How to recover files from deleted user MAC OS X 10.7

I had the same exact problem and I was so scared I wasn't going to get any of it back. Then I saw that there was one file in the corner of my screen. It looks sort of like and DVD player. Open that and then you will see 5 folders and the info you are trying to get will be in either user info folder or the users folder. Hope this helps!!

If you did not empty the Trash, click on the Trash icon at the right side of the Dock and drag those files to a different location.

If you emptied the Trash, it is more difficult. Typically, when a file is erase, it is not really erased. The space the file occupied become unallocated, so that new data can be written over that space. If new data files have not yet been written over that space, the old data is still there and may be recoverable.

There are utilities specifically for data recovery. For example (I have not used)

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

Other more general utilities, such as TechTool Pro by Micromat, have a data recovery "module" as part of the package. I have this utility (and it's a good product), but I have never used it for doing data recovery.

You may be able to use such tools to recover erased data. If you intend to try, you should use the disk that held the erased data as little as possible, to reduce the likelihood that new data files will be written over the space used by the old data.

When you delete a user account, you will be asked to choose from three options for what to do with the user's folder. Which option did you choose? The first puts the user folder inside a disk image file (double-click it to open it) found in /Users/Deleted Users. The second leaves the user folder where it was, in /Users. The third deletes the user folder.

If you chose the third option, you can only reliably recover from backups. If you don't have backups, see Recovering deleted files.

You may not remember it, but if you deleted it from the Users & Groups pane of System Preferences, it certainly did ask. You will see a window like this:

Did you find the /Users folder? If not, choose Go to Folder from the Finder's Go menu and enter "/Users" (minus the quotes), then press return. Do you see that user's folder? If not, do you see a Deleted Users folder? If neither shows up, you will have to try your hand at data recovery.

That information is at the link I gave you yesterday.

If I'm not late, I use Data Rescue 2 for recovering deleted files.🙂

I'm having the same problems. To insure that I don't overwrite the files, can i use for example Data Rescue with another mac to scan and retrive from the mac where the files got deleted.

I didn't quite understand the explanation from the link "The Safe Mac" how this will work.

"Once you are safe from unintentional overwriting, you need to get some recovery software. Three options on the Mac are Data Rescue, File Salvage and Stellar Phoenix. All three can be ordered on physical media, in which case you’ll get a bootable emergency disk, or as download copies. Either way, you will need some other kind of media – a flash drive or hard drive, for example – on which to store the recovered files. NEVER put recovered files on the drive they’re being recovered from, even if the software lets you do that!"

The explanation above skips one part, or then im just really confused how the retreaving will happen.

In my case Its an old macbook air, and i lost the OS x instalation flash drive. so im completely at a loss

You certainly can use another Mac, if you can start up the two machines with the one needing recovery in target disk mode:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10725

Thomas_R thanks for the insightful post.

I have a timemachine backup and am trying to recover a file that was on another user account that I deleted not knowing she didn't have a file on there. I used option 3 for the delete process and removed all files.

Questions:does time machine do backups across all user accounts and if so how do you retrieve data (I am on the admin on the computer).

Any help much appreciated.

Ladysko wrote:

Questions:does time machine do backups across all user accounts and if so how do you retrieve data (I am on the admin on the computer).

Any help much appreciated.

Time Machine backs up the whole system. Retrieving data is as simple as clicking the Time Machine status icon in the status bar, selecting Enter Time Machine on the menu and then browsing the backup history in the Finder windows to find the file(s) you wish to restore. Select the files and then click Restore at the bottom of the screen. You will be prompted to select the location to which to restore.

It is extremely easy and painless.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply but I don't understand how this resolves the issue - i know how to browse my own timemachine history but that only shows me my username folder and files it doesn't show you the files for a deleted user.

The question is using timemachine can you restore a file from ANOTHER user account? if so how?

Hi

Sorry i should have provided more information

I had two accounts on the computer in Feb/march

I accidently removed an account and seleted delete the home folder.

I was wondering if timemachine would still have the user account and thus the file but from my timemachine i can't browse back to see other user accounts.

Press command-shift-C, then double-click your hard drive, then double-click the Users folder. Enter Time Machine and restore the missing user folder from there.