How to recover deleted files on Mac using Terminal?

Data Recovery
1

I accidentally deleted some important files on my Mac and I need to recover them as soon as possible. Can someone guide me through the process of using Terminal to recover these deleted files? Any advice or step-by-step instructions would be greatly appreciated as I’m not very tech-savvy. Thanks in advance for your help.

2

Ugh, accidents happen, right? Deleting important files on a Mac can be such a headache! But don’t worry; there’s a way to recover them using Terminal. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

  1. Open Terminal: Navigate to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

  2. List Directory Contents: First, navigate to the directory where the files were stored. Use the cd command.

    cd path/to/your/folder

  3. Locate Deleted Files: Mac doesn’t have a simple undelete command in Terminal, so you’ll need to check the .Trashes directory at the root of your drive. Use this command to navigate there:

    cd /.Trashes/501/

    Note: The folder number 501 may differ. Use ls -la /Volumes/<DriveName>/.Trashes/ to find your Trashes folder.

  4. Copy Deleted Files Back: Once you find the files, copy them back to your preferred directory.

    sudo cp name_of_your_file /path/to/desired/location

  5. Permissions: If permissions are an issue, you may need to involve sudo for superuser access.

But, let’s be real. Getting cozy with Terminal can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re not used to it. Instead, a user-friendly solution like Disk Drill Data Recovery Software might save you a lot of time and hassle. Disk Drill specializes in recovering deleted files efficiently without diving into complex Terminal commands.

Hope you nail down the recovery! The struggle’s real, but you got this! Keep us updated on how it goes.

How to recover deleted files on Mac using Terminal?
How to recover deleted files on Mac using Terminal?1536×1080 243 KB

3

Alright, so you nuked some important files on your Mac and need them back pronto. It happens. Let’s add another approach to @nachtdromer’s solid Terminal journey.

If you’re skittish about Terminal or just want a different way, here you go:

  1. Recover from Time Machine

    • Head over to System Preferences > Time Machine.
    • Click ‘Enter Time Machine.’
    • Navigate to the folder where your files were and use the timeline on the right to find backups.
    • Restore the files from there. If you don’t use Time Machine, skip this part.

  2. Check Trash:

    • Before you mess with Terminal, double-check the Trash. It’s often overlooked in panic mode.

For a Terminal-less approach, a recovery app might be less frustrating. Something like Disk Drill is slick for Mac data recovery. Way simpler than sifting through .Trashes with sudo.

Side Note: If the files are super critical, avoid writing new data on your Mac till recovery. New data might overwrite the deleted files, making recovery harder.

Also, an online recovery tool would make this way easier.

4

Well, if Terminal makes you break out in a cold sweat and Disk Drill isn’t clicking for you, I’ve got a couple of additional tricks up my sleeve. BOOM! Let’s kick this off.

  1. Check Recent Folders: Sometimes the simplest solution is right in front of us. Open Finder and look into ‘Recent’ to see if the files magically appear there.

  2. Third-Party Software: Besides Disk Drill, which people are raving about, you’ve got competitors like Stellar Data Recovery and EaseUS for a change. Both are solid options if you’re looking for straightforward, user-friendly recovery methods. They have various pricing models but offer free versions for initial scans.

  3. Back Up, People!: Ever heard of cloning your drive? Tools like Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! ensure you have a bootable backup of your entire system, reducing future panic moments.

Quick Pros & Cons for Disk Drill:
Pros:

  • User-friendly interface.
  • Recovers a variety of file types.
  • Affordable for essentials.

Cons:

  • Requires paid version for full recovery.
  • Initial scan time could be lengthy.
  1. Professional Services: If your files are worth gold, consider professional data recovery services. DriveSavers or Kroll Ontrack might be expensive but go to great lengths to recover the seemingly unrecoverable.

So, which avenues do you think you’ll explore? Share your results so others can learn from your journey.