Have you ever regretted deleting an important file after emptying the Trash on your Mac? It has happened to many Mac owners. Maybe you forgot to put them back or restore and now you lost some files.
Don’t worry, it happens. The bad news is that it is difficult to recover files from the emptied Trash. No, the Undo command will not work.
Now, for the good news. While it is difficult to recover your lost files, it is not completely impossible. We will not only highlight some methods to recover emptied Trash, but also break down the process into manageable steps to follow.
But before we get into the details, let’s consider a quick question.
Can You Recover Files After Emptying Trash on Mac?
The answer is a definite yes. Here’s why—deleting a file on your MacBook or iMac means you’re removing an entry. Although the icon has disappeared from the location, the data itself is still intact. That way, you can still get it.
But there is a catch.
Your system will mark the space that the deleted file once occupied as ‘available’ to write new data. This means that when you move a new file to that location, it will automatically overwrite the original file. This can make file recovery a little more difficult.
Therefore, stop working on your computer. You are about to learn how to get your files back.
This method only works if you have backed up the deleted files to an external hard drive using Time Machine. So, skip this solution if you don’t have a Time Machine backup.
However, if you have a backup, follow the steps outlined below to restore your files.
Step 1: Start Time Machine
To start Time Machine on your MacBook or iMac, click the Apple icon in the left corner of your screen and select System Preferences. On the last line of the page you will find the Time Machine icon.
Alternatively, click the clock icon in your Mac’s menu bar to access Time Machine.
Step 2: Find Your File
To recover your files from Trash emptied via Time Machine, make sure the backup storage is connected. In this case, browse through your file system backups to identify the missing file.
If you’re not sure how to find it, consider using Spotlight Search. Open the search bar using Command + Spacebar. Then enter your filename.
Step 3: Restore Your File
After you identify the lost file on your backup storage media, click Restore to return the file to your Mac.
Time Machine is the only default way to recover files from an emptied Trash. Therefore, it is very important to use the built-in tool to back up your data as often as possible.
But what happens when you don’t have a Time Machine backup? This is where a data recovery software comes in.
Recover Files Using Data Recovery Tool
There are tons of data recovery software on the internet today. Although the brand names and user interface vary, this file recovery software basically works the same.
They scan your Mac for files waiting to be overwritten and give you the option to restore them. This might be the most convenient way to get your lost data back.
However, a data recovery tool is only useful when you are not copying extra files to your Mac’s storage. The last thing you want to do is overwrite the data you are trying to recover.
That said, follow the steps outlined below to recover your lost files with a data recovery tool.
Step 1: Download and Install Data Recovery Tool
As mentioned earlier, any new file on your Mac’s SSD can overwrite your lost files. So instead of downloading the data recovery tool to your computer, consider using a flash drive.
Most of the deleted file recovery tools are paid apps. However, they usually offer a free trial period that can help you restore your file. Examples of such tools are iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac, EaseUS, and Disk Drill.
Step 2: Run the Software and click Recovery
Most recovery tools automatically scan your computer when it starts. But in others like Disk Drill, you must first select the drive containing the Trash and click Recovery.
A list of files that you can restore will then open. Now select the data you want to restore.
Step 3: Restore Your File
You can restore your file by simply clicking Recover Now in most data recovery tools, but this may cause file corruption in Disk Drill. Therefore, you should choose a new location to store your restored file.
Consider using a removable storage device to store your restored files.
The Way to Healing
Time Machine recovery is the fastest and maybe even the cheapest way to restore your deleted file. However, for this method to be useful, you must have backed up your data beforehand. A second option is a software recovery tool if you don’t have a Time Machine backup.
So, download, install and run a useful software recovery tool. Whatever you do, do not overwrite the data you are trying to restore. Losing your files can be devastating. However, the loss need not be permanent.
Next: If you are worried about losing your iCloud contacts, the next article shows you how to recover deleted contacts and calendars from iCloud.
