Time Machine timeline grayed-out

I need to restore/recover some email accounts I accidentally deleted. I followed the instructions for Time Machine to have the window I want restored opened(MAIL), then click the time machine icon. Time Machine opens up and I see my timeline and the arrows and my back up dates, but the problem is they are ALL grayed-out - I cant click on them. All I can do is hit CANCEL and todays backup (I need last months back up).
Did I do something wrong?
I have my back ups on a NAS SERVER and it says the server is available.
I don't know what else I need to do
Any suggestions
This is my first time trying to restore from Time Machine

OKAY - I just read some other discussions on this (sorry - didn't see it until after I posted) and NOW I understand my problem - I got it fixed - thanks!

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Time Machine timeline grayed out for finder

I am using Mavericks and my internal drive is using FileVault. Time Machine works fine for Mail and iCloud docs in iWorks. When I enter Time Machine with a Finder window active, the timeline shows pink dates and tick marks, until it is fully loaded, then the dates disappear and the tick marks and arrows gray out.

OKAY - I just read some other discussions on this (sorry - didn't see it until after I posted) and NOW I understand my problem - I got it fixed - thanks!

Time machine disk grayed out in Disk Utility - back up not working

The disk does not show in Time Machine.
In Disk Utility it shows but is grayed out. Tried to repair disk. Got message that disk cannot be repaired. Tells me to back up and erase the disk. Not sure how to back it up if it is not being recognized. Disk Verify says the volume is corrupt and needs to be repaired. But Repair Disk doesn't work!
I can go into Time Machine and shows me one entry -- the one from the last successful back up.
The disk is a WD MyBook. Map scheme GUID Partition. Do you think the reformat will work? Is there a way if I can tell if the disk is bad? Tech Tools for Apple Care doesn't recognize the volume either.
Any ideas?

It turns out the fix for this was to just then remove the Aperture library from the exclusion list. Once I did that Time Machine did a massive 200GB backup of my entire Aperture library and everything is running fine since.
No idea what caused the problem in the first place still.

Time Machine switch grayed out...

I have a Time Capsule and 2 macs. the MacBook Air works fine for backups, the mac mini won't let me turn on time machine. The switch is grayed out. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

SBRocket, I had this same problem. If you eliminate the apostrophe from your Time Machine's name, that might help. It didn't solve it for me, though. I needed to go into the Airport Utility and erase my Time Capsule's internal drive. After that, I restarted my computer and was able to successfully perform a Time Machine backup.

IPhoto crashed. When reopened, 70 some events were grayed out (no photos). Restored iPhoto library from Time Machine, fewer grayed events. Said yes to a msg on fixing library, 3K more photos. Still wrong. What next to do?

iPhoto crashed. When reopened, 70+ some events were grayed out (no photos). Restored iPhoto library from Time Machine, fewer grayed events. Said yes to a msg on fixing library, 3000 more photos. Still wrong. What next to do?

Do you still have the library that you were using when the crash occurred? If so apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
Fix #1
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
2 - run Option #4 to rebuild the database.
Fix #2
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
1 - download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
2 - click on the Add Library button and select the library you want to add in the selection window..
3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the Library ➙ Rebuild Library menu option.
4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
5 - Click on the Create button.
Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.
OT

Time Machine never gets out of Indexing backup...

I had a problem with my iMac earlier today. My first instinct was to create a complete backup. But since then I've not been able to create a backup. Time Machine never gets out of Indexing backup...
Each time I try to backup the message log contains:
Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
Backup content size: 253.8 GB excluded items size: 613.1 MB for volume Macintosh HD
303.83 GB required (including padding), 1.82 TB available
Waiting for index to be ready (101)
Waiting for index to be ready (101)
The tiny numbers in Activity Monitor suggest that Time Machine isn't really doing anything.
So far I have:
1. Verified my main hard disk and my original backup disk.
2. Bought a new external hard disk and set it up as a new backup disk.
3. Deleted the Spotlight files on my main hard disk and both the backup disks.
4. Reset Time Machine by deleting its .plist file and choosing the new backup disc again.
Given the failure earlier today I am really keen to get a full back up done.
Any ideas?
John

