I accidentally deleted important files from my USB drive, and I’m using a Mac. I tried using basic recovery tools, but they didn’t work. Can someone guide me through the steps to recover my files on a Mac? Urgent help needed.
Okay, so first off, I totally get the panic that sets in when you accidentally nuke important files from your USB drive. Don’t freak out; there are ways to get those files back. I’ll walk you through a step-by-step process for doing USB recovery on a Mac.
Step-by-Step Recovery
1. Stop Using the USB Drive
If you’ve accidentally deleted files, the first thing you need to do is stop adding new data to the USB drive. New data can overwrite the deleted files, reducing the chances of successful recovery.
2. Check Trash
Sometimes deleted files might end up in the Trash. It’s worth checking there first before diving into more involved recovery methods.
3. Use Terminal Commands (Optional)
If you’re comfortable with the command line, there are some basic commands like rm and others that you might reverse (though not always successfully). This step is risky and requires some know-how.
4. Third-Party Data Recovery Tools
When basic recovery efforts disappoint, it’s time to bring out the big guns: dedicated data recovery software. Here’s where you can use tools like Disk Drill
, among others. Disk Drill is pretty popular for Mac users and can recover deleted files efficiently.
Using Disk Drill for USB Recovery
-
Download & Install Disk Drill
- Head over to their official website or download it through your App Store.
- Install Disk Drill by following the on-screen instructions.
-
Run Disk Drill
- Launch Disk Drill after installation.
- Ensure your USB drive is plugged into your Mac.
-
Scan Your USB Drive
- From the Disk Drill interface, select your USB drive.
- Click on the “Search for lost data” button.
- Let Disk Drill run a thorough scan. This could take some time depending on the size and speed of your USB drive.
-
Review Found Files
- Once the scan completes, you’ll get a list of recoverable files.
- Preview them to see if your lost files are among them.
-
Recover Your Files
- Tick the checkboxes next to the files you want to recover.
- Click on the “Recover” button.
- Choose a new destination on your Mac to save the recovered files. Don’t save them back on the USB drive as it could overwrite other lost data.
Pros & Cons of Disk Drill
Pros:
- User-Friendly Interface: You don’t need to be a tech wizard to figure it out.
- Comprehensive Recovers: Disk Drill supports a wide array of file types and filesystems.
- Free Version Available: You can try out the free version before committing to a purchase.
Cons:
- Cost: The full version isn’t cheap, but it’s worth the peace of mind.
- Scan Time: Depending on the drive size, it might take a while to complete.
Alternative Recovery Tools (Brief Mention)
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: Another popular option, works similarly to Disk Drill.
- Data Rescue: Offers a solid set of recovery features but tends to be on the pricier side.
- Stellar Data Recovery: Known for its wide compatibility with different file types and systems.
Final Pro Tips
- After recovering your files, back them up immediately. Look into Time Machine or another reliable backup system to protect your data in the future.
- Sometimes using multiple tools gives better results. If Disk Drill didn’t find everything, it might be worth trying one of the other tools mentioned.
- Regularly replace your USB drives. They have limited write cycles, and older ones may fail more suddenly.
I hope this helps! Don’t stress too much—follow the steps and you should have a good shot at getting your files back.
Don’t sweat it. I see you’re in that nerve-wracking situation of losing important files on your USB drive. Techchizkid covered a lot of ground pretty well, but let’s throw some more light on what else you could try here.
Immediate Measures:
1. Don’t Write to the USB Drive
Techchizkid is spot on here. Stop using your USB drive right away. Writing new data can overwrite the lost files making recovery almost impossible.
2. Backup Before Recovery Attempts
Before you try anything, it can be worth backing up the current state of your USB drive, if possible. You can use the dd command in Terminal:
sudo dd if=/dev/diskX of=~/backup.dmg bs=1m
Replace diskX with your USB disk identifier—gotta be careful with this command to not overwrite any wrong disks.
Disk Drill, Indeed, But…
Disk Drill is great, you can learn more about it here: Disk Drill Data Recovery Software. Should respond well for Mac users with its clean interface—it practically holds your hand through the process. But seeing as you’re in dire straits, let’s not hedge our bets on one tool.
Alternative Paths:
3. Photorec/ TestDisk
If Disk Drill, for some reason, doesn’t cut it for you, consider using Photorec (comes packaged with TestDisk).
- FREE and highly effective at recovering files from just about any media.
- Its biggest downside? Not the most user-friendly for those new to command-line tools.
Here’s a brief guide:
-
Install TestDisk (which includes Photorec)
brew install testdisk -
Run Photorec
sudo photorec -
Select USB Drive and File Types to Search
- You’ll go through a text-based wizard. After selecting your disk, you will pick the partition type, the filesystem, and search for lost files. It helps to know the file types of what you’re looking to recover.
