After a recent macOS update, I lost some critical files. Tried searching in backups and Trash with no luck. Not sure what to do next. Looking for reliable methods or tools to recover this data. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Check FileVault: If FileVault is enabled, it might complicate recovery. Make sure you have your encryption password handy if prompted.
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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!
First off, losing data can be super frustrating especially after an update. It seems you’ve already given a lot of methods a shot, and @codecrafter has laid out a pretty comprehensive guide. However, there are a few more angles you might wanna try, and some nuances to the methods mentioned that could be helpful.
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Explore Cache and Temporary Files: Sometimes, macOS might store some temporary copies of your files in cache directories that survive longer than expected. Try looking in
~/Library/Caches. Use a file search utility like EasyFind to dig into these less obvious places. EasyFind is more powerful than macOS’s Finder for searching deep into your system. -
Spotlight Indexing: There’s a slight chance that your files are there but not showing up properly due to Spotlight indexing issues. You can force a reindex of your Mac using Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal). Type in:
sudo mdutil -E /. This will delete the current index and start a new one, which might just make your lost files pop up again. -
Test Hidden Files and Locations: Sometimes macOS will hide certain files or directories. You can view hidden files in Finder by pressing Command + Shift + . (period). Also, check system directories like
/varand/tmpfor any missing data. -
Disk Utility - First Aid: You mentioned using Recovery Mode, but don’t overlook regularly booting into macOS and running First Aid from Disk Utility. It’s possible that minor issues can be corrected outside of recovery mode.
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Terminal Command
find: If you’re not scared of the command line, try using thefindcommand to search every corner of your system. For example:find / -name "filename*"Replace “filename” with a part of the file name.
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Examine iCloud Synchronization Issues: Sometimes, updates can cause iCloud synchronization to mess up temporarily. Double-check iCloud.com to see if your files were synced online but not re-downloaded to your system. You might have to re-enable iCloud Drive or even sign out and back into iCloud to refresh the synchronization.
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Explore Disk Drill Techniques: Disk Drill is pretty powerful and user-friendly. If you haven’t used it yet, it’s worth a shot. You can grab more info and download it here. Just remember to run it from an external drive or separate partition to prevent overwriting the lost data you’re aiming to recover.
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Check Microsoft Office/Google Docs for Auto-Saves: Any chance your lost files are office documents or spreadsheets? If you use Microsoft Office or Google Docs, they both have built-in auto-save and versioning systems. Open the relevant apps and check “Recent History” in the menu.
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Deep Dive with More Third-Party Tools: Disk Drill isn’t the only player in town. Tools like Stellar Data Recovery, EaseUS Data Recovery, and Wondershare Recoverit are also worth checking out. They might work differently and find files that others miss.
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Data Recovery Logs: Some apps keep logs that could retrace your steps and help you restore lost files. Look into /var/log directory for any logs created by such apps.
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Filesystem Integrity Check: Occasionally, issues arise from corrupted filesystem index rather than actual file deletion. Running a utility that checks the filesystem integrity and repairs it can bring back lost files.
fsck(File System Consistency Check) can do this but it needs to be run from single-user mode (Command + S during boot). -
Remote Backups and Synchronization Services: If you use Dropbox, OneDrive, or similar services, check their file recovery and previous versions features. Sometimes these services keep deleted files for a limited period. Go online and explore your account; they have pretty sophisticated recovery options.
Lastly, if all else fails and the data is absolutely critical, don’t hesitate to consult professional data recovery services. While they can be pricey, the success rate is quite high for salvaging almost lost causes.
But above all, steer clear of writing new data on your Mac until your files get recovered. Each write operation might overwrite the very sectors of the hard drive containing your missing files. Best of luck!
Sounds like everyone is hyping up Disk Drill a bit too much here. Yeah, it’s good, but definitely not a magic bullet. It’s user-friendly and can recover various file types and systems, but it can be a bit slow, and sometimes the free version teases you with what it could recover if you pay up.
You might wanna consider other tools like Stellar Data Recovery or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. These sometimes outperform Disk Drill for specific use cases—depends on exactly what you’re trying to recover.
Also, don’t forget to check if the lost files are in your email attachments or shared cloud drives. People often overlook this. And honestly, sometimes the simplest solution is the best one—go back and double-check those backups up there in the first place. Sometimes it’s just user error when navigating through them.
But yeah, Disk Drill does have its upsides; I wouldn’t dismiss it entirely, but don’t go in expecting miracles every time! And you know, if nothing works, might be worth biting the bullet and going for professional help before you overwrite anything critical.