Help - Any free Mac file recovery software?

[garethEds]

Before I fork out for some recovery software for my Mac I wonder if anyone knows of one?

 

I've accidentally deleted a directory from within Parallels Desktop for Mac. I forgot the desktops were shared :-( Doh me.

 

Cheers

 

GJE

[adurrant]

They have time machine on them thats the MAC backup software!

[mac_shinobi]

They have time machine on them thats the MAC backup software!

 

assuming it was setup before the deletion - also if you have not emptied your trash it may be there still. There is test disk but am not sure if that will run on OS X. Have not really come across data recovery for free for OS X as of yet but would be nice to know myself if there is

[dayzd]

I've had reasonable results using this to recover files:

PhotoRec - CGSecurity

 

Hope this is of use.

[garethEds]

They have time machine on them thats the MAC backup software!

 

What a fantastic post. Thanks for your time.

 

GJE

[Robbocop]

Hi there. Well the CGSecurity link posted by abullett looks pretty good, although you're at your own risk I guess with that sort of thing. If you purchased Applecare with your Mac you might well already have Techtool Pro https://support.apple.com/techtooldeluxe/main?id=dl or know someone who does. In all events though please make absolutely sure the OS version you have is supported before running any recovery software. If you end up having to buy something, Micromat Techtool Pro, ProSoft Drive Genius and Data Rescue, and Alsoft Disk Warrior are the big boys. Hope that helps and sorry I can't think of anything else at the mo.

[sammya]

File Salvage has got back deleted files for me before, costs $90 though.

 

FileSalvage - Mac OS X Data Recovery, Undelete Files, Rescue Lost Data

[AntonioRocco]

Hi

 

AFAIK there is no free application for to recover deleted data. The major ones most people on the platform use are:

 

Computer Data Recovery, Mac Data Recovery Software, Mac Data Rescue, Digital Data Recovery Disk for Mac - Data Rescue 3

Mac Data Recovery Software, Data Recovery Mac ? Mac File Recovery

Mac Data Recovery Software - Recover data from Apple Mac Drive - Apple Mac Recovery - Data Recovery Mac

 

Another one is FileSalvage which a link has already been provided. I have known this to be somewhat successful. You have to be quick though.

 

There may be some others which you could google for yourself? Although not an application designed to recover deleted data DiskWarrior makes a good job (sometimes) of recovering a drive (and its data) that is not accessible by the usual means.

 

All of these applications have a price tag attached. I know it's not what you want to hear but the 'best' way to recover data is to have a sound and effective backup strategy in place. Which you more than likely already have. Not 100% foolproof I know but it's probably the best chance you have? As ever the longer you leave the attempt at recovering deleted data the less chance there is of recovering anything useful. Especially if you're still using the affected mac. The platform at its heart is UNIX based. Once a file is deleted the blocks are made ready to receive new data which makes it doubly difficult. Even booting the affected mac will alter its state at a block/directory level. This makes it harder still.

 

AFAIK, on a mac, once it's gone it's pretty much gone for good. Sorry.

 

Antonio Rocco (ACSA)