How to Recover Erased Files in OS X

Let's say you trashed something on the Desktop that turned out to be notes for an important meeting. Or a "duplicate" version of a term paper or report whose original can't be found anywhere. Whatever the case may be, if you've erased a file on your Mac, it may not be gone forever. If you've been backing up your data often, it's not difficult to recover an erased file. After a few simple clicks, your important files will be back at your fingertips.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Navigate to the folder that your erased file once inhabited. If that folder was the Desktop, simply close all other windows in the Finder.

2. Launch Time Machine from the Applications folder or the Dock (if you have it there). You will see your folder (or Desktop) in the foreground and other windows that represent past iterations of the folder in the background.

3. Select a point in time in which the file(s) or folder(s) in question existed. This will depend on when it was deleted--from an hour to a month ago, or even longer.

4. Press "Restore" once you have found the erased files or folders you want to recover. The items will be brought back to the present in the same folder they once inhabited.

5. Repeat this process if you need to recover other files or folders.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure your backups are constant, and that your external hard drive has plenty of space to hold backups.
• This process will only work if you are using Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or later versions. If you have an older version, you may have to resort to third-party software to retrieve data.

References

• Using Time Machine