“How do I recover my deleted files? I deleted the files some time ago from my iMac’s hard disk. Is it possible to recover the files?”
“Can I possibly recover my assignments that were deleted about one year ago on my 2019 MacBook Pro?”
“Can I recover deleted files from a Mac that I deleted six months ago?”
Queries like the ones listed above are not uncommon. Many people are looking to recover their valuable data that was deleted months or years ago. The reasons can be many such as:
1) Deleted data turns out to be valuable now: At the time of deletion, the data didn’t seem necessary, and you deleted it. Fast forward to today, you need that deleted file for something essential.
2) Incomplete backup: When doing a backup, we must have the same data in more than one place. E.g., if you are regularly transferring your Mac data to a USB device, you mustn’t simultaneously delete the data in your Mac. Some people do that, and their data is permanently gone if the USB device is damaged or lost.
3) Accidental deletion: Accidental deletion is another common cause of data loss. You may need these accidentally deleted files at any point in time in the future.
We might need our data anytime, and this also includes data that was deleted/lost long ago. Let’s explore the different methods to recover the data.
Method 1: Recover using Time Machine backup
The first step is to always look for a backup of your deleted data. Your Mac has a built-in Time Machine application that allows you to save the contents of your Mac in an external hard drive. Many people use this Time Machine feature to back up their data.
If you use this feature, you can open the Time Machine application and extract your deleted data. The simple steps are listed below:
- Click the Time Machine icon in your dock.
- Look for the deleted files in the application.
- Select those files and click Restore to recover your deleted files on Mac.
Method 2: Try a Free Mac Data Recovery Software
For situations where there is no backup, a best Mac data recovery software can help you recover data, even if it was deleted months or years ago. A data recovery software scans your hard drive to look for these deleted/lost files and restores them.
Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition for Mac is laden with user-friendly features and a smart interface to serve the preferences of Mac users. It is a DIY product that allows you to recover your deleted data (up to 1 GB) free of cost. The software also supports APFS data recovery.
Main UI of Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition
Watch the tutorial here on how to use a free Mac data recovery software efficiently.
Data Recovery: Scope and limitations
Data recovery is possible because our computer hard drives are non-volatile devices. This means that data in these devices can be retained for a long time without power. Also, deleted data isn’t wiped out from your system. So, whenever you delete a particular file, the OS of your computer only deletes the file reference and not the entire file. This means that the deleted file is recoverable by a data recovery software (even after a long time).
Mac data recovery, although efficient, has its limitations. Consider an example. You delete a file, and at the same hard drive location (where the deleted file existed), you insert a new file. This implies that a new file has overwritten the deleted file. This overwriting would compromise the data recovery process, and you won’t be able to restore the deleted file.
Data recovery also won’t work if the deleted data is present in the hard drive’s corrupted/ bad sectors.
Pro Tips for Mac Data Recovery
- Always run data recovery software as soon as possible. This would avoid any potential overwriting of the deleted data with new data.
- Do not reinstall the operating system before data recovery.
Pro Tips for keeping your data safe
- Regularly backup your data in Time Machine, External Drive, or on Cloud.
- Keep your Mac updated to avoid software bugs & crashes.
Conclusion
Our data is valuable, and we might need it at any point in time. This is also true for data that was deleted/lost a long time ago. The first resort is to always look for a backup copy of that lost data. If there is no backup, you should opt for a credible data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition for Mac. This blog has explained both the methods in detail and introduced quick data recovery and data safety tips.