Did you check the permissions in the Finder?
Hi, I’m getting back to this, to figure out DT backup.
No way to recover the file I was looking for, as I always backed up with open databases, which backed up the databases as “.sparseimage” not “.dtSparse”.
Now I am always closing the Databases before backing up, but, as I said, I ge the “.dtSparse” files, but when I open it in DT it’s only readable, not writable.
[cgrunenberg], I checked the permissions in the Finder, and it says Owner: Read & Write.
So, where’s the catch? I need to know that I can backup DT Databases in a way that I can easily recover.
Thanks for the support.
I’m not sure if that’s an issue of sparse images if they’re copied while in use but it’s definitely recommended to backup only closed databases. Otherwise DEVONthink’s own files might be inconsistent/corrupted after restoring. Time Machine is an exception as it does lots of backups and at least one of them should be usually fine. How did you create/restore the backups?
To create the backup (now):
- I close all the Databases in DT, and quit DT.
- I plug my Time Machine Drive, and perform the backup
I don’t know if by Restoring you mean something different than Opening the backup version.
But here’s what I do:
- I quit DT
- I plug the Time Machine Drive
- I open the Backups.backupdb folder
- Then browse through: “My Mac” > Latest > Macintosh HD - Data > Users > “Me” > Databases
- Then I open the different databases (let’s say "Organization.dtSparse)
- I am asked for the password (as they are protected), I insert it, and it opens up in DT
- BUT: only as a read-only. I got a “Key/Slashed” icon near the database folder icon in DT, and indeed I can only read the texts files, can’t anything else
Is there another way?
Restoring means you are copying a resource from backups, usually to replace an existing one or to retrieve something you’ve lost.
Why are you opening the file in your backups?
Sure, I see what a restore is, actually.
Ok, let’s see two scenarios:
-
Restore:
Will restoring a database, entirely “replace” the whole “existing database” with the “backed up database”?
I can’t see the “restore database” option in the File menu, unless I click on the Help menu and make a research for that. Is that normal? (for info: I’m doing this while the backup drive is not plugged in.) -
Accessing a Backed Up Database for partial recovering:
Is that even possible?
Let’s say I edited a document in the “existing database” by adding some stuff to it and deleted some part of it, and I want to access the “backed up database” to only copy the stuff I need back, without replacing the “new” with the “old”, otherwise, the added stuff in the “new” version will be deleted when performing a “restore to the old”. Can we actually do that?
I’d never noticed that, but yes, I see the same behaviour. However: it’s not called Restore Database but Restore Backup, and that’s two different entities. The Backup in this context is a backup of the internal workings of the database, rather than the database itself. Backups are more likely to be used when suggested by support than at the whim of a user, so hiding the entry may well be intentional.
Sure: I have a backup of a database on DVD (or in TimeMachine, on an external SSD etc.); I can open that database (making sure it is the only database I open, to be sure that there are no two databases with the same ID open), copy the record in question e.g. to the desktop, close the (backup) database, open the current database, drag the record from the desktop to the inbox…
- Yes, it would repalce the existing file, unless you’re restoring to a different location.
- The File > Restore Backup is not a file backup. It is for rolling back the internal metadata for a database.
- If you restored to a different location, you could open it and cherry pick from the restored database, as needed.
That I guess - if I understand you correctly - is because you are not restoring the database file, but opening it directly from within the backup; use TimeMachine to restore the file to a new location, then open it in DT. I would assume that the (unrestored) file being locked is by design - it wouldn’t make much sense to be able to alter a file within a backup.
That makes sense.
Exactly what I would like to do.
Also makes sense.
Yeah, I guess that’s the problem. Would “copying” the Database from the Time Machine Backup to the Desktop, be the same as “restoring” it? I’ve never just “restored” a file from Time Machine. I’ll look it up to see if that is the same or not, and will try both solutions.
Essentially, yes.
I don’t actually know the answer to that question (having only ever directly restored from TimeMachine); try it, and let me know, please 
Edit: I see Jim says “yes”
I tried to “Copy” the database from the Time Machine backup to my desktop, and the same problem occurs: I open it in DT but I can only read it.
I am trying to figure out how the Time Machine restore option work:
But I am afraid that if I do use that option, it will “replace” the existing databases with the backed up ones, and I don’t want that. I want temporarily access the old version, and then go back to my current one.
a) simply make a copy of your current database and pop it on the desktop, just in case anything goes wrong.
b) when you restore using TimeMachine, IIRC it will ask whether you want to restore to the original location or somewhere else.
So, do a) then b)
(Edit: I must admit that based on what the document you link to says, TimeMachine will restore to the original location. But again, so long as you have done a) first, no damage done).