During the clean drive, you got rid of all the storage and junk files on your Mac. But among them were a few important files that you do not want to delete. When you later realized that these files had disappeared and were no longer in the corresponding folders, you started cursing yourself, regretting what you had done. And now, you badly want to recover deleted files on your Mac. Well, if this scenario sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we will explain 6 different methods that can help you recover deleted files on Mac with ease.
Recover Deleted Files on Mac with Ease
Take a breath, man. There is nothing very unusual about it. I can assure you that it is no big deal to retrieve accidentally deleted data on macOS. In fact, if you haven’t already emptied the Trash, these items will be safe there. And you can bring them back to life with a simple drag-and-drop gesture. But what if you deleted the entire Trash? Even then, you have multiple ways and methods to get your data back. Whatever your situation, let me show you how you can get these deleted items back on your macOS device!
1. Recover Deleted Files from Trash on Mac
Files you put in the Trash stay there until you permanently delete them from there. However, even if you don’t delete the items, they only stay in the Trash for 30 days. After that, they are automatically deleted. Assuming you haven’t cleaned your items permanently or it hasn’t been thirty days since your last cleaning, follow the quick steps to recover your files.
1. Start Rubbish on your Mac.
2. Now find the item you want to turn off and then right click above.
3. Next, select put it back. This much! Finder will now automatically place the item in its previous folder.
Alternatively, you can drag and drop the relevant file wherever you want. You can also use Command-Z in the Finder to undo the Move to Trash command.
2. Make Sure You Check The Other Trash
Wondering what this other Trash is? Let me tell you that every external storage device (i.e. USB flash drive or external hard drive) you use with your Mac has its separate trash so you can process files a little more comfortably. However, this other trash (.Trash) is somewhat hidden for security reasons (and a ton of others).
To view hidden files in Finder SHIFT+CMD+. A keyboard shortcut on your Mac running macOS Sierra or later. Even if your Mac is running older versions of OS X, you can enable hidden files in the Finder using the Terminal command.
- Hungry “Terminal” Install the app on your Mac and then paste the commands given below. Make sure you hit enter after each line.
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE killall Finder
2. Now you can view your files in the .Trashes” folder and get back what’s important to you. When you’re done, I recommend hiding this folder again for security purposes by typing “FALSE” instead of “TRUE” in the first line.
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE killall Finder
3. Restore Items Backed Up with Time Machine
From what I’ve experienced over the years, I can tell you that keeping a backup of everything that matters to you really works so that even if something goes wrong, you’ll still be on the safer side of the spectrum. And here Time Machine has a role to play. So, if you have used this super useful macOS feature, you can conveniently get back all your lost stuff on your Mac.
- To start, shoot Time Machine on your Mac. The fastest way to do this is to use Spotlight.
2. Now, you can use arrows and timeline To browse all backups
3. After you find the items you want to get back, reinstate and you are ready to go!
4. Restore Old Versions of Documents on Mac
One thing worth noting is that you can also open Time Machine in apps on your macOS device and browse through different versions of documents. macOS automatically saves a new version, usually every hour. However, when you make changes to your files, it saves them more often. Note that this feature is available with macOS Mojave, so if you’re on older versions, you won’t be able to use it.
- a hungry document on your Mac. Make sure you open the folder of the files you deleted.
2. Now, select File and click on it. Turn back.
3. Next, click on Browse All Versions. You can now click the checkmarks along the timeline to browse through the different versions.
4. When you find the version you want to restore, reinstate. If you want to duplicate this version in a new document, hold down the Option key and Restore a Copy.
5. Recover Old Versions of Documents in iCloud
iCloud for your recovery! Yes, if you have iCloud Drive turned on on your Mac, you don’t have to worry about losing your files as you can easily recover old versions of documents in iCloud.
- To get started, launch the application you used to create the document on your Mac.
2. Now, click on File and Select Open.
3. Next, click iCloud Drive It is located in the Favorites section of the Finder sidebar. Now browse for old versions of your files and restore them with ease.
6. Recover Permanently Deleted Files Using EaseUS Data Recovery Software on Mac
In case you have cleared the entire Trash with important items, an efficient data recovery software can handle the job for you. In this test, I will use EaseUS Data Recovery Software as it is slightly more reliable and offers a free trial version. Note that the free version of this tool is limited and will only allow you to scan and preview lost data. If you want to recover your stuff, you need to get the $69.95/$99.90 pro version.
- download EaseUS Data Recovery Software on your Mac and launch it.
2. Now, choose location where files are deleted. After that, click on Scanning button.
3. Next, the data recovery software perform a deep scan To recover deleted files. You can view the scan results in the left pane. Then select and click the files you want to get back. Recover Now. Now, wait for a while until the process completes.
Note: You may be prompted to allow macOS to install the extension. Click Allow to continue.
Want to discover more efficient data recovery tools for Mac? Just in case, if you’re not happy with EaseUS or want to check out other alternatives, here are a few key options.
Other Apps to Recover Data on Mac
1. Recovery
When it comes to retrieving data quickly and securely, Wondershare’s Recoverit has hit its mark. Just like EaseUS, the software Performs a deep scan of your Mac and shows deleted files. Then you can browse the items and restore the ones you want. A notable feature of Recoverit is, Restore data even if your macOS device crashes repeatedly. Also, Recoverit has a more intuitive interface than its counterpart. As for pricing, the basic plan is on the expensive side of the spectrum as it starts at $79.94/year/PC. But given the high efficiency, Recoverit is worth serious consideration.
Pricing: $79.94/year/piece
2. Data Recovery
Another Mac data recovery software that caught my eye is “Data Rescue”. Whether you want to get back your deleted photos, videos or any sensitive files, you can rely on this software to deliver the products. An application of modern looking interface and it works slightly faster than the two aforementioned tools for scanning and showing deleted files. In terms of ease of use, it is on par if not ahead. Just like EaseUS, it also offers a demo version so you can try the software before purchasing the full version. When it comes to pricing, the standard version of Data Rescue comes in at $99 (5 drives/unlimited recovery).
Pricing: $99.94 (5 drives/unlimited recovery)
That is all!
Retrieve Deleted Files on Mac with Ease…
Thus, you can get back any items accidentally deleted on your macOS device. Unless the permanent deletion was performed, retrieval of the files is fairly simple and shouldn’t take a few seconds to bring everything back to life. Even if you’ve emptied the Trash, a Time Machine or iCloud Drive backup makes retrieving items pretty easy. Finally, if all else fails, there is always recovery software available. So check it out and let us know if you have any questions by writing them in the comments section below.
