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How use Time Machine with Contacts
#45602 07/08/17 03:58 AM
Joined: Dec 2009
kevs Offline OP
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I would like to see a phone number deleted a month ago.

I open contacts and do TM. I choose old dates but a contact window comes up blank white and says no cards. No matter what previous date, they all say no cards. Pity does not work intuitively.

Re: How use Time Machine with Contacts
kevs #45604 07/08/17 11:45 AM
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Did you restore the contacts file to your boot or another drive or did you try to open it in place on the Time Machine drive?


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Re: How use Time Machine with Contacts
kevs #45608 07/08/17 02:57 PM
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The intuitive part that joemikeb is referencing above is that once you select a date in Time Machine, and the the new Contact window appears for that date, you need to choose "Restore" to bring the info from the past into the present.

It occurs to me that you might want to use Time Machine to restore the Contact data file (back up the current one first). However, I am not sure what or where this data file might be. It might be in the Contacts package, in which case restoring a past date of the application should do the trick, but I can't say for sure.


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Re: How use Time Machine with Contacts
Ira L #45609 07/08/17 03:05 PM
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Contacts are unique to each user so they could not be embedded in the Contacts app. You will find the Contacts (nee. AddressBook) data in ~/Library/ Application Support/AddressBook where ~/ indicates the user folder.



If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: How use Time Machine with Contacts
joemikeb #45612 07/08/17 08:26 PM
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kevs Offline OP
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Sorry guys, did not understand much there, maybe a hair... but

I don't want to restore all my contact back to 6 months ago as I would lose all the new people. I just want to peek into contact 6 months ago and see the phone number of one person who was deleted.

Re: How use Time Machine with Contacts
kevs #45613 07/08/17 10:20 PM
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You could restore back 6 months, get the number you want, and then restore back to latest backup...maybe your only option.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: How use Time Machine with Contacts
artie505 #45614 07/08/17 11:22 PM
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kevs Offline OP
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I would prefer not doing that as Murphy laws will win and I'll get stuck with old contacts. Any other ideas?

I do think though TM says keep old.. but seem more hairy with Contact my guess.

Re: How use Time Machine with Contacts
kevs #45615 07/09/17 02:32 AM
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Back up your current contacts using Contacts > File > Export > Contacts Archive, and then do what I suggested, and you'll have your current contacts ready to import if the forward restore goes bad.

Actually, you can just overwrite the Time Machine restoration by importing your Contacts Archive...no need to do a forward restore.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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