How do I recover deleted files

Commercial software, available to consumers, that "claims" to be able to do this generally runs around US $100. I have no experience using any of this stuff, thus cannot comment on whether it works or not. Services that provide this ability generally charge more, but use more sophisticated techniques, generally not available to consumers.

Here's one:

http://www.drivesaverdatarecovery.com/

Usually, data recovery services are much expensive when compared with using a data recovery software. My recommendation is to first free download any Mac data recovery software and then check whether the software is fully capable of recovering the deleted files or not and if yes, then use it.

At first step, using a data recovery software is much better than take help from services companies.

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/products/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.

The following is a list of data recovery software:

cjfromsantaclara wrote:

I was wondering if someone can tell me how to recover excel files that I have deleted.

If it's not worth $100 to recover them, or you have Filevault enabled, or if the files were encrpted, used Secure Empty Trash or used Disk Utility Erase Free Space or it's been some time since they were deleted, or you just wrote a large file to the drive, or if you have a SSD, then don't bother.

.Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive

Learn about backups.

Most commonly used backup methods

I used File Salvage, when my daughter deleted a bunch of files off her comptuer. I was able to restore everything she needed with file salvage, but it can be a chore.

Get started on this ASAP, and don't use your computer for anything else until you get your files back (ie don't leave anything up and running like mail, etc).

As I recall, File Salvage can't get the names of the files, so you end up with alot of files with generic names (file1, file2, file3, etc). You will be sorting through them to find out which ones are OK, and which ones aren't and then you can rename them once you figure out what they are.

It's worth it in the end, but it takes some time. Well worth the $60.

After you get through all of that, then get yourself an external drive (some are under $100), and backup your music and pictures, etc. Use Time machine if move to Leopard (if you can't afford a big drive, then exclude everything but your user folder), or at least drag copies of the Music and Pictures folders off to the external drive.

You can also use iTunes to burn multiple CD/DVD's for backup, but it is a pain if you have lots of music.

Hi,cjfromsantaclara, If you are still using your Mac you are destroying the deleted files, and any chance of recovering them, stop now, do not use the Mac again until the files are recovered.

1. If you meet the file loss situation, keep calm and stop using your computer to do any read or write operation until you find the way to recover the lost files because any wrong operation.

2. Remember this, no matter at the normal time or after files recovery, build a backup for the files periodically is the best method to protect your files from data loss situation.

3. If your hard disk has enough space for storing the files, then there is no need to empty the Trash Bin quite often to avoid the wrongly deletion which makes the unnecessary trouble happens.

I recommend you two ways.

One is the repair store. You can choose the professional repair store around you, but this kind of solution is a little bit expensive and take you lots of time. Moreover, if you got some private info which is stored on your Mac, you'd better choose the other way I mention below.

The next way is chooseing some data recovery programs. Such as the freeware Recuver, but it cannot make sure your files can be back to you. If I were you, I suggest you to have try some third party software, it can help you to get back your files even the emptying trash situation.

Hope it can help.

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You should realize that the OP posted this question over a year ago, Mar 19, 2013 2:13 AM, and hasn't responded since then.

My goodness, you are diligent, Lanny. 😀

Have you backed up your file? If you haven't, you have the opportunity to find them. And other precondition, you haven't overwritten other excel file to same place you have saved the lost one. Data recovery software can handle this problem if you haven't overwritten file, they will scan the hard drive and find the lost file, as the lost file is still in the hard drive after being deleted, but it's invisible for you. Most third party data recovery application is expansive, more than 100$, so whether or not your excel file worth it? hope this article helps you, introduced some application.

Errr, this topic was posted over 2 ½ years ago and last responded to over 1 ½ years ago. It's pretty safe to say that cjfromsantaclara has either figured it out by now, or given up.

I think you must stop using your Mac immediately! The more likely the now free space will be overwritten by new data, making recovery anywhere from difficult to impossible. I deleted so many files from my Macbook, but I found some of them were important, so I wanted get them back.But it recovers so many files, so you have to spend time on selecting the files that you want to recover.

Duggannny wrote:

I think you must stop using your Mac immediately! The more likely the now free space will be overwritten by new data, making recovery anywhere from difficult to impossible. I deleted so many files from my Macbook, but I found some of them were important, so I wanted get them back.But it recovers so many files, so you have to spend time on selecting the files that you want to recover.

Hopefully the original poster had some luck in the three years since they posted this topic.

Cheers anyway

Pete

HHow do I recover all my old text messages that I have deleted

Have you read the rest of this thread? If not, read it. Then start a new one of your own.