how can i find folder in backups

[saschabur]

I accidentily deleted a huge group, but i don’t know when.

I restored the oldest backup in the DTPO-Menu, it is not there. So i will use time machine backups.

1. How could i find the day the backup-copy in which the group is still present? I would not like restore one by one till i find the folder. There must be another way ?

2. When you restore, how can i prevent DTPO from restoring all open databases, but only the one that is highlighted? I would like to restore the last version with this group in it, copy the group in a temporay database, restore the newest version of the main database and copy the group in it.

[cgrunenberg]

@saschabur

1. How could i find the day the backup-copy in which the group is still present? I would not like restore one by one till i find the folder. There must be another way ?

Unfortunately that’s the only possibility.

2. When you restore, how can i prevent DTPO from restoring all open databases, but only the one that is highlighted? I would like to restore the last version with this group in it, copy the group in a temporay database, restore the newest version of the main database and copy the group in it.

Closing all databases before quitting (e.g. via File > Close Database > All) should be sufficient, afterwards launch DEVONthink Pro Office by double-clicking on the restored database.

[saschabur]

Thank you.

Another important question:

after backing up old version of the database, the newer files are still in the package , in the folder Files.noindex

Will they remain there ? Until when?

Thank you

[korm]

@saschabur

after backing up old version of the database, the newer files are still in the package , in the folder Files.noindex

Please refer to the documentation. For example:

@DEVONthink Help

Internal backups only back up the index structures in case the index gets corrupted. Please use an external backup software to create backups of your complete database including all documents

Tools > Backup does not copy your data (i.e., your documents). You have to manage your data yourself and make your own backups – a topic that has been covered extensively here.

[saschabur]

Thank you for your quick answer.

But another question:

the group names are encrypted in the database?

Why is it not possible to scan the database with a hex editor and fin a chain that corresponds to the group name (or the equivalent chain in the language of DTPO?)

[korm]

@saschabur

the group names are encrypted in the database? Why is it not possible to scan the database with a hex editor and fin a chain that corresponds to the group name (or the equivalent chain in the language of DTPO?)

The database internally is not structured the same way as it appears in the interface. The database is structured in the best way for the database engine to locate documents and present them to you in the UI.

Digging around inside the database package is a great way to destroy your database, by the way

I assume the real question not asked here is “I lost files – where are they?”. If you have a fully verified database then every document will be accessible in DEVONthink without looking into the database package. “Fully verified” means Verify and Repair throws no errors and you have no orphans. If you deleted a group, emptied the DEVONthink trash, and emptied the Trash in OS X, then you files are gone.

[saschabur]

I know that the files are gone, but i found them on a version of the database in January 2015.

For me it would be important now which of the 10 or 20 timemachine backups is the newest one with this group.

I am working with DTPO now for two years , and more and more, i relie on DTPO for alldata.

The database has 26 GB.

The problem is, that i realized that for unknwon reasons, there are a lot of files missing.

Comparing the January database and this one from today, in nearly every group there seems files that are missing. Impossible to sync this manually. So i hope that i can find the newest database with the most important group in it, and the check the other groups.

Thank you

[korm]

It seems there are a lot more facets of the situation to come, so I’m guessing you need more focused help with your problem than this forum will provide. I suggest open a ticket with Support.