How To Undelete Files on a Mac for Free

Knowing how to recover lost files on Mac is something every Mac user should endeavor to learn. It is possible to retrieve various file formats that have been deleted by whatever means. This can actually be done in a few easy steps. However, it is important to note that the original file names will more than likely be lost in the retrieval process.

Whether it is an accidental keystroke, power outage, or whatever the catastrophe that caused an important file to be deleted; you can breathe a sigh of relief to know that most Mac files of various suffices including .docx, .jpeg, .ppt, .png, and so on, can oftentimes be undeleted. Thankfully, anyone with basic computer knowledge and skills can easily retrieve undeleted Mac files.

Typically, if a file was deleted by emptying the Trash, partitioning a disk, or using the Disk Utility tool to erase a drive; then the retrieval process is not painstaking as long as the deleted files were not overwritten. However, files that have been deleted via the process of Secure Erase will require advanced computer knowledge and more than likely, forensic recovery expertise.

The Trash Can is one of the first places to look for deleted files. Deleted items can be undeleted by opening Trash Can, right-clicking on the file, and selecting “Put Back” from the menu. Alternatively, the file can be selected then dragged to any location to open it.

Mac’s Time Machine is an excellent tool to undelete Mac files. Time Machine is actually a backup software application. What is so brilliant about this app is the fact that you can go back in time to retrieve documents, files, or folders in different stages of their creation according to the number of times the system backed them up.
Being able to go back in time via Time Machine, provides the wonderful opportunity to recover lost files on Mac. So, the big question, how to recover lost files on Mac using Time Machine, is answered by following these few steps:

• Go to the search field/Finder.
• Enter Time Machine.
• Scroll through the Timeline which is located on the right of the computer screen. You will be able to scroll back in time or forward in time to locate whichever file you wish to undelete.
• Select the file that you wish to undelete and click the “Restore” button. It’s that simple!

Please note that there are many different file recovery software on the market that are specifically tailored to the process of undeleted Mac files. The costs vary for these software but there are some that are freeware.

If there is one lesson that should be learnt from the whole issue of how to recover lost files on Mac, is that backing-up your files is extremely important. Investing in backup software is crucial to ensure that the process of undeleting a Mac file will not cause you to go bald or insane. If you use Time Machine or any other backup application, ensure that you backup your files as frequently as space allows.