Losing critical files after an update can be a nightmare. If you’ve already checked backups and the Trash, don’t panic yet. Here are some steps and tools you can use to try to recover your data:
-
Check Recently Deleted: Some apps, like Photos and Notes, have a Recently Deleted folder separate from the Trash. See if your files ended up in there.
-
Time Machine Backups: You mentioned looking in backups, but were you using Time Machine? If so, ensure you browse through all the folders and dates, sometimes easy to miss stuff.
-
Older Backups: If you weren’t using Time Machine but another backup system like iCloud Drive, check if there are previous versions stored there. iCloud Drive saves changes for about 30 days.
-
Recovery Mode: Boot your Mac into Recovery Mode by holding Command + R during startup. From there, you can use Disk Utility to check and repair your drive. Sometimes data becomes inaccessible due to disk errors, and repairing the disk can help.
-
Third-Party Recovery Tools: Sometimes you need more powerful tools to get the job done. Disk Drill is a highly recommended data recovery tool for Mac. It supports recovering lost data from all file systems your Mac uses, and it’s pretty user-friendly to set up and use. You can Download Disk Drill.
-
Check FileVault: If FileVault is enabled, it might complicate recovery. Make sure you have your encryption password handy if prompted.
-
Professional Services: As a last resort, consider a professional data recovery service. They can be expensive, but they have high success rates and advanced techniques.
Just don’t install any new software on the drive where your files were lost—that can overwrite the very data you’re trying to recover. Hope this helps and you get your critical files back soon!