Can I restore a folder erased by Ccleaner?

Greetings,

If you know the name of one or more of the files that were in that folder you can search your computer for them (File > Find > This Mac).

If they can't be found then that program likely deleted them.

If you have a backup (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1553 / http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427) you can restore that folder from your backup. If you don't make backups, now would be a good time to start as you've just experienced data loss. It happens to everyone at some point or another and then we learn (hopefully) to make backups so we don't have to worry about it again.

If you don't have backups and this was critical information that you need back then data recovery is your next step:

Data Recovery software that allows you to recover data yourself:

http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php

http://www.macintosh-data-recovery.com/

http://subrosasoft.com/software/filesalvage

You can contact a local Apple Authorized Provider to see if they offer data recovery services: http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/service/

There are many nationwide / worldwide data recovery companies out there. Here are a few examples:

http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com

http://www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com/

http://www.totalrecall.com/

Best of luck to you.

No backups? If Ccleaner erased them they gone. Don't waste your time or money on data recovery programs or services. The space occupied by the data by now has most likely been used by other stuff.

If you can remember the name of one of the files that were in there try using a better search utility than spotlight like Find Any File oe EasyFind. Either that of type command-F and search for filenames that way. All these methods will serarch in places a standard spotlight search won't search. I only suggest searching in the unlikely chance ccleaner stuff the files away some where as opposed to deleting them.

CCleaner is a good program, it's just you were not aware of it's effects or perhaps what it's really designed for. 😉

Disk Utility is far worse and Terminal is can wipe the entire drive while your still using it. 🙂

If your prone to accidential deletions there is software than can be installed prior to the deletion and can "undo" deletes.

Perhaps a auto-updated clone is in order, I have my boot drive partitoned 50/50 and A is auto-cloned/updated to B every couple of days, plus external drive clones weekly and monthly and even one every 6 months.

I'm not prone to deleting anything, but in case I get caught I have the clones.

Also the Downloads folder is not a storage space, if you want to keep the install packages you should move them to a regular folder.

The dangers of having the Downloads folder with stuff in it is there is the possibility of drive by downloads where a small trojan can be in there waiting for you to launch it.

So if it's clean and you go to open it, then you see something, your aware there is a problem 🙂

MacKeeper is bad news.

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3036

MacKeeper;

http://applehelpwriter.com/2011/09/21/how-to-uninstall-mackeeper-malware/

I feel very uneasy about this post ... sounds just a touch commercial.