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What is the best alternative to Disk Drill for data recovery on Mac?

Hello Apple Community,


I'm relatively new to the tech scene and recently encountered a data loss issue on my Mac. After some research, I came across Disk Drill as a recommended tool for data recovery. However, I am unable to use this app to recover the deleted files on my Mac. So I wanted to know what are the good alternatives to Disk Drill app?


I'm particularly interested in solutions that are user-friendly for someone with limited technical expertise, yet reliable and effective in recovering lost files. Additionally, if you have any personal experiences with these alternatives, I would greatly appreciate hearing about them. Any tips, suggestions, or cautionary tales would be invaluable.


Thank you all in advance for your assistance!

MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Mar 12, 2024 12:56 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 20, 2024 12:38 AM

Disk Drill is a popular data recovery software developed by CleverFiles. It is designed to help users recover lost or deleted files from various storage devices such as internal and external hard drives, USB flash drives, memory cards, and more. However, it sometimes failed to recover deleted files from Mac. Fortunately, there are a dozen of Disk Drill alternatives you can try out on your Mac.


Here is a list of best data recovery software for Mac: https://www.sysgeeker.com/blog/top-best-6-data-recovery-software-for-mac-unleash-the-power-to-retrieve-your-lost-data.html


P.S. You should stop using your Mac once you found some of the files were deleted. Also test out the software by your own.




4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 20, 2024 12:38 AM in response to Lingardman04

Disk Drill is a popular data recovery software developed by CleverFiles. It is designed to help users recover lost or deleted files from various storage devices such as internal and external hard drives, USB flash drives, memory cards, and more. However, it sometimes failed to recover deleted files from Mac. Fortunately, there are a dozen of Disk Drill alternatives you can try out on your Mac.


Here is a list of best data recovery software for Mac: https://www.sysgeeker.com/blog/top-best-6-data-recovery-software-for-mac-unleash-the-power-to-retrieve-your-lost-data.html


P.S. You should stop using your Mac once you found some of the files were deleted. Also test out the software by your own.




Mar 12, 2024 8:48 AM in response to Lingardman04

If your Mac uses an SSD and the Trash has been emptied, then that data is gone for good unless you have another copy of that data stored somewhere else such as in a backup you made, or maybe you put a copy in the cloud, emailed it to someone, etc.


Besides, if you are trying to recover data, then you should not be booting to the drive where the data was lost as you would overwrite what you are trying to salvage....if it was a hard drive as opposed to an SSD.


While I've never used it, I've heard some users on this forum say that Stellar Data Recovery worked for them to recover data from a hard drive. But this won't help you if you are trying to recover data from an SSD.


As @PRP_53 mentions, everyone should have at least one backup drive. And backups should be made frequently & regularly. With the newer Macs there are even more new ways to permanently lose access to your data due to all the hardware, software, and security changes. Apple includes the Time Machine backup software for free with every copy of macOS so all you need to do is provide a backup drive(s).

Mar 12, 2024 1:52 AM in response to Lingardman04

I am moving 😔 sideways on your question only because I have never lost any of my Important Data


To protect myself and the Data I have a 3-2-1 Rescue Plan in place and constantly keeping it up to date and current


3 Backups using 2 methods and 1 Off Site incase of natural or Un-Natural Disaster


Time Machine Backup comes to mind and for additional protection, 2 Independent and Dedicated External Drives


For additional protection and as a adjunct to TM Backup, I use Carbon Copy Cloner ( long time user of it )


I am confident there will be some good alternatives to Disk Drill offered by those who have experience is such matters


Best of luck


Should the drive that has lost the Important Data still be in usage, immediately stop using the Computer or the Drive


The more that data is read from it or written to it, the greater the chances of recovering any meaningful data decreases

Mar 20, 2024 1:50 AM in response to Lingardman04

One best alternative to Disk Drill for data recovery on Mac is TestDisk. TestDisk is an open-source software that is designed to recover lost partitions and restore non-booting disks. It can also recover deleted files from FAT, NTFS, and ext2 file systems.


TestDisk has a simple user interface and is available for free download on their website. However, it's important to note that TestDisk may not be as user-friendly as some of the paid options, and it may require a level of technical knowledge to effectively use. Also, TestDisk only recovers deleted files and partitions, it does not repair damaged files or disks.


As the best alternative to Disk Drill for data recovery on Mac, It's worth your try.

What is the best alternative to Disk Drill for data recovery on Mac?

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