Deleting a file, folder or disk on Mac by mistake is a frequent situation encountered by almost every user. It is possible to recover the deleted data for free using the built-in Mac OS X system tools. In particular cases, resorting to third-party applications can be the best way to solve the problem.
Mac File Recovery from the Trash Bin & After Emptying It
In MacOS, the Trash Bin serves as a temporary storage for all the deleted files. Until it is emptied, it is possible to go back and restore a specific item or multiple files from the Trash Bin. However, once the Mac Trash Bin is emptied, it may be problematic to retrieve the erased data. In this case, the best solution might be to use free or paid third-party Mac data recovery software to back out the deleted information.
Mac Trash Recovery
To retrieve the deleted files from the Trash Bin, do the following:
- Click the Trash icon in the Dock
- Drag the files out of the Trash Bin
It is possible to restore files deleted in the Finder. Whether you dragged the items to the Trash Bin or used File -> Empty Trash or Command-Delete on the selected files, go to Edit -> Undo Move (Command-Z) to recover the deleted items.
How to Perform Mac Hard Drive Recovery?
In the event of hard disk failure or other critical issues, you may need to do Mac hard drive recovery. Before starting the Mac hard drive recovery/repair procedure, make sure all the required data is backed up to a separate volume or an external drive. There are several ways to have the files backed up on Mac:
- by using Time Machine to store the backup on external devices;
- by using iCloud Storage to contain the rarely used files in the cloud, making them available on demand;
- by copying the files to another disk/partition;
- by creating the compressed disk image with Disk Utility;
- by burning the needed files to a CD/DVD.
In case you need to repair/recover Mac hard drive or volume, using Mac’s onboard Disk Utility is the best option. To find theDisk Utility, go to Utilities folder-> Apps folder or search for it using Spotlight Search. The first thing you can do is check the disk for errors, and use First Aid to make repairs, if necessary.