4. Prosoft Data Rescue
Another highly respected alternative. Time and again considered the best for Mac-centric recovery tasks. Often excelling where others struggle.
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Download and Install
- Grab it from the official site.
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Run a Scan on Your USB Drive
- Similar process to Disk Drill; choose your drive, run the scan, and save the recovered files to a new location.
5. Axiom to Always Remember
- Never Save Recovered Data Back to the USB: Save files you’ve successfully recovered to your Mac’s HDD or an external backup drive.
Manual Explorations:
6. Go Deep with macOS Utilities
-
Disk Utility/first aid: Sometimes simple fixes identify filesystem errors that indirectly help with data visibility.
-
Terminal Magic: For the brave-hearted:
sudo fsck_hfs -fy /dev/disk* # replace * with your disk id
Execute the command cautiously; can cause further harm if misused on wrong disks.
Bits of Caution
- Cost & Trial Limitations: While tools like EaseUS and Stellar offer promising results, their free versions are often limited, necessitating a hefty purchase for full access. Evaluate, but weigh in costs if Disk Drill or TestDisk do the job.
- Scan Times: Scanning huge drives? Be ready to camp out. Timing could vary significantly.
To Sum It Up
Backup your data religiously after recovery. Tools like Time Machine or even cloud solutions can be lifesavers moving forward.
If something goes haywire, don’t panic—for every jam, there’s a way out. The tech quagmire you’re stuck in feels overwhelming, but a mix of patience and the right tools often bails out the worst situations. Hopefully, these options shred some light on your dilemma. Go for it!
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I hear ya on the panic mode. Losing vital files is like a techie’s worst nightmare. Let me offer some insights that haven’t been covered yet to give you more recovery ammo.
Immediate Actions
1. Back Up the USB
First things first: before attempting any recovery solution, create an image backup of your USB drive. This minimizes risk if a recovery attempt somehow corrupts your drive. You can use Terminal’s dd command for this:
sudo dd if=/dev/diskX of=~/Desktop/backup.dmg bs=1m
Replace diskX with your USB disk identifier. Double-check to avoid overwriting the wrong disk.
Non-Traditional Methods
1. Mac’s Own Recovery Tool (Underutilized)
Often overlooked, macOS has a built-in recovery utility called File Recovery. Though it’s not as sexy as Disk Drill, it sometimes pulls off miracles.
- Open Terminal.
- Run:
sudo file recovery /dev/diskX -o /path/to/save/files
Replace diskX with your disk identifier and /path/to/save/files with where you wanna save recovered files.
File Type Specific Scanners
2. Custom Tools for Specific File Types
Some specialized tools really excel with specific file formats. For instance, if you’re recovering images, try PicRec (a sister to PhotoRec). It’s better optimized for images and multimedia:
- Install via Homebrew:
brew install picrec
- Run your scan from Terminal.
picrec /dev/diskX --output=~/Desktop/recovered_files
Not user-friendly but hey, it’s an alternative if other tools fail.
Encrypted USB Drives
3. Dealing with Encrypted Files
If your issue revolves around encrypted files, make sure you decrypt first before attempting recovery. Failing to decrypt might render recovery software unable to find anything meaningful.
Specialized Reboot for Recovery
4. Boot from a Recovery Disk
Rather unconventional but creating a bootable recovery image might give you an edge. Tools like Clonezilla can help mount your USB in a sandboxed environment for recovery. This reduces the interference from macOS that sometimes shields the actual state of a drive.
Professional Recovery Services
5. When All Else Fails
Professional data recovery services might be the last resort. Sure, they’re not cheap, but some services have proprietary tech far beyond consumer-level tools. They might be able to recover what Disk Drill or TestDisk can’t.
Practical Tips
- Scheduled Backups: Set up
Time Machinefor regular backups. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it solution that saves your bacon more times than you’d think. - Cloud Storage: Regularly uploading important docs to cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox just in case your physical storage betrays you.
Check out Disk Drill; it’s widely recommended and very effective for Mac users when it comes to recovering lost data. Learn more about it here. The free version can go a long way, and the full version is worth every penny if you value your lost data that much.
With luck, one of these methods should help you retrieve your lost files. Best of luck, and remember: it’s not over until you’ve exhausted every tech trick in the book!
hey guys 
i’m kinda new to mac, so pls don’t judge
i somehow deleted like half of my uni projects from my usb… didn’t even notice for 2 months lol. i study graphic design, so the files were all differ (.ai stuff, photos, reports in word, etc). checked the trash and nothing there.
read this forum and ngl i’m lowkey lost 
everyone here sounds like they work for apple or smth haha. what should i even start with if there’s no deleted files in the trash? if i can’t get those files back i’m prob gonna fail my class any help would mean a lot fr.
