "Star Wars" interface?

 

[komatsu]

@JohnDS, I never tried via Time Machine because I'm assuming if the backups are not opening up properly when
trying to view them natively, they are not going to up properly with TM? OR, is that a wrong assumption?

 

[JohnDS]

Try opening them using the Time Machine "Star Wars" interface.

 

[komatsu]

Try opening them using the Time Machine "Star Wars" interface.

Apple Menu> System Preferences > Time Machine > Select Backup Disk?

 

[JohnDS]

No. There should be a Time Machine icon in the menubar. Drag it down to "Enter Time Machine".

If it is not in the menubar, tick the checkbox in the Time Machine prefs to show it in the menubar.
[doublepost=1468175566][/doublepost]See: http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/07/11/how-view-and-restore-specific-files-time-machine/

 

[komatsu]

John,

That worked! Fantastic.

Thanks so much - really appreciate that.