1. Best Data Recovery Software Mac Apple Preview Features

Jul 13, 2017  Question: Q: best data recovery software for Mac Os X 10.10 More Less. Apple Footer. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not.

There are so many things that everyone needs to worry about in life, but we believe that data loss shouldn't be one of them. Still, the novel sitting on your Mac or the family photos that weren't downloaded from a digital camera and printed as part of a photo book all require a storage medium to keep onto them until they finally materialize as a printed book or framed picture. As such, storage mediums have become an integral part of our digital lives, whether our files are stored on internal or external hard or solid-state drives, or in SD cards and flash drives. There is an aching point, though. Just as a document is lost in the physical world, digital files can disappear from storage mediums, too, thanks accidental deletion, drive formatting, a disk’s failure, and more. It’s at these points that data recovery software can help.

• Jun 10, 2019  It is also one of the powerful data recovery software for Mac, which is highly used to restore different types of files and data from hard drive, memory cards, external hard drives, and USB drives. The things that make it one of the best software in the list are its user-friendly interface, powerful features, and overall effectiveness.
• Jan 26, 2020  There are many free data recovery software tools for Mac available in 2020 that you can download right now and use. In this article, we compare the top 5 best free data recovery software for Mac and highlight the pros and cons of each tool mentioned.

Top Data Recovery Software for Mac

Disk Drill

When emergency situations with file disappearance kicks in, users need powerful utilities to bring back the lost data. CleverFiles' Disk Drill is one of these tools designed for macOS. The software will scour the whole drive for any traces of data and present a list of recoverable files. Its success depends on the scan method chosen by the user but in most cases it will be able to identify, preview, and recover the data that the user thought to be lost forever.

A lifetime Disk Drill license costs $89 and users can install it on three Macs, but before paying it is also possible to test the software's capabilities by using the free version. This will give the user an idea of which files are recoverable and which aren't and know if it’s worth buying.

Stellar Mac Data Recovery

The data recovery part of Stellar's software palette, Stellar Mac Data Recovery is a powerful do-it-yourself utility to get data back from any Mac computer. On launch, users can personalize the software's search by applying filters and instructing the software to ignore all other document types. This a handy way to get targeted results right from the start.

As with most data recovery software, Stellar scours through the hard drive and looks for traces of code to identify accidentally removed data. The abilities of all data recovery software is limited by the number of file types its developers have taught it to recognize, but Stellar can do much more than just that: if the user knows what code to look for, they are able to teach the app to look for specific file types not included in its database. This extends the app's reach far beyond the base of the developers. The tool costs $79.99 per year or $99 for a lifetime license, however, users can test the app's capabilities by using the free version.

Mac Data Recovery Software Comparison

The success of a data recovery scenario depends on multiple factors and in fact the operating system in use is one of them. Each OS uses a proprietary file system that maps the physical drive and creates a logical drive – in other words a digital abstraction of the physical hardware – that the desktop OS is capable of reading.

While the algorithm used by data recovery software doesn't differ much between Windows and a macOS, there are tiny things that make a difference such as support of code, which here means file types that the software is able to recognize and reconstruct based on the code it finds on the hard drive. When comparing solutions for the same OS, users would be smart to first check the number of supported file types, its advanced filtering options, and preview functionality, features that are lifesavers when it comes to data recovery.

Mac Data Recovery 101

Macs run on an Apple-developed operating system, macOS (formerly OS X), which uses one of two proprietary file systems: either HFS/HFS+ for older systems or APFS on modern Macs running High Sierra or later. Windows systems cannot read or write to these file systems, though Macs are able to do so on drives using Microsoft's proprietary file systems (such as FAT, exFAT, and so on).

When users install an operating system onto a computer or an external hard drive, the OS first needs to format that drive meaning that it has to map and create a logical disk of a file system that it is able to read and write to. This is an automated process and users won't have to deal with it unless they are formatting an external drive to make it macOS compatible.

Every file a user saves on the storage medium is actually a string of binary data that is given a logical address, which is stored in a reference table that the operating system reads each time a user wants to access a file. With HFS+ this special table is the catalog file and it details the folder and file hierarchy of the volume, containing data about each file and its location on the logical disk, among lots of other important information that the file system needs.

What Happens When a User Deletes Data From a Storage Device?

When it comes to file removal there is a major difference between solid-state drives and hard drives. Unfortunately, data recovery via software is currently limited to only hard drives, so we will focus on these storage mediums.

Upon deleting a file, the operating system doesn't actually remove the file from the drive but instead it hides it from the user and removes any traces of its logical addresses stored in the catalog file, which direct the file system to the erased document. Since the content is left intact and the space it occupies is marked as available to use, data recovery becomes possible on an HDD provided the file wasn't overwritten by the operating system.

How Mac Data Recovery Software Works

DIY data recovery apps use powerful algorithms combined with a database of file signatures, which gives the software the knowledge of what to search for. For example, if the software doesn't know what a text document or email “look” like, then it won't be able to identify it in the sequence of binary data that it will read through when analyzing a hard drive. For that reason, data recovery apps know to search for specific information such as the header of a file or metadata used by a computer program so that can deliver results.

How Deleted Files Are Recovered on macOS

Data recovery apps are built on the open secret that the data is still on the hard drive even after the user has deleted it. By using powerful algorithms, the apps will first check the catalog file about the overall structure of the logical drive and then start looking for older copies of the catalog file that contain important data such as the logical address of the file that was initially ‘erased’ by the user. If you are looking to recover the data of a lifetime – for example, due to a wrong click on a prompt while installing Boot Camp that caused the loss of a partition – then there is good news: the HFS+ file system usually keeps a secondary copy of the catalog file, so a deep scan can produce results so long as the data wasn't overwritten.

Things work a bit differently on APFS because Apple doesn't use any of the key files (such as a catalog file) that are available in HFS+ but instead a technique called copy-on-write, which is still valuable from a data recovery perspective. In other words, don't panic! It is still possible to recover your data if you are running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later with data recovery software that supports APFS.

Summary

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.

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.

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:

Best Data Recovery