This page uncovers 5 best completely free data recovery software for macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, older versions and morden Mac OS X, etc. All those Mac data recovery software share one commonality, they are free and useful for casual Mac users. Pick up one and let it take care of your Mac data now.
This article covers the top five completely free data recovery software for Mac, which varies from features, functions, and performance. However, they all have one thing in common: they are free.
Compare the five tools carefully, and select the one that fits your needs best.
PAGE CONTENT:
- Top 5 Completely Free Data Recovery Software for Mac
- 1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free
- 2. Disk Drill
- 3. PhotoRec
- 4. TestDisk
- 5. Exif Untrasher
- 3-Step Tutorial of Free Mac Data Recovery
- People Also Ask
Top 5 Completely Free Data Recovery Software for Mac
When you get data loss on your Mac due to accidental deletion, partition/hard drive formatting, system crash, macOS upgrade, file system or hard drive corruption, stay calm and pick up one of the recommended data recovery software in the below for help.
PhotoRec File Recovery 6.14 (free version for Mac OS X) It is interesting that a program designed to run on a Mac is as basic and unattractive as PhotoRec File Recovery. Mind you, few people care about the attractiveness of their car mechanic, as long as the job gets done, and gets it done well. If you want to recover deleted data in Mac OS X: sensitive business documents, photos, videos, etc. Then AnyRecover for Mac can easily recover all them.This Mac data recovery software supports more than 1000+ file types no matter if it is deleted, lost or formatted.
- Free Undelete to Recover Files. Data loss is a frequent occurrence because of deleting files accidently, hard drive formatting, virus attack and other improper operations etc. IObit Undelete, enabling you to recover all kinds of lost files with only a few clicks, easy but.
- Apple doesn’t include an “undelete” tool as such, but it has a lot of ways to back out of a deletion before the file is gone for good, and third-party software you may already be using can help.
- In this case, R-Studio for Mac can scan the hard disk trying to find previously existing partitions and recover files from found partitions. From hard disk with bad sectors. R-Studio for Mac can first copy the entire disk or its part into an image file and then process the image file.
1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free is one of the free top and handy Mac data recovery software that enables you to recover data from the emptied trash bin, Mac notebooks, desktops, hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, memory cards, digital cameras, etc. It works on internal APFS/HFS+/HFS X drives, and FAT/FAT32/exFAT/NTFS file systems used in USB flash drives and external hard drives connected to Mac.
Highlighted Features:
# 1. All-in-one data recovery software
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free is fully compatible with the latest macOS 10.15(Catalina), 10.14 (Mojave) and all the former versions. It enables all Mac users to perform a full recovery of lost valuable data in only 3 steps: Scan > Preview > Recover.
# 2. HFS+ Fusion Drive Recovery
The latest update of EaseUS Mac data recovery software has improved its support of Fusion Drive, which makes it work even better in retrieving files from Mac computers which are installed on fusion drives.
# 3. Encrypted Drive Recovery
Another great update in EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is that it supports encrypted drive recovery by offering guidance to assist Mac users in decrypting and unlocking their drives with password.
# 4. Data Protection
Once the data protection feature is enabled, it will automatically back up the deleted files to a safe location. If you unexpectedly delete files and want to recover later, you can quickly restore the lost files from the created backup.
Pros:
- Support to restore 200+ file types on Mac, including recovering lost Word/Excel/PPT documents, photos, videos, music files, emails, archived files, and more.
- Quick Scan + Deep Scan technology greatly enhances recovery probability.
- Real-time Preview allows you to preview found files while scanning and before proceeding with data recovery.
- No quality-loss recovery brings your lost photos, videos perfectly back in its best performance.
Cons:
- The completely free version is limited to a maximum of 2GB data recovery. (The outstanding Windows data recovery free version also provides 2GB free file recovery.)
2. Disk Drill
Disk Drill is a popular Mac data recovery application developed to recover lost partitions or files from Mac internal and external hard drives. Also, the Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery options in the free trial version support to monitor the file deletion activity and retain metadata so as to quickly undelete files.
Highlighted Features:
# 1. Undelete Protected Data (Not Available in Free Version)
Being similar to the Data Protection feature in EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, Disk Drill also contains an undelete protected data feature that requires Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery features to be enabled in advance.
With these two features enabled, Mac users could quickly undelete files from a Trash Bin reference or shadow copy of each file to a user-specified folder.
