Undelete Files on a Mac - Ask the Computer Expert

Question:

I accidentally threw some files in the waste basket on my Mac, and believe it or not but I managed to empty it as well. Does someone have experience in this area when it comes to music? Is it possible to get the complete files back and not just fragments? Is there a program that is better than any other? I'm in the information gathering phase right now and don't want to make another foolish mistake by starting prematurely.

Answer:

When you have made a mistake like this, as a rule you should finish what you are doing and turn your computer off right away. As soon as the computer writes information to the hard drive (which it will do if you are visiting web sites as the pages are stored in the web browser's cache memory) old data runs the risk of being overwritten.

What you should do next is try to find a piece of software that undeletes or restores deleted files and that is designed for the file system you are using - for example ntfs or FAT if you are using Windows XP/Vista, or HFS Plus if you are using Mac OS X. The software should be on a bootable disk, meaning that you boot from the disk and not the hard drive - otherwise your data is at risk again!

Given that all these criteria are fulfilled your chances of restoring all your files are good to excellent.

If you don't have a recovery program on CD readily available (and really, who does?) your best bet is to install a recovery program purchased online. There are many different programs available, but you need to make sure that the program handles your exact computer setup oncluding filesystem and operative system. Just be careful so you don't overwrite the data you're trying to recover, and good luck!

Gunnar Bengtsson writes about how to Recover Deleted Files on a Mac for Mac Data Recovery.

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