How to Recover Accidentally Deleted Useful Files on Mac

Accidentally removed a file from your Mac? Deleted a file from the Trash? Have you faced such a problem where you accidentally deleted a file from the Trash you were planning to restore?

There are some ways to recover the deleted data on your Mac. You can either use the best Mac cleaner software or you can follow this guide.

Fret not! If you have deleted the files and items then there are ways to recover the lost data. Usually, the deleted files go to the Trash where you can restore them easily if you want to.

Methods to recover the deleted data on a Mac

Let’s check out these methods to recover the deleted files and items on your Mac:

#1. Restore the deleted files and items on your Mac from the Trash

Whether you deleted some files or it was by mistake, you can check for the deleted items in the Trash. If you have not emptied the Trash the deleted items are probably there. You can easily recover them back if you want to.

Putting the deleted items back from the Trash is as easy as 1, 2, and 3. Follow the steps to recover the items from the Trash:

1. Launch the ‘Finder’ utility.
2. Open ‘Trash’.
3. Drag the item to the desktop or right-click on them and select the option ‘Put back’.

A very important thing to keep in mind is the time-frame of 30 days. Deleted items stay in the trash only for 30 days. This method is valid only when you have not emptied the Trash.

#2. Recover the deleted files on your Mac even after emptying the Trash

If by mistake you have emptied the Trash then you are left with no option other than using the best Mac cleaner application. You can check out on the Internet and download the software that best works for your Mac.

When files are deleted, they remain hidden and the user is unable to see them. But the Mac cleaner software can discover and locate them easily. On top of that, you do not need to worry about your data being corrupted or damaged.

A Mac cleaner app is specifically designed to recover the accidentally deleted files, documents, emails and more on Mac OS X. It helps you locate the hidden items and retrieve them easily.

#3. Retrieve the lost data on your Mac without using any third-party software.

If you are one of the Mac users who are more concerned about the storage then this step is pretty helpful. Sometimes the user empties the Trash before checking out the deleted files.

This step gives them no chance to restore the files. Fortunately, you can restore the deleted files on your Mac using the Time Machine backup files.

Go through the steps that follow if you want to use the Time Machine Backup utility:

1. Look for the Spotlight icon on the upper right corner of the screen.
2. Click on it.
3. Type in ‘Time Machine’.
4. Hit Enter.
5. Click on the folder where you think your target files used to be.
6. Click on the upward arrow located to the right side of the Time Machine window.
7. Scroll through the backup files until you see the deleted files.
8. Press and hold the ‘Command’ button to select the files you want to restore.
9. Click ‘Restore’.

#4. Restore the deleted files instantly using the UNDO option

When you accidentally delete a file you can restore them instantly using the ‘Undo’ option. This method is valid only when you are immediately restoring a file after deleting it or in the case of accidental deletion. This method is not valid after emptying the Trash.

#5. Restore the deleted files using the Terminal Command

If nothing works then you can use the Terminal Command to restore the deleted items.

1. Go to ‘Applications’.
2. Select ‘Utilities’ and open it.
3. In the ‘Utilities’ section, look for the ‘Terminal.app’.
4. Type the Unix command: ‘cd.Trash’
5. Click on the ‘Return’ key on your Mac.
6. Type ‘mv name../’.
7. Hit Return key.
8. Type ‘Quit’ in the editor of the Terminal application.

You need to replace the ‘name’ in the 6th step with the full name of the file you had deleted.

Conclusion

No matter what you do, you will find it tiresome to recover the deleted files and apps from your Mac. You will need to install the best Mac cleaner to recover the accidentally deleted files from your Mac.

However, in this article, we have tried our best to discuss some manual ways to recover the deleted items on your device. If you are looking for solutions to this issue then you are welcome to follow the tips discussed.