# 2. Allocate Existing Files
When Finder fails to read data, Disk Utility reports the drive as unformatted, Disk Drill can scan the partition and retrieve data from Mac.
Pros:
- Compatible with all the Mac OS X and macOS systems.
- Recover 200+ file types.
- It is packed with free and useful disk tools for all users.
- An intuitive user interface to recover lost files effortlessly.
Cons:
- The free version only allows a preview of data recovery.
- Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery are not available in the free version.
3. PhotoRec
PhotoRec is a free, open-source program that works very well in data recovery on older operating systems like OS X, Linux, Free BSD, Net BSD, Open BSD, and Windows.
It allows users to restore most common files, like photos, audios, documents, ZIP archives, and others from internal or external devices, such as digital cameras, memory cards, USB flash drives and partitions/hard disks.
Highlighted Features:
# 1. Advanced File Carving
PhotoRec first searches for the data block or cluster size. The program will quickly load value from superblock like ext2/ext3/ext4 or volume boot record like FAT/NTFS if the file system is not corrupted. When file system corrupted, PhotoRec will check the device by a sector level, using the first 10 found files to calculate the block or cluster size so as to locate and find more lost files.
# 2. Block or Cluster Level Recovery
This program will read the Mac device block by block, cluster by cluster, checking against different file signatures so to recuperate available files.
Pros:
- Support data recovery cross-platforms, Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, etc.
- 100% open-source program, not only the software but also the source code.
- Nice tool to recover personal files.
Cons:
- Not very user-friendly for ordinary computer users.
- Technical skills required. It uses command lines to operate.
4. TestDisk
TestDisk, like PhotoRec, it's also an open-source, freeware product that allows for multiple file types recovery.
It mainly focuses on partition recovery. It enables users to find deleted or lost partitions by fixing the partition tables due to software crash, virus attack, mistaken formatting, etc.
Highlighted Features:
# 1. Partition Recovery
When a partition lost or disappeared on Mac due to corrupted partition tables, Mac users can apply TestDisk to rebuild and repair the corrupted partition table.
# 2. Rebuild Boot Sectors
When the Mac bootable drive fails to boot, it corrects problems in bootable drives that are failing to boot.
Pros:
- Completely free and open.
- Runs on several operating systems, including macOS and Mac OS X versions.
- Recover lost partitions and rebuild the partition table.
Cons:
- Use the command line to make data recovery.
- Not user-friendly for regular computer users.
5. Exif Untrasher
Exif Untrasher is another completely free Mac data recovery tool that mainly restores deleted or JPEG files from digital cameras, external drive, USB stick, SD card, etc. You can easily download and install this software on your Mac running Mac OS X 10.10 and all the later versions.
Highlighted Features:
# 1. Highly Efficient in JEPG Recovery
Exif Untrasher is a tool that mainly designed to locate photos in JEPG formats on any kind of storage device like SD card, CF card, memory stick or Mac hard disk.
External storage device needs to be mounted as a volume on Mac for the utility to access and attempt a restore.
Pros:
- Simple and quick to recover lost images from the memory card.
- Free with no quantity limits.
- It is updated by the developer regularly.
Cons:
- It only works for JEGP file recovery. It doesn't support extra file formats.
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3-Step Tutorial of Free Mac Data Recovery
To help more Mac users to bring their lost files are soon as possible, we are here to show you a 3-step tutorial of free Mac data recovery. If you are eager to bring your lost files back on Mac or external storage devices, apply the brief and innovative EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free for help.
Remember to connect your USB, SD card, or external hard drive to Mac computer if your lost data were saved on it.
Step 1. Select the disk location (it can be an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device) where you lost data and files. Click the 'Scan' button.
Step 2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan your selected disk volume and display the scanning results on the left pane.
Step 3. In the scan results, select the file(s) and click the 'Recover Now' button to have them back.
Conclusion
On this page, you are presented with the top 5 completely free Mac data recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free, Disk Drill, PhotoRec, TestDisk, Exif Untrasher. When you are facing unexpected data loss on Mac, the programs demonstrated above can help you recover lost files effectively.
What's more, if your lost data is less than 2GB, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free is highly recommended as it provides the most user-friendly interface and most powerful data recovery function.
If you simply want to restore JEGP images, Exif Untrasher is worth to try.
People Also Ask
Some Mac users may still have doubts about Mac file recovery. Here we have collected the top frequently asked 4 questions and left brief answers below. Check out and find your own answers here.
1. Is Mac data recovery free?
It depends. If you lost deleted files to Trash, you can restore them from the Trash for free.
When you lost files on a local Mac hard drive or an external storage device, if you apply free Mac data recovery software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free for help, it's free.
Undelete On Mac
If you take your computer to a local data recovery center, it will charge you a big bunch of money.
2. What is the best free data recovery software?
- For Windows users, you may refer to Top 10 Free SD Card Data Recovery Software.
The Recommended software also works perfectly in Windows OS for data recovery and you can find out the most suitable for you to apply and restore lost files with ease.
- For Mac users, as we recommended on this page, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free, Disk Drill, PhotoRec, TestDisk, Exif Untrasher are all good to help.
3. Is there any free data recovery software?
Sure! Many data recovery software producers all have released their free data recovery software. Here we have collected some of them for you to pick up one and apply to guard your own data.
10 Top Free Data Recovery Software for Windows Users:
- 1). EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free
- 2). Recuva
- 3). Stellar Data Recovery
- 4). Disk Drill
- 5). R-Studio
- 6). Acronis Revive
- 7). Remo Recover
- 8). Recover My Files
- 9). Puran Data Recovery
- 10). TestDisk
5 Top Free Data Recovery Software for Mac Users: (We have uncovered on this page)
- 1). EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free
- 2). Disk Drill
- 3). PhotoRec
- 4). TestDisk
- 5). Exif Untrasher
4. How can I recover deleted files without software Mac free?
There are two ways for you to recover deleted files on Mac for free without using data recovery software.
- One way is to undelete files from your Mac Trash bin.
When you mistakenly deleted files on Mac computer to the trash, and you didn't empty the trash, you can undelete them from your Trash for free.
- The other way that you can try is to recover deleted files from your Mac Time Machine backup.
If you have the habit of backing up files on Mac computer using the Time Machine, congratulations. When you delete some of them, luckily, you can bring them back immediately from your Time Machine backup. You can follow to Recover Files from Time Machine Backup for a detailed guide.
Mac users aren’t unfamiliar with accidental data loss. From system crash to virus/malware attack and hardware malfunction, there could be a number of reasons behind data loss. If you are a Mac user and you are looking to restore/retrieve deleted files Mac, then you will be glad to know that there are a number of ways to rescue your lost data. You may think that a deleted file is lost forever, but this is not the case. With a reliable data recovery method, you can easily undelete files on Mac. Read on to learn about some of the most effective Mac undelete methods.
- Part 1. How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac Even Emptied Trash
How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac Even Emptied Trash
Using a data recovery tool is one of the best ways to recover deleted files on Mac. There are lots of reliable data recovery tools available on the market that can help you recover any kind of data. iMyFone AnyRecover is a recommended tool because of its several unique advantages. Not only is this tool compatible with all old and new macOS versions, but it is also suitable for both beginners and advanced users. Furthermore, you can even use this software to recover deleted files from emptied Trash on your Mac.
Features of AnyRecover:
- All-inclusive data recovery. AnyRecover is capable of recovering 1000+ file types.
- Recover lost/deleted data from anywhere. Supported storage mediums include internal and external hard drives, flash drives, memory cards, camcorders, digital cameras, and more.
- It allows you to preview your lost files before recovery.
- Highest successful data recovery rate in the market, find your lost files with lighting-fast speed.
- 100% safe data recovery. AnyRecover protects your current data as it recovers lost files without overwriting the existing ones.
Steps to Recover Deleted Files on Mac Via AnyRecover:
Step 1. Launch iMyFone AnyRecover on your Mac and use its interface to navigate to the location where your files were stored before deletion and then click on the Start button.
Step 2. AnyRecover will start the all-round scanning process to find all the deleted files on your selected location. Wait till the scan is completed.
Step 3. Once the scan is complete, you will see the list of recoverable files in the left pane. Simply choose the files that you want to recover and then click on the Recover button to start the data recovery process.
How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac Via Time Machine Backup
Time Machine is a very useful backup and recovery tool that comes pre-installed on Mac. When enabled, it backs up all your data on regular basis and allows you to restore it whenever you need it. Using it to restore your desired data on your Mac is pretty straightforward as all you need to do is connect your Mac to the Time Machine backup disk, navigate its timeline to the date before data deletion, and restore your selected data.
Follow these instructions to recover deleted files on Mac via Time Machine backup:
Step 1. Connect your Mac to Time Machine backup disk.
Step 2. Use the Finder to launch Time Machine.
Step 3. Once it is launched, scroll back through Time Machine until you find the files that you wish to restore.
Step 4. Preview and select those files and then click on the Restore button to recover it.
How to Retrieve Deleted Files on Mac Using Terminal
This is a more advanced method to retrieve deleted files on Mac but it is also one of the fastest ways to undelete files as compared to some other methods. However, keep in mind that this method will only work if you have not yet emptied the Trash. Using Terminal command is definitely worth a try, especially if you don’t want to use any third-party tool to recover your deleted files on Mac.
Follow these instructions to retrieve deleted files on Mac using Terminal:
- 1. On your Mac, navigate to Finder > Applications > Utilities and then find and launch the Terminal application.
- 2. In Terminal command interface, input and execute this command: “cd .Trash”.
- 3. Next, input the name of the deleted file that you wish to retrieve in this format: “mv filename ../” (“filename” here is the full name of your chosen file). Then press the Enter key.
- 4. If everything goes right, your specified file will be restored. You can then exit the Terminal and locate the restored file via Finder.
Undelete Files Mac Os
How to Restore Deleted Files on Mac with Undo Options
Mac’s “Undo” options are a simple but very useful way to quickly undelete or restore deleted files. However, keep in mind that in order to restore deleted files via this method, you will need to use the Undo option immediately after deletion. Also, you cannot use this method to restore deleted files if you have emptied the Trash.
Following are two ways to use the Undo option to restore deleted files on Mac:
- 1. After deleting the file, simply select the Undo Move option. It is located in the Edit menu.
- 2. To undo the delete operation, use ‘command + Z’. The file will be undeleted.
Bonus Tip: Keep Regular Backups to Avoid Data Loss on Mac
The best way to avoid data loss is to create regular backups of your valuable files. For this purpose, iCloud is a great option. You simply need to set up iCloud on all your Apple devices. Once you do that, your data will be automatically synced with iCloud and stored as a backup.
Before you can use iCloud Drive for storing backups, it is recommended that you perform these steps:
- 1. Update your Mac to the latest macOS.
- 2. Set up iCloud on your Mac as well as your other Apple devices.
- 3. Make sure to use the same Apple ID to sign into iCloud on all of your devices.
After performing the above steps, follow these instructions on your Mac:
- 1. Navigate to Apple menu > System Preferences and select Apple ID. On macOS Mojave or earlier versions, you don’t have to select Apple ID.
- 2. Next, click on iCloud and sign in using your Apple ID if prompted.
- 3. After that, select iCloud Drive.
- 4. Now use the interface to set your desired apps on your Mac to use iCloud.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deleted/Lost Files Recovery on Mac
Is it possible to recover deleted files on Mac?
Yes, and there are several ways to do it. Some of the most common methods include:
Force Delete File Mac
- 1. Recovering deleted files from Trash.
- 2. Restoring deleted data via Time Machine backup.
- 3. Using a data recovery tool to find and recover the deleted files.
How to recover permanently deleted files from my Mac?
Generally, you can restore deleted files from Trash. However, if you have emptied the Trash and the files are permanently deleted, then you can either use Time Machine backup to restore the files or use a third-party data recovery tool, e.g. iMyFone AnyRecover, to get your data back.
How to undelete files on Mac without software?
Using a data recovery software is one of the best ways to undelete files on Mac. However, if you don’t want to use a software to recover your files, then there are four primary ways to do it:
- 1. Using Trash to restore your deleted files (only works if Trash is not empty and still contains the deleted files).
- 2. Undeleting files via Mac Terminal.
- 3. Using the Undo option (only works if you perform the action immediately after deleting a file).
- 4. Using a Time Machine backup to restore your deleted files (only works if you have backup of your data before the files got deleted).
How do I recover deleted files on my Mac for free?
You can use the trial version of iMyFone AnyRecover to preview deleted files on your Mac for free. However, keep in mind that trial version has limited features and you may need to purchase the full version in order to recover all your deleted data.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many reliable ways to recover deleted files on Mac. Two of the most efficient solutions include using Time Machine backup and using a third-party data recovery tool. Which method you use depends on your personal preferences. If you don’t want to use any third-party tool to recover your data, then you should use Time Machine to restore your data. On the other hand, if you don’t mind installing a third-party data recovery tool, then it is recommended that you give iMyFone AnyRecover a try. This tool can help you recover all kinds of data on your Mac quickly and efficiently.