Whoa, 2 months is kinda a lot in data recovery terms. Someone already mentioned this above, but just in case - don’t use the usb drive you deleted stuff from until you try to recover it (every time you save new projects there, you’re basically overwriting the old “deleted” files, they’re still there, but new data takes their spot).
If you haven’t used that usb since it happened there’s still a chance. So don’t panic just yet, no one’s getting kicked out of uni.
Сheck other places first. Maybe Illustrator still has the file in “recent”? Maybe you sent something to your prof or classmates via email or chat? Or maybe you backed up a folder somewhere without even realizing it?
If that’s all a dead end, then you’ll need a data recovery app. There’s a bunch of them out there, just pick one that looks easy to use for you and fits your budget.
thanks for replying!! i’m not really good with mac tbh but i did check all the places u mentioned – illustrator recents, mail, chats, even iCloud .
sadly no luck so i guess i’ll have to try one of those data recovery apps.
any u’d recommend for a total newbie? i just need smth that actually works and doesn’t look like a spaceship control panel 
Honestly, I don’t really know what to recommend, data recovery apps are kinda a personal choice. The main thing is that it should work with usb drives and actually recover data from them (most tools do that these days anyway). I’d say google some “best data recovery apps for mac” lists, read what each one offers, and then decide which one to download. Just keep in mind that there aren’t many free options for mac, so be ready to spend like $80-$150.
P.S. I’ve been using Disk Drill for about 6 years now and am still happy with it. Maybe check out some reviews on that one first.
ohh okay, got it.
thanks a lot for explaining it anyway, really appreciate u taking the time to reply to me 
Hi there. If you still haven’t decided which program to use for recovering deleted files from your USB, I can give you a bit of direction. There’s already plenty of advice above, but I’m guessing you don’t want to spend hours testing every app on that list. So let’s narrow it down to two options that actually make sense.
First one is Disk Drill. It’s been mentioned here a few times already, and for a good reason. It’s one of the best USB recovery tools for macOS and reasonably priced.
Second is PhotoRec. If you don’t want to pay at all, that’s really the only well-known free option. It’s not pretty, as runs in Terminal, but you don’t need to type commands manually. You just navigate through menus. Still, it’s worth reading a short tutorial before you start.
No matter what you pick, don’t save the recovered files back to the USB. Save them to your Mac’s drive first, and then copy them wherever you need after you’re done. Or better yet, keep a second copy on the Mac, safer that way.
I’ll leave this page open for a while, in case you’ve got more questions.
oh wow, thanks a lot @Brian gonna look up some vids or guides abt those apps and try to get my deleted files back from the usb.
if anything happens (good or bad) i’ll drop an update here 
hey again So yeah, i ended up going with Disk Drill in the end. i watched a few vids on photorec but honestly didn’t really like how it works, looked kinda messy to me. so i decided to just pay for Disk Drill instead. better that than making my parents pay for me getting kicked out of uni.
and about the results, it actually worked! i managed to recover everything i deleted. huge thanks to everyone here for the tips, really saved me this time
Hi everyone. Looks like I’m a bit late to the thread and you already got everything sorted out, but I just wanted to speak up for PhotoRec. I’ve been relying on PhotoRec for over 10 years now, every time I delete something by accident, format a USB, or lose files on another device. For me, it’s been rock solid. Highly recommend it. Disk Drill is also great tho.
Yeah, totally agree that PhotoRec is a great tool, and all its downsides are easy to overlook considering it’s free. But it’s also fair that people prefer some comfort, even when it comes to USB data recovery. I’m the same way. I’d rather pay and have everything simplified to just two buttons, like scan and recover. That’s why tools like Disk Drill feel top-tier to me. And honestly, the price isn’t that bad, what, the cost of several Starbucks coffees and a croissant? So calling it “expensive” doesn’t really sound right. That’s how I see it anyway.
You folks already covered the whole USB data recovery topic inside out, nothing much left for me to add.
But let me mumble a bit and remind everyone about one thing > backups!! With a proper backup, you don’t need any of these fancy tools. You just copy your stuff back like nothing ever happened. For EVERYONE reading this, please make a copy of whatever important files you’ve got on your USB. Keep one locally and one in the cloud. There are plenty of options nowadays. And if the files are really critical, store an extra copy on an external drive, maybe even an encrypted one.
There are tons of ways to do it, pick whatever works for you. Just think of it as saving yourself from ever having to run data recovery again.
No need to thank me :))