How do I get access to files backed up with time machine on another computer?

Question

Hi. I recently migrated to a new macbook air. got most of the data across, but not my iphoto library, which exists now only on an external harddrive onto which i backed it up using time machine.
I had to delete the iphoto library from my old computer before migration.
The harddrive doesnt work on my old computer anymore (says the disk is damaged. Im currently trying to repair it, but no luck so far, disk utility says it cannot repair it.)
I can get the harddrive to work on my new computer.However, the folder i want to access is inside a time machine backup folder (made on my old machine) and it is locked. I tried to unlock it using command+ i but that did not work.
How can i access such a locked folder?

Answer 1

maedi wrote:
I realize it is not good to get time-machine created files back by going through finder, but that seems like that is my only option.
Were you trying to access it via either Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant?  If those don't work, you still may be able to use the "Star Wars" display to see and restore some data.  It all depends on just what and where the damage is.
If you can get into the display, you may be able to restore the iPhoto Library; start with the most recent backup, and work back in time. 
the  problem now is the folder is locked with a big red no go sign, and command-i cannot change it (not even when i do it on the computer on which the file was created).
Correct; Time Machine protects it's backups with very restrictive ACLs, basically "nobody can do anything," so us mere mortals won't damage them. 
If you use the same user account on the same Mac that did the backup, via the Finder, you should have read rights, and you may be able to copy from the backups.   
if i succeed, am i going to see my iphoto library file in that folder?
Yes.  Each of those date-stamped backup folders should contain a set of "hard links" to the backup copies of everything that was on your system at the time of that backup, no matter when each item was actually backed-up.  If you can copy the most recent one successfully, that will get everything.
The iPhoto Library looks like a file; but it's actually a special kind of folder called a "package."  If you can't copy it, right-click it and select Show Package Contents to see inside it, but don't copy individual items except as a last resort -- at best, you'll recover raw photos, with no organization or data, and probably no editing, either.