How can I retrieve a deleted Calendar?

[Blueser100]

I accidentally deleted a Calendar and can't figure out how I can retrieve it, if at all. I am on a Macbook Air running 10.9.5 and Calendar 7.0. I have an external disk that runs Time Machine. I tried looking in Time Machine but I don't know where the files are stored there, what they are called, or the steps needed to restore the calendar to may laptop. I would appreciate any help. Thanks.

 

[chscag]

Welcome to our forums.

Open your Calendar application and keep it open. Make sure your Time Machine drive is attached, and then enter Time Machine. Go to a date when you know the calendar existed, and... you should then be able to restore your lost calendar. Note.. this assumes you actually made a valid backup with Time Machine.

 

[Blueser100]

Welcome to our forums.

"and... you should then be able to restore your lost calendar."

I was able to get this far before my post here. I just need to step by step after I open Time Machine. Where do I go, what file(s) am I looking for, and what do I do once I find them? Thanks. And yes, several back ups exist on the TM.

 

[chscag]

I probably should have been more clear: If you keep your Calendar app open and enter Time Machine at the same time, it (Time Machine) should take you to the files or folder that is/are to be restored. Have you tried doing it that way?

 

[IWT]

@Blueser100

Just to be sure you're opening Time Machine (TM) the proper way, let me, without insult to you, spell out the procedure. All I'm doing is piggy-backing on Admin chscag's excellent advice.

I am suggesting a slight modification from what chscag said based on a trial run I made just now and because all your various calendars (home, work, birthdays etc) are within the one Calendar App. I have not found any way of restoring one specific calendar. It seems to be restore the whole App or nothing.

Make sure the source of your Time Machine (TM) is mounted (ie attached. Best if this is by USB from External Hard Drive, but I obviously don't know your particular set up). TM should be seen as an icon on the very top Menu Bar.

Close all windows (simply to avoid confusion).

Now open Finder. Go to Applications > Click on Calendar to highlight it. With this window open:-

From the top Menu Bar, click on TM. From the drop down menu, select "Enter Time Machine".

You will now encounter a space-age vista with multiple windows stretching from front to back. These should all be versions of your Finder Window showing the Calendar App highlighted.

On your right is a Time Line. Select a day in the past, prior to the day you accidentally deleted the calendar app. Be patient. This can take 15-30 seconds sometimes.

This will bring to the front a Finder Window with the Calendar App. It should be highlighted; but if not, click-to-highlight.

From the bottom of the screen, click on "Restore". As this is an App, it may ask you if you want to Keep Both or Replace. Your choice, but Replace seems best.

Wait till it finishes.

Exit TM.

Please post back. We want to be sure things work out for you.

Ian

 

[Blueser100]

Thank you so much for the help and detailed instructions. I think I will have to let the lost calendar go (it was two years worth of notations on dates of my mother's hospital visits, doctors appointments, caregivers' schedules, when I paid her bills, etc). The problem is that I see that my last TM backup was end of August, and I've made many more entries in my other calendars at this point and I am concerned they will be overwritten/lost. Is there a way to restore my mom's health calendar without overwriting all of the calendars?

 

[IWT]

Thank you for posting back. Of course this is the concern.

I have not found a way of restoring just the one calendar from within the Calendar App. Now, that's me. Others wiser than I may come up with something.

Admin chscag has already contributed and is a wiz on complicated issues like this. These posts are emailed to us all so, when able to do so, he may return with a more erudite solution.

I think I mentioned above that I had tried various experiments before my first post - including following to the letter, the original suggestion by chscag which I thought, as he, would work. I couldn't get it to do so.

My "revision" certainly works, but at a cost — as you have recognised — you replace the whole App.

Let's look out for wiser council.

Ian

 

[chscag]

@Ian

Your instructions were more precise than mine were and should have worked for the OP if he had kept up with his TM backups.

 

[ferrarr]

I don't know if this will help, but if you were not connected to internet for anything, you may be able to save your iCloud Calendar online so it will not be overwritten when you restore the Calendar you are looking for, maybe? Just make sure all internet iCloud is signed out for the Calendar restore, then make sure you save it "to your mac", if possible. Once you have everything you need and log back in to iCloud it should ask to merge with the calendar on your Mac.

I hope.
And, I think that is how it should work.