Question 1

How to use Time Machine Inspector to find large files in backups?

Accepted Answer

Download and run the app, scan your Time Machine backup, and it will display a visual breakdown of files and folders by size, allowing you to identify and manage large items directly.

Question 2

Time Machine Inspector vs GrandPerspective: which is better for backup analysis?

Accepted Answer

Time Machine Inspector is tailored for Time Machine backups with a user-friendly interface, while GrandPerspective offers more general disk visualization but isn't specific to backups; choose based on whether you need targeted backup insights or broader disk usage tools.

Question 3

Can Time Machine Inspector handle encrypted Time Machine backups?

Accepted Answer

The README doesn't mention encryption support, so it likely requires backups to be unlocked or mounted; users should test compatibility with encrypted volumes as it may not work out-of-the-box.

Question 4

How to build Time Machine Inspector from source on a Mac?

Accepted Answer

Follow the dev instructions: install Node.js and Rust, set up Tauri, run npm install, and use commands like npm run dev or npm run build to compile the app locally.

Question 5

Does Time Machine Inspector work with network-attached Time Machine backups?

Accepted Answer

It should work with any mounted Time Machine volume, but performance may degrade with network latency, and scanning large remote backups could be slow.

Question 6

Is it safe to delete files from Time Machine using this app?

Accepted Answer

The app helps identify unnecessary files, but always verify you aren't deleting critical data; consider using Time Machine's native restoration for safety, as direct deletion can affect backup integrity.

Time Machine Inspector

What is Time Machine Inspector?

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