JWaterworth wrote:
I had a problem with my iMac earlier today. My first instinct was to create a complete backup. But since then I've not been able to create a backup. Time Machine never gets out of Indexing backup...
Indexing the backup and actually performing the backup are two different things. Sometimes Lion Time Machine has trouble maintaining the index when used over a wireless network. That doesn't affect the creation of new backups. You can always enter Time Machine and see just how many backups you have.
The tiny numbers in Activity Monitor suggest that Time Machine isn't really doing anything.
After the initial backup, Time Machine doesn't take much CPU time.
So far I have:
3. Deleted the Spotlight files on my main hard disk and both the backup disks.
4. Reset Time Machine by deleting its .plist file and choosing the new backup disc again.
Please don't do things like this. What you need to do now is:
1) Boot from your recovery volume.
2) Repair your disk and permissions
3) Wait for Spotlight to finish reindexing your hard drive.
4) Erase your Time Machine drive and start Time Machine over again.
Come back if you are still having trouble. If you muck around with low-level files that shouldn't be mucked with, all bets are off.

IMovie 10.0.1: Stabilization doesn't work. I have tried several times, it just grays out. Also, fonts, font size, color of title not working. What's the skinny?

IMovie 10.0.1: Stabilization doesn't work. I have tried several times, it just grays out. Also, fonts, font size, color of title not working. What's the skinny?

PROBLEM SOLVED!
I went to my device manager on my Windows 7 PC and found the Bonjour service in my Services and Applications section. I set it to manual and BANG iTunes started working like it's supposed to.
Unfortunately, I let my IPad get stolen on 17 Jan so I'll probably wait until after April to replace it with an IPAD 2!

Time Machine keeps running out of space

This is really annoying. Starting about 2-3 months ago, my Time Machine suddenly keeps running out of space. I have a MacBook Pro bought in 2009 summer with 500 GB Hard Drive. My Time Machine drive is als 500 GB. I currently have 117 GB left in my MacBook's hard drive, and 65 GB left in my Time Machine's drive.
As of this moment my Time Machine only have 1 backup that was done Yesterday. It's trying to create a new backup, but can't because apparently it needs 69 GB while I only have 65 GB.
Why does it need 69 GB? I can't imagine a reason why. I haven't downloaded anything more than 1 GB, if even that much, most likely not, and all I do on this MacBook is pretty much browsing. In any case, it's hard to imagine there's a 69 GB data change between yesterday and today. That's a lot of data by any standard.
Thanks for any help!

If your internal disk is 500GB with 117GB free then you are using 383GB
and your Time Machine disk is too small. It is recommended that your
Time Machine disk is 2 to 3 times bigger than the data you are backing up.
There are also some tools you can get that will display details from the
logs to show you what is being backed up, it may be worth getting one of
those to determine why the backup is so big. I think the first thing you
should do is get a bigger disk.
Dave

Why are some of my Time Machine windows greyed out?

When I enter Time Machine, some of the windows (say Finder windows) are white and I can access them for a restore. Others are greyed out (actually a purple color) and I cannot access them, even though they are relevant to my User files i.e. not someone else's. There are two standard users on this laptop, plus a User with Administrator rights plus a guest User.
The same pattern of windows appears in each of the other Users.
Not a desperate issue at the moment, but I am interested to know why.
Paultageist
(my present kit is 15" Macbook Pro, OS X Lion, 500Gb Time capsule, and wireless network.)

The unavailable snapshots don't include the folder from which you're entering Time Machine. Start from the top-level view in the Finder that shows all volumes connected to the computer. Enter Time Machine and then descend to the folder you want to restore from.

Configure Local Machine is grayed out in Server Monitor

I'm trying to configure one of our Intel Xserves for use with Lithium for monitoring via the LOM port. When I go to Server Monitor the Configure Local Machine menu item is grayed out.
All the units have the same hardware config and are working so I'm not sure what is going on.
Where should I begin do you think?
Thanks.

I hadn't thought of that so it's not a dumb question. The version of the OS is 10.5.8 and Server Monitor is 1.7, which is the same as the other servers.

Time Machine Backups Stall out

Hello,
I thought I had this resolved when I replaced the backup drive. Time machine backups of my server stall out. They start seemingly fine, but eventually they will reach a point where the progress bar just stops progressing. I can find nothing in any log to indicate why this may be happening. I replaced the backup drive and backups resumed normally until I noticed today it started stalling again. I have tried resetting time machine by stopping the service in sys prefs, deleting the time machine plist in the root library, and restarting time machine and choosing the drive. This did not resolve the issue. Any ideas?
Thanks for your help.
Nick

Had the same problem that I resolved.
Went to bed with time machine stuck at 49.8% complete, thinking by the time I awake, it would finish.
Awoke to find it still stuck at 49.8%
Noticed the backup drive's light was off, so I figured if I could wake up the drive, it may resume loading.
I awoke the drive by going to the menu, then click view log.
After a few seconds, the backup drive light turned on, and the progress bar started moving again.
In about 4 minutes, it completed its restoration.
Seems we have to figure out these things on our own.
Shame on Apple.

