Time Machine DELETES folders from Desktop

[goombamd]

Wow, just wow.
I am soooo angry with Time Machine. Just when you thought you could rely on it, it deletes folders from your desktop.

So, I deleted an app with AppCleaner and wanted to re-install it from the App Store. The App Store wanted to charge me again, so I thought I could just use my Always On time machine to restore the computer to 1 hour ago.... to before the app was deleted.

Now, I have some folders on my Desktop that contain lots of video footage that I don't backup with Time Machine because it's soooooo slow; instead I backup to an external hard drive manually about once a week or so. In the time machine preferences, I excluded these files desktop folders Time Machine thinking Time Machine would just ignore them for backup and restore purposes.


Well, it didn't just ignore those folders. With the restore, time machine replaced my desktop and simply DELETED these files. AppleCare says they are unrecoverable. While I have a backup up until last week, that's still 1 week of video I lost. Completely unacceptable.

Since when does a restore program DELETE folders it was told to ignore?

WHAT THE FXC*&#($*&#(*$&U!!!


Bottom line: Do not use any special settings for time machine. It will ignore the files for backups, but it will delete the ignored files for restores. Wow, this sucks.

 

[maflynn]

If you selected a restore option that included restoring your desktop, that makes perfect sense. Your desktop is a folder and you replaced it with a backed up version.

The software worked as it intended. When I do restore to a folder, TM gives you the option of replacing the original, restoring or keeping both. Did TM not give you that option or did you do a full system restore (which again would over right any folders already on your Mac).

 

[goombamd]

that's what they said

That's what AppleCare said.
However, I disagree.

If you tell Time Machine to ignore folders... it should ignore those folders for backup AND restore purposes.

Not simply say "OK, I won't back these up, but I'll delete them if you ever restore"

 

[maflynn]

That's what AppleCare said.
However, I disagree.

Whether you disagree or not, is moot. The fact is it seemed to work as it was expected.

Sorry for the loss, and I understand your frustration.

Edit: I don't exclude any folder that is needed for the system to work, that includes the various home folders and of course system folders at the root level. My suggestion is to have your movies and what not in a folder other then in your desktop folder and then put an alias on your desktop.

 

[hfg]

Sorry for your loss, but you requested Time Machine to restore your entire desktop to a previous state ... which it did (exactly as you requested).

What you meant to do, was to restore the missing folder or file ONLY to the previous point in time.

You do have to be careful about what you ask for when you are restoring from a historical backup system.