Home Videos missing on new Mac after 'wiping' old one

I got a new laptop. Completely 'wiped' my old laptop to give to my son. Expected my home videos would be part of Apple TV on my new computer, but are not there. I called Apple Support and they said they're gone. How is this possible? I am devastated - these were special films and I feel like an idiot for not checking or backing up properly. Question: even if I permanently deleted on old laptop, can they be recovered? Any other way of finding them?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 15.1

Posted on Dec 25, 2024 3:42 PM

Top-ranking reply

Urquhart1244

Level 10

149,426 points

Posted on Dec 26, 2024 7:38 AM

Home videos that are added to the TV app on Mac, are not automatically elsewhere available. It all depends on your setup and your backup strategy.

If home videos were saved to be part of iCloud Photos, then they could be available there.

If you had the Mac configured for your Home folder in iCloud, then the files would/could be there.

If you had made a copy for safekeeping on a different disk, then your files would be there.

If you had regular backups, then your files would be there.

If you ‘wiped’ your previous Mac, then any document on that Mac that was only there, is gone. Forever.

If the disk in that Mac was FileVault encrypted (highly advised for laptops), then there is no undelete.

If the disk in that Mac was SSD, then there is no undelete, regardless of FileVault.

If data has since been seen overwritten, then there is no undelete for those parts, regardless of FileVault and SSD.

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Home Videos missing on new Mac after 'wiping' old one

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