Mac Troubleshooting: It’s Time for the Time Machine

by AJ George 

When I need to create screen captures on my Macintosh, I turn to Skitch. Skitch is simple to use, it's stable, and, heck, I even like the way the app looks. I love it. 

When I heard that a new version of Skitch was available, I immediately upgraded. I soon regretted my decision. After starting the new Skitch, I was now required to have an Evernote account to use Skitch. The simple functionality I once enjoyed was gone. I wanted my old Skitch back. However, to add insult to injury, going back to the old version wasn't possible. I did not have the old Skitch installer, and there was no way to revert back to a previous version of Skitch from within the app. 

Thankfully, I use Time Machine to back up my Macintosh every hour. (Time Machine is the built-in backup feature that works with the Mac and an external drive.) When my Mac got sick and died earlier this year, I was able to use my Time Machine to totally rebuild my old system onto the new Macintosh.

I could have wiped my Macintosh clean and used the Time Machine to put it back to the way it was before I installed the new Skitch. However, I have recently learned that my Time Machine can turn back time on just one application. Assuming you're using the Time Machine feature (and I urge you to take advantage of it), here's how to roll back a single application:

1. From your Mac's dock, open the Finder.
2. Select Applications.
3. Select the offending app from the Applications list.
4. With the offending app selected, right-click the time machine icon from the menu bar at the top right of your screen.
     
5. Select Enter Time Machine from the drop-down menu.
6. From the timeline at the right, select a time you'd like to restore to.
7. Click Restore.

Your app will revert back to the way it was before you updated it. In the instance of my screen-grabber, I am greatly relieved to have my much-loved older version of Skitch back in place.   

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