Modal Operation

The Preferences window is opened as a modal panel. The other windows will not respond until it is closed.

Destination Information

TM-Utilities will automatically find the native Time Machine property list and load the backup destination information. If this fails, the Preferences Panel is displayed with a red background. The Preferences Panel may also be accessed through the Application Menu after starting TM-Utilities or after resetting Snapshots.

Backup destination information may be read from a Time Machine property list (plist) file or manually entered. The information need not be valid, but it must be present and appropriate. The integrated user interface will help the user make appropriate manual entries. The information is validated when Snapshots is started.

Foreign Backups

The Preferences Panel allows access to the network backup files of other users and computers if valid credentials are provided. Creating and reading Time Machine property list files facilitates this process. A copy of the current or native property list can be created by "Write plist file" in the File Menu.

Screen Shot

A screen shot of the Preferences Panel appears below. The "Automatic" and "Manual" buttons will close the panel on success or generate a message on error.

reset

Restores the last successful property settings.

exit

Closes the Preferences Panel. TM-Utilities will terminate if automatic initialization failed on start up and backup destination information was not properly set.

The red close window button in the upper left corner performs the same function.

Automatic

Attempts to reread the native Time Machine property list.

Read XML

Uses a modal panel to select and read a Time Machine property list to access foreign destinations. A copy of the current or native property list can be created by "Write plist file" in the File Menu. A copy of the native property list may also be created with the following shell command:

tmutil destinationinfo -X > filename.plist

Manual

Reads the live text fields. Prompts appear for missing or improper entries.