Today, I needed to restore a file on our server that had been accidentally deleted. I knew the filename, and I knew the path to it. I also knew it had been modified one day last week. I didn't know when it had been deleted. I tried using the search field in QRecall, and initially, it found nothing. I had to start dragging the windowshade up from the bottom, one layer at a time, until eventually the file appeared in the archive. I'm guessing that the shaded layers were the ones added after the file had been deleted, which would mean that the search function only searches the most recent unshaded layer. Is that correct?

If so, is there a way to search all layers? If I had had no idea when the file was last modified or deleted, I might have spent a long time looking for it. (The archive has 69 layers, going back to March 2009).

Also, I was able to successfully recall the file, but the restore function was "grayed out", even though the preference to capture and recall using admin privileges was turned on, and the pre-authorization option was enabled. So I did the recall, and of course QRecall told the Finder to open the temp folder where the file was recalled to. I then had no trouble dragging the file into the folder where it had originally resided. But is that normal? Why couldn't QRecall restore directly to this folder?

-- Bruce

Bruce Giles wrote:I'm guessing that the shaded layers were the ones added after the file had been deleted, which would mean that the search function only searches the most recent unshaded layer. Is that correct?

In a nutshell, yes. The new user interface?yes, it's still in development?will have an "X-Ray" mode that will display, and let you search for, every item that's ever been captured, regardless of whether it exists in last visible layer or not.

If so, is there a way to search all layers?

You'll have to wait for the next version.

Also, I was able to successfully recall the file, but the restore function was "grayed out", even though the preference to capture and recall using admin privileges was turned on, and the pre-authorization option was enabled.

The restore action is disabled when any earlier layers are hidden.

When you hide recent layers (using the bottom shader), you're hiding recent activity and displaying the items as they were captured in the past. When you hide earlier layers (using the top shader) you hide the history of the items and show only the changes, or deltas. Restoring items with earlier layers hidden could result in existing items being deleted, which is too scary to allow, so QRecall disables the command. For an individual file it won't make any difference, but for a package or folder the results could be quite unexpected.

So I did the recall, and of course QRecall told the Finder to open the temp folder where the file was recalled to.

That wasn't the "Recall" command, that was the "Instant Recall" command, which you can get by double-clicking an item or through the menu. Instant recall recalls the item to the temporary folder and then opens it in the Finder. It's intended as a quick, and informal, way of accessing captured items.

Why couldn't QRecall restore directly to this folder?

It can. Select the items and choose Archive > Recall. QRecall will prompt you, using a standard save dialog, for the location to recall the items to.

Or, use the much simpler method of dragging one or more items directly from the archive window to a window in the Finder.

James Bucanek wrote:

Bruce Giles wrote:I'm guessing that the shaded layers were the ones added after the file had been deleted, which would mean that the search function only searches the most recent unshaded layer. Is that correct?

In a nutshell, yes. The new user interface?yes, it's still in development?will have an "X-Ray" mode that will display, and let you search for, every item that's ever been captured, regardless of whether it exists in last visible layer or not.

Ah! That's what I'm looking for.

If so, is there a way to search all layers?

You'll have to wait for the next version.

Any forecast on when we'll see the new UI?

Also, I was able to successfully recall the file, but the restore function was "grayed out", even though the preference to capture and recall using admin privileges was turned on, and the pre-authorization option was enabled.

The restore action is disabled when any earlier layers are hidden.

When you hide recent layers (using the bottom shader), you're hiding recent activity and displaying the items as they were captured in the past. When you hide earlier layers (using the top shader) you hide the history of the items and show only the changes, or deltas. Restoring items with earlier layers hidden could result in existing items being deleted, which is too scary to allow, so QRecall disables the command. For an individual file it won't make any difference, but for a package or folder the results could be quite unexpected.

OK, that makes sense. I hadn't really thought about that before.

So I did the recall, and of course QRecall told the Finder to open the temp folder where the file was recalled to.

That wasn't the "Recall" command, that was the "Instant Recall" command, which you can get by double-clicking an item or through the menu. Instant recall recalls the item to the temporary folder and then opens it in the Finder. It's intended as a quick, and informal, way of accessing captured items.

Right. That's the thing I keep doing by accident, when what I really wanted to do was open a folder in the archive. (Yeah, I know, click the triangle.)

Why couldn't QRecall restore directly to this folder?

It can. Select the items and choose Archive > Recall. QRecall will prompt you, using a standard save dialog, for the location to recall the items to.

Or, use the much simpler method of dragging one or more items directly from the archive window to a window in the Finder.

Intuitively, I know I can do a drag-and-drop, but for some reason, I just never think of that.

Thanks for the response!

-- Bruce

Bruce Giles wrote:Any forecast on when we'll see the new UI?

Real soon! Of course, I've been saying and thinking "real soon" for the past four months, but now I believe it's really true.

The re-imagined UI is suffering a little from the "second system syndrome" (for fans of the Mythical Man Month), where the developer throws everything, including the kitchen sink, into the next version of the product. But it's slowing coming together. A lot slower than I'd hoped, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel now.



New UI features include

icon, list, column, and a new 3D view

extensive use of animation

256x256 icons

browsing history

unified items browser (no more owners and volumes drawer)

Quick Look

X-Ray view

That wasn't the "Recall" command, that was the "Instant Recall" command, which you can get by double-clicking an item or through the menu.

Right. That's the thing I keep doing by accident, when what I really wanted to do was open a folder in the archive. (Yeah, I know, click the triangle.)

In the new UI, double clicking a folder opens the folder.

Well, that's exciting news!

Johannes