I’m concerned that my documents are not backed up to my external drive.
I have all of my iCloud docs downloaded to the Mac for the purpose of ensuring that they get backed up to external drives. However, when I go into Time Machine, there is no restore option.
Am I doing something wrong?
I believe Restore is greyed out because the file cannot be restored. The file already exists. If you delete that file, then go back in TM, restore will no longer be greyed out.
I would create a file, run TM, delete it, and then try to restore it.
Looks like maybe you are on the version for “Now”. AFAIK, can’t restore the “now” version–logically makes no sense. Go “back in time” a bit in TimeMachine and see if then you can restore. Even if file exists you can optionally (by choice you pick presented by TimeMachine) restore by over-writing or by making a new copy.
Curious how do you do this? I just tried this to make sure my theory was correct, and Restore was greyed out on files that still existed. I didn’t see an option to restore those files anyway.
Edit: never mind. I tried it again, and restore was not greyed out for any file. But it was the first time I tried it. So I have no idea what is going on.
With regard to how TimeMachine backs up files synced with iCloud, I don’t know and as I don’t depend on iCloud I never investigated and no time or interest to do that now. But I do notice that a Google on macos time machine and icloud files - Google Search shows some people, including Apple, pontificating.
Yes, this is it. I regularly try to restore a randomly picked set of files from both time machine and backblaze every quarter. You have to go back from “Now” and then you can restore the file. It will show a popup and I click “Keep Both”, then there will be two copies of the file, one with “(original)” appended to the name.
I do prefer the backblaze approach of where it gives you a .zip file to download and then I can just open it on my Desktop to inspect it. I don’t have to decide on each file to Keep Both, etc.
In my case, I definitely did go back in time, but restore was still greyed out, but it wasn’t the next time I tried it. So I am not so sure the answer is so cut and dry. Maybe it was still loading stuff in the background or something else was going on and it wasn’t ready? Not concerned about it personally, TM is just a cheap, easy backup, but not my main back up for anything.
Yeah, the UI for Time Machine makes for a good demo, but it isn’t actually good for doing things you actually want to do with your files.
for backup and restore of individual files, folders, and entire machine when a new one purchased … working well for me since my first Mac in c.2009 (or so).
It can take a minute for the index to update.
I’ve been waiting for a few more responses and then I’m going to test creating and deleting a document to see if I can restore it as recommended. I’ve had a busy schedule so I may not get to this until the weekend. My wife has also been out of town for three weeks visiting one of our daughters who just had her second child. That leaves me with work, the dog, house cleaning, and cooking. I have to make sure the house is clean; my wife returns on Wednesday and that is our 42nd wedding anniversary. I don’t want her walking into the a messy house. That, by the way, is how one stays happily married for 40+ years. 
Good thing she didn’t surprise by coming home earlier then expected. 
well, if I can brag just a little. The house has not been a mess. I tend to be a neatnik, but more to the point, how much mess can one person and a dog actually make? I hand wash my dishes as soon as I’m done eating, so I’ve not even needed to use the dishwasher. 
Congratulations on 42 years!
I recommend you start with this guidance from Apple, paying attention to what “time” you went back to in the “time machine”.
Thanks! 20 characters
I believe this is the issue. I had not considered that I need to back in time to recover a different version.
You mean she wouldn’t find “But I was busy troubleshooting my Time Machine backups” an acceptable excuse?
She would have no idea what I was talking about. She is not a tech person.
