How to Recover Deleted Files with OS X on a Mac
The Mac’s OSX operating system makes a deleted file invisible and inaccessible to the user, but doesn’t really delete it immediately from the hard drive. Recover a deleted file using the Terminal program that is integrated with the OSX operating system. To do so, you must have some experience in using a “command line” interface, as the Terminal program doesn’t use graphics. Use the Terminal program with caution, since it has the potential for altering aspects of the operating system that most users should leave alone.
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Instructions
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Double-click on the Mac’s hard-drive icon to open its window on the desktop. Double-click on the “Applications” folder that is at the top of the window. Scroll down the “Applications” folder’s window until you come to the “Utilities” folder.
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Double-click on the “Utilities” folder. Scroll down this folder’s window until you come to the Terminal program. Double-click on the Terminal program to launch it. Wait for the menu prompt (a right-pointing arrow) to appear on the Terminal program’s screen.
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Enter “cd .Trash” without the quotes in the text column of the Terminal program. Press the “Return” key. Wait for the menu prompt arrow to appear.
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Enter “mv xxx ../” without the quotes, replacing "xxx" with the full name of the file that was deleted. Press the “Return” key. Wait for the menu prompt arrow to appear.
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Enter “Quit” (without the quotes). Press the “Return” key to quit the Terminal program.
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Press “Command"+"F” to bring up a Finder window. Enter the full name of the deleted file into the search text column in the upper-right portion of the window.
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Drag the deleted file from the list presented in the middle of the Finder window onto the desktop. Press the red button at the upper left of the Finder window to close it.
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Tips & Warnings
Include the spaces indicated when you enter text in the Terminal program.
A backup of your operating system can help if you accidentally use the Terminal program to alter the OSX operating system.
References
Resources
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