Ever wondered what if any important folder on your Mac gets deleted, especially if it contains important files? Sudden deletion of folders on Mac due to user error, virus attacks, formatting, or any other reason can be a stressful experience. Luckily, there are several free Mac data recovery methods and tools available online that you can try to restore your deleted folders. This guide will walk you through some common causes and techniques to help you know how to recover deleted folders on Mac for free.
What Causes Deletion of Folders on Mac?
Before you use any Mac data recovery software or apply manual recovery methods, it’s important to understand why a folder gets deleted on a Mac. Some prominent causes for the deletion of folders are:
- Accidental Deletion: One of the most common reasons for folder deletion is human error. You may have accidentally dragged a folder to the Trash or deleted it while performing other tasks on your Mac.
- File System Corruption: Corruption in the file system can cause folders to disappear or be deleted automatically due to unreadable data.
- macOS Update Glitches: Sometimes, a system update might cause glitches and lead to the accidental deletion of folders or files.
- Virus or Malware Attacks: Though Macs are less prone to such malicious attacks, but sometimes viruses or malware inadvertently delete folders they consider unnecessary or harmful.
- Formatting Drives: Formatting a drive or partition without properly backing up data can result in the loss of all folders stored on that drive.
- Hard Drive Failures: Physical issues with your hard drive or SSD, such as mechanical failures or electrical faults, can result in the deletion or corruption of folders.
Quick Methods to Recover Deleted Folders on Mac
In this part of the blog, we’ve outlined some free Mac data recovery methods, including manual methods or third-party Mac data recovery software, which you can try to restore lost folders. Just go with these methods one-by-one to get your deleted folders back:
Method 01: Recover Deleted Folders from Trash
When you delete a file or folder on Mac, it goes to the Trash folder, where it remains until the Trash is emptied. The first and easiest approach to recover deleted folders on Mac is the Trash. If you haven’t emptied the Trash yet, there’s a good chance your deleted folder is still there, and recovering it is straightforward. Follow the below steps to recover deleted folders from the Trash:
- Firstly, click on the Trash icon located on the Dock to open it.
- Browse through the deleted folders in the Trash and select the one you need to restore.
- Once you find the folder, right-click on it and select “Put Back.” The folder will be restored to its original location.
Method 02: Recover Deleted Folders Using Time Machine Backups
When your deleted folder is not present in the Trash folder, it means it is permanently deleted from your Mac. In such cases, you should try checking any previously created backups to recover those deleted folders. MacOS provides an in-built Time Machine backup utility to help you recover deleted folders, even if they are no longer in the Trash.
If you’ve set up Time Machine backup on your Mac, follow the below steps to recover deleted folder using it:
- Click on the Time Machine icon from the menu bar located at the top and then select “Enter Time Machine.” If the icon isn’t visible, you can find Time Machine in the Applications folder.
- Use the navigation arrow on the right side of the screen to go back to a point in time before the folder was deleted.
- Once you’ve found the required version of the deleted folder, select it and click the “Restore” button to save the selected folder to its original location.
Method 03: Use iCloud Drive to Restore Deleted Folders
Another backup alternative to recover deleted folders on Mac for free is via iCloud’s “Recently Deleted” section. iCloud keeps deleted files and folders for up to 30 days before they are permanently erased. Go through the below steps to recover the deleted folder using iCloud Drive:
- Open any web browser and visit icloud.com.
- Now, login to your iCloud account using your Apple ID credentials.
- Click on the “iCloud Drive” icon to view your stored files.
- Locate and click on the “Recently Deleted” option in the iCloud Drive menu to display a list of recently deleted files and folders.
- Find the deleted folder and select it. Click the “Recover” button to restore it to your iCloud Drive.
Method 04: Recover Deleted Folders Using Free Mac Data Recovery Software
While the above methods are free and often effective, sometimes a deleted folder is not recoverable through manual workarounds. In such cases, you may need to use third-party free Mac data recovery software. Although many such tools are paid, some offer free versions or trials that can help you recover a limited amount of data at no cost. Stellar Data Recovery Free for Mac is an all-in-one Mac data recovery software which supports you to restore deleted files and folders in no time and that’s without any cost.
- Whether your file/folder is deleted accidentally, via virus attacks, formatting, or any other reason, the Stellar Data Recovery Free for Mac software can easily restore it.
- The software supports the recovery of lost folders from any internal or external storage devices, including hard drives, CDs, and USB drives.
- It also allows you to preview the recoverable files before saving them on your device.
Here’s how to recover deleted folders on Mac for free using this versatile software:
Step 1: Firstly, download and install the Stellar Data Recovery Free software on your Mac. Launch the software and from the homepage, select the type of data you need to recover and click Next.
Step 2: Now, select the storage drive where your deleted folder was stored before deletion and click Scan to initiate the scanning process.
Step 3: After completion of the scan process, preview the recoverable files and choose the ones you need. Click the Recover button to save selected folders at the desired location.
Wrapping Up
Hope, the above-mentioned free Mac data recovery methods and tools help you understand how to recover deleted folders on Mac for free. From checking the Trash folder to using third-party Mac data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Free for Mac, all the aforementioned methods will help you restore deleted folders easily. Moreover, you can consider preventive measures like maintaining regular backups, using a reputable antivirus software, etc. to avoid such instances of deletion of folders on your Mac.
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