How do i recover files from time capsule

Question

A couple of days ago my  macbook pro (mid 2009, 2.53 GHz intel core 2 duo running Mountain Lion) started getting slow almost to a crawl, and the hdd name was changed automatically from Macintosh HD to a really long and weird name, something like ////////kjiosdjfk43///////////////////////////////, the name of a  folder that I had on the desktop was also changed to a weird name like that. I changed the name back to Macintosh HD and after that it would take forever to boot and then wouldnt boot at all. I tried to reinstall OSX from the osx utilites menu after pressing command + R while booting but after downloading the file it would get stuck at " about 0 seconds remaining" i tried to format the drive but it still wouldnt install OSX. I bought a new HDD and installed everything from scratch, Leopard, Snow Leopard and finally Mountain Lion. Since the original HDD name was changed i suspected a virus, I haven't used time machine since installing Mountain Lion, I need to know how to check if it was a virus or just the HDD failing. Right now I'm running a scan on the time capsule disk with avast free for mac ( is Avast any good on Mac's?).  It's my understanding that my time capsule disk assumes its connected to a new mac, I would like to transfer all my files (music, movies, but most importantly the photos i had on iPhoto) instead of doing a full restore from time capsule (I'd like to do this because i had a lot of applications I no longer use and the mac was getting slow from a while back), if I decide to do this, how do i do it, and, after copying the files do i need to erase the time capsule disk and set it up as a new one for the "new" mac or can I save the old backups and start backing up new ones from this point on ( I'd like to do this in case i forget to transfer any files I still have them on time capsule)

Answer 1

Time Machine will delete its hourly backups when it is running low on space. The daily Backups remains.
Then it will delete the daily backups when it is running low on space. The weekly backups remains.
Then it will delete the weekly backups when it is running low on space. The monthly backups remain.
Then it will delete the odlest backups when it is running low on space.
But because of the convoluted way its internal pointer system works, it will never delete the only backup copy of a current file -- there will still be a copy on the Backup as long as there is still an original file in place on your drive.
So I think your assertion that it deletes your stuff without asking you is an exaggeration. It is not nearly so dire as you are saying.