Can't Find File in Time Machine

Kind of a weird problem, usually I can figure this stuff out on my own.
Basically, I have an edited version of a video and I want to retrieve the original. I know I did the edit on that day and I know its date created. I have a weekly backup from that week and the week after. In the one for that week, neither the original nor the edit are present so I assume the end of that week was right before I moved the video onto my computer. The next backup has the editied version, but the original is nowhere to be found, so I'm assuming that I can't get at in any way, so basically my question is.
1. Does Time Machine back up the trash anywhere? The .trash file isn't in my ~/ so I'm assuming it doesn't, and the file might have been in the trash.
2. How does Time Machine compress the backups into weekly files? Is it possible that something that only existed on my hard drive for a very short period of time got "dropped" in the combining process? Or did I somehow manage to get it onto my computer and delete it between backups?

1. Does Time Machine back up the trash anywhere?
No, that's one of the things it skips automatically. See What's excluded from backups in #11 of Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.
2. How does Time Machine compress the backups into weekly files?
It doesn't, exactly. It simply deletes the backups that have "expired." That leaves a "snapshot" of how your entire Mac looked at the time of each remaining backup.
Is it possible that something that only existed on my hard drive for a very short period of time got "dropped" in the combining process? Or did I somehow manage to get it onto my computer and delete it between backups?
Yes, it's quite possible. It depends on the timing and how often backups are run, but basically Time Machine keeps all backups for 24 hours, except the first of the day, which is kept for a month. After a month, it keeps one per week.

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Upgraded to Mavericks, can't find files on time machine

I have an external hard drive where I backup my Macbook Pro. I recently upgraded to Mavericks and now I can't find old files on time machine. I am looking for a file around a certain date, but no matter what date I look at in time machine - the files and data seem to be the same. I hope someone has a solution to my problem!

Hi Miax1,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
I understand that you are looking for a specific file in your Time Machine backup. It sounds like you are familiar with the interface but just cannot find the file. Just to make sure you are searching in the right area, I suggest reviewing the Restoring data from Time Machine backups section from the following article. Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427
Restoring specific files or folders
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You can use the timeline on the right side of the window to reach a certain point back in time. The timeline shows the times of all backups on your backup drive. If you don’t know exactly when you deleted or changed a file, you can use the back arrow to let Time Machine automatically travel through time to show you when that folder last changed.
Note: Dates in pink indicate the data resides on your Time Machine backup device. Dates in white indicate the data resides on your Mac. In OS X Lion v10.7 and later, portable Macs include local snapshots.
You can also perform a Spotlight search from the Finder. Simply enter a search term in the Spotlight search field, and use the back arrow to have Time Machine search through your backups to find what you are looking for.
Before you restore a file, you can also use Quick Look to preview a file to make sure its the one you want. Highlight the file and press the Space Bar to bring up a quick look.
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I hope this helps,
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I have just started using Time Machine. I was thinking about deleting old E-Mails on my Mac to clean. Does Time Machine back up the E-Mails , if so how can I find them in Time Machine ??

I have just started using Time Machine. I was thinking about deleting old E-Mails on my Mac to clean. Does Time Machine back up the E-Mails , if so how can I find them in Time Machine ??

If you back up your mac before deleting your emails, Time Machine should back up your e-mails.
I never tried this so i'm not sure to find them in Time Machine. To browse in your backups simply click the Time Machine icon in your dock. In the right bar, you can select an backup. Than you can browse in finder, in your backkup.
EDIT: Just browsed and CT above was right. This topic might help you:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/20154303#20154303

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VK replied to a similar question here ...
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I have made a Youtube video of the error:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1__PdyAetVg
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wrongusername wrote:
But if I transfer everything with the Setup Assistant, won't I once again be experiencing the problems I had?
If the problems were caused by your data. But that's extremely unlikely. It may have been an app, or, much more likely from your description, something corrupted in the Leopard OS. That's one of the problems with upgrading a sick system without knowing what or where the causes are. It's a bit like a brain surgeon operating on himself: if he isn't in tip-top shape to start with, his condition is likely to change, and not for the better.
Most of us would have recommended first simply doing a +*Repair Disk+* on your internal HD; if that didn't help, installing the "combo" Leopard update; if that didn't work, doing an +Archive and Install+ and re-installing the "combo."
After a clean re-install of Snow Leopard, my Mac worked fine again (except for the TM trouble). So it probably had something to do with my old files.
Probably not. Much more likely OSX was somehow damaged. And you got a whole new one.
How come I could read the files on my external HD and yet not be able to copy the files?
Time Machine uses special "deny everybody everything" permissions on it's backups, among other things, in an attempt to keep us mere mortals from moving, changing, or deleting things and corrupting them.

Can't access files though time machine

In Time Machine I can see that folders are there but when I try to restore them I get nothing. I might get an empty folder that says "xxx(original)" but nothing's in it. Or I get a message about lacking permission. Is there a practical way to get at files without going through the TM interface? I presume they're on the backup drive somewhere.

duncantho wrote:
Hmm, after digging into TM's files through the Finder I finally managed to recover everything. TM itself, at least in terms of restoration, remains a bit of a mystery though.
Everything you need to know about TM is here :
http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html

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Bergers wrote:
I restored my new Mac with the "Latest Backup" of Time Machine. I now understand that I will have to erase the whole backup harddrive in order to continue using Time Machine (I cannot get it to do incremental backups with my new computer from where I left off on the old one).
You may be able to get the new Mac to "inherit" the old one's backups manually. See #B6 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.
But the practice of deleting originals, assuming Time Machine will keep the backups indefinitely, is a major mistake. See Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #20.
Linc is correct about multiple backups -- it's always prudent. See #27 in the FAQ link for some suggestions.

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I Have

I think you can try but I am not sure it will work.
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I would grab a copy of superduper or carbon copy cloner and clone your disk.. TM is fragile at best.

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davidpsummers wrote:
I should clarify. The drive has more stuff than just that backup. I would have to find a place to put it all (non-trivial) and then wipe it.
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Delete the file "NetworkInterfaces.plist". Enter administrator name and password if prompted.
Restart your Mac.
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If the issue persists, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider to have your Mac's network ports checked.

Can you privide a link to where you got those instructions?
Maybe something here will help - see A4.
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Hmmm, get Find Any File...
http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/
Hold Option or alt key when selecting Find to Find All.
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Can't Find File in Time Machine

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