Summary: Files on macOS get deleted permanently when you use ‘Delete Immediately’ commands that bypass Trash or when you empty your Trash or Mac Recycle Bin. In such scenarios, you can’t reverse the permanent delete operation. If you’ve lost some critical files in the process, you need unique methods to get back the deleted files. In this blog, we’ll share DIY plans to help you recover permanently deleted files in macOS Big Sur or earlier.
There are many ways through which you can delete your files permanently. All you need to do is to choose the files and then execute any one of the following methods:
When you’ve deleted the junk files permanently to clean up your Mac, you don’t need to worry. But if you’ve removed some important files using the permanent deletion methods, you must be looking for the answer to the query: how do I recover permanently deleted files from my Mac? Read on to know the best recovery methods.
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Time Machine is a native backup and restoration app provided in macOS. It takes a full backup of your Mac for the first time and then incrementally at scheduled intervals, provided the backup drive is connected to your Mac. In addition, the app helps you restore your data that is lost due to file deletion, drive formatting, volume loss, file corruption, or other data loss scenarios.
Learn More: How to set-up Time Machine on Mac?
So, if you have already known the importance of backup, you must have set up a Time Machine backup drive and have taken the complete backup of your Mac. Now, when you’ve deleted any crucial files accidentally, you can restore them using a Time Machine backup drive. But, first, you must follow the steps shared next to convert your permanently deleted files.
The said data recovery steps can be easily performed on your Mac by keeping the Time Machine drive connected. The backup and restoration app can help you salvage your lost files in any critical data loss scenarios. But things don’t fall into place so well. There are situations when this method won’t work. For instance, when you’ve not set up your Time Machine backup drive. Or when the file is created and deleted after the incremental backup. Or when the Time Machine backup is obsolete or not up-to-date. In such situations, a Mac file recovery software can be your savior.
A Mac file recovery software can come to the rescue when Time Machine backup is not available or the backup itself is corrupt. So, you need to download and install a trusted and free software: Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition for Mac.
Post-installation, launch the software on your Mac, where the files are deleted permanently. The recovery steps are as easy as Select, Scan, and Recover. The complete steps are shared next:
When the deleted files are saved to the specified volume, navigate to the location and open the files to check their integrity. That’s it. You’ve recovered your permanently deleted files on Mac.
Using this free Mac file recovery software, you can recover up to 1 Gigabyte of files without spending any buck. If you need to recover more, you should upgrade the software to a higher edition as per your requirement. The good thing is all the editions of the software come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, upgrade it at will, and run the software once again. Finally, save all the files to the required drive, preferably an external one, to avoid overwriting.
Also Read: How can I Recover Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 10
Below is a helpful video tutorial that shares a few more tips on restoring lost or deleted files from the Mac storage drive. The best thing about this tutorial is recovering files without using any application.
Remember, if you have the mighty Time Machine application with you, you can quickly restore permanently deleted files and folders. Try using the Stellar Data Recovery software solution for Mac mentioned above if you are left with no option to retrieve deleted files.
Santosh is a technical writer with 10-year experience in writing. He writes troubleshooting blogs, articles, and other web content on a variety of topics, including data recovery, data security, and data backup. His hobbies include solving puzzles, gardening & painting.