Time machine timeline points are all red

Hi.
If I enter Time Machine all my timeline backups are red.
I noticed that my Time Machine drive wasn't displaying the correct icon after a recent start and I forced a back up. The icon came back and its been backing up since.
All recent backups are showing and I don't get any messages when it attempts to back up.
Why are they red?
Has a recent upgrade to Yosemite from Mavericks got anything to do with it?
Hope you can help..

Along the side are red.
I don't have obviously use Time Machine that much thankfully, just need to know its doing what it should be doing.
Didn't they used to be white?

Time Machine backups greyed out

Wanting to restore an application that I deleted a couple weeks ago, yesterday I went into Time Machine and found all previous backups that didn't happen "Today" were greyed out. I checked this morning and again, every backup not done "Today" is greyed out (i.e. the backups completed yesterday are now greyed out).
I'm using 10.8.4 and both the internal drive and external housing my backups have never been changed and appear to be working correctly.
I've searched the forum, and while other people seem to have similar problems, I cannot find a solution that works. I have the disc image for the deleted application, so this issue isn't exactly critical, but knowing that something isn't right with my backup system is concerning...

Information.
Time Machine Troubleshooting
Time Machine Troubleshooting Problems

Old time machine backup prayed out, why?

Hi Not very technically minded. I did a total erase of my HDD i was not worried because i have a 2TB WD time machine backup. When i try to go to that to restore certain files i have problems as described. When entered Time Machine i got the star wars effect but i could only go back to the start of the latest install. I then entered TM via system preferences and it states the oldest backup date but when i select disk its not there. If i then go into options my other external HD's are showing as is my old TM, however only the TM is greyed out.
Why and how to do access this? Any help would be gratefully appreciated as this is where all my music and films are stores.
Regards Daveff

While in Time Machine, press the key combination shift-command-C. The front window will show all mounted volumes. All snapshots should now be accessible. Select the one you want and navigate to the files you want to restore.
If you need to restore from a backup of the hidden user Library folder, first select a snapshot, then press shift-command-G. A Go to Folder dialog will open. In it, you'll enter the path to the folder. The dialog will help you by automatically completing the parts of the path when you start to type them.
The path begins with slash character ("/"). Enter that. The rest of the parts will be separated by slashes.
The next part is the date and time of the current snapshot. Enter a "2", and the rest of the date should be filled in automatically. Press the right-arrow key to jump to the end of the path. Enter a slash to start the next part.
Next is the name of the volume (usually "Macintosh HD" unless you gave it a different name.) Start to type that, then jump to the end and enter a slash.
The next part is "Users", followed by a slash.
Next is your (short) user name, which is also the name of your home folder.
Finally, enter "Library", then press return. You should now be in the Library folder. From there you can get around as in the Finder.

Time Machine Backups Purpled Out

I have 3 sections of backup all on the same external disk. I see the dates and have no access to older backups. One was a restore of the drive that Apple support promised I would be able to go back and get files and apps in the old install and bring over to the new restored drive. This was untrue. That is the first purpled out batch of backups.
The second is from being on location with no back ups for couple of months. I just hooked up to my external drive and it now has all back ups purple.
So, now I only have access to the last two days of back ups. I have seen many posts say you have to click on the file you want restored and then it will access the later backups. This makes no sense. It only restores that dates version. What I want are apps and files from previous back ups. To do that you have to click on that date.
Lastely, and more importantly Apple said I could do a full restore from a back up and go back to an earlier version OSX. Hence, go back to Lion, or Mountain Lion. I dont see that availabe either.
Whats up?
At this point I am fed up with time machine. Is there an easy solution to this or do I have to buy a third party backup?

What I have found out since posting this post.
I went to time machine preferences and pressed select disk and reselected my seagate drive. Half of my back ups that were dull purple are now bright purple and I can access those files. The ones earlier I cannot.
I back up to an external drive, a seagate backup drive. I went through the finder and drilled down to the back up folder. Backups.backupdb. It has folders set up by date for my backups. The oldest date is the first bright purple time machine tab. I have no files before that. It somehow recognizes that I did back ups before that first file and cannot find them, hence the dull purple tabs. Where were they saving too? I surely hope it was not the mac hd.

Time Machine timeline grayed-out

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