Recovering deleted or lost files on your Mac doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. There are several free methods you can try to get your files back without spending any money on data recovery software.
Check the Trash
When you delete a file on your Mac, it typically gets moved to the Trash. So one of the first things you should do if a file goes missing is check the Trash. Simply go to your desktop and double click on the Trash icon to view its contents. If you find the file(s) you’re looking for, you can right click on them and select “Put Back” to restore them to their original location.
Use Time Machine
If you have Time Machine backups enabled on your Mac, you may be able to recover deleted files from a previous backup. Time Machine stores hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for everything older than a month. To restore files from Time Machine:
- Open the Time Machine app
- Select “Enter Time Machine”
- Navigate to a previous backup when the deleted file still existed
- Locate and select the file(s) you want to recover
- Click “Restore” to copy the file(s) back to their original location
Use File History
File History is similar to Time Machine, but only saves hourly versions of files you specifically tell it to back up. So if you had File History enabled and set to back up a deleted file, you may be able to restore a previous version of it. To recover files with File History:
- Go to System Preferences > Time Machine
- Select “Browse Other Backup Disks”
- Choose your external File History drive
- Navigate to the lost file and select a previous version
- Click Restore to copy it back to its original location
Check iCloud Drive
If you have iCloud Drive enabled, there’s a chance your deleted files were synced and stored in the cloud. You can browse through your iCloud Drive storage and see if you can find older versions of missing files. To do this:
- Go to iCloud.com and log in
- Click on iCloud Drive
- Search for the name of the deleted file
- If an older version exists, click the arrow next to it
- Choose “Download” to restore the file to your Mac
Use AutoSave Versions
Some Mac apps like TextEdit and Preview create automatic save versions of your documents. So you may be able to restore a recently deleted file by finding an auto-saved version. To check for these:
- Open the app where the file was created
- Check the app’s “Revert To” or “Browse All Versions” option
- See if any auto-saved versions of the deleted file are available
- Restore the version you want to recover
Recover from Trash with Terminal
If a file has been deleted from the Trash, you can try using the Terminal app to recover it. The Terminal provides access to hidden directories where the data from deleted files may still exist. Here are the steps:
- Launch the Terminal app (in /Applications/Utilities/)
- Type
sudo find / -name "*.docx"(replace .docx with your file extension) - Press enter and search the output for your deleted file
- If found, note the listed location and type
sudo mv /path/to/file /new/path - Press enter to move the recovered file to a new location
Use Data Recovery Software
If all else fails, third party data recovery software may be able to help recover deleted files. Some options to check out include:
- Disk Drill – Easy to use free data recovery app. Scans and restores deleted files.
- PhotoRec – Free recovery tool focused on photos, videos, documents, and archives.
- EaseUS – Has a free trial that lets you preview found files before recovering them.
Be very careful with what software you install, as some free data recovery apps may come bundled with malware. Vet any app thoroughly before downloading and installing it.
Avoid File Recovery Scams
Watch out for scams that claim they can easily recover your files but require you to purchase their software. Some common red flags include:
- Ads proclaiming “We recover all lost data!”
- 100% guaranteed results promised upfront
- Free scans that require payment to actually restore files
- No clear pricing listed on their site
Steer clear of any recovery service that seems suspicious or too good to be true. You shouldn’t have to pay exorbitant fees for proper data recovery.
Prevent File Loss in the First Place
The best way to recover lost files is to not lose them in the first place. Here are some tips to avoid deleted files and data loss on your Mac:
- Backup regularly with Time Machine or another service
- Enable auto-save in your apps
- Save important files in cloud storage like iCloud
- Be careful when permanently deleting files
- Don’t save files solely on your desktop or downloads folder
Recover Deleted Files on an External Drive
If you deleted files stored on an external hard drive or USB flash drive, the recovery process is a bit different. Since the files aren’t on your Mac’s file system, options like Time Machine won’t work. Here are some steps to try:
- Use recovery software designed for external drives
- Connect the drive to a PC and scan it with recovery apps
- Take the drive to a data recovery specialist for help
- If you formatted the drive, files are likely unrecoverable
Prevention is also key with external drives. Avoid storing the only copy of important files on an external drive without any other backups.
Recover Files after a Hard Drive Crash
If your Mac’s hard drive itself gets damaged or stops working, file recovery becomes much more complicated. A few options include:
- Using target disk mode to copy files from the failed drive
- Removing the drive and connecting it to another Mac
- Sending the drive to a data recovery service
- Replacing the failed drive and restoring files from a backup
Hard drive crashes can make it difficult or impossible to recover lost files. So the best defense is once again prevention – regular backups to an external drive or cloud service.
Get Help from an IT Professional
For critical business or personal files, it may be worth hiring a computer technician to assist with the recovery process. An IT professional can try methods like:
- Booting the Mac to a recovery partition
- Using advanced Terminal commands
- Extracting data from storage devices
- Bypassing passwords or encryption
For extreme cases like water damage or hardware failure, a professional may be your best or only hope for recovering lost data.
Be Cautious When Recovering Files
While it’s generally safe to restore deleted files from places like the Trash or Time Machine, take precautions when using riskier recovery methods. Before restoring any lost files:
- Scan for malware if restoring from unfamiliar sources
- Preview files before recovery to check integrity
- Have backups in case recovered files are corrupted
- Be careful with system files or hidden directories
Recovering data is exciting, but don’t compromise your Mac’s security in the process. And remember, prevention via backups is much easier than file recovery after the fact.
Prioritize Recovering Important Files
If you have a lot of deleted data to sort through, focus first on recovering your most important files. Prioritize:
- Personal documents like tax records
- Work files related to your job
- Irreplaceable media like family photos
- Financial information
Recovering small but critical files takes much less time than large volumes of non-essential data. So go after your must-have files first.
Don’t Expect 100% Recovery
Depending on how your files were deleted, you may only be able to recover some of what you lost. Formatted drives, corrupted files, and overwritten data may be unrecoverable. In many cases you should be able to restore critical documents, but full recovery is never guaranteed. Have reasonable expectations.
Watch for Degraded Performance
Some data recovery methods like scanning drives and repairing disk permissions can temporarily slow down your Mac. This is usually nothing to worry about, but monitor performance after running recovery software or commands.
Conclusion
Recovering lost or deleted files is often possible for free using tools built right into your Mac. Options like the Trash, Time Machine, terminal commands, and data recovery apps can help restore important data. Just be sure to regularly backup your files using multiple methods so you never have to rely solely on recovery. With some persistence and the right tools, you can likely get back lost files on your Mac free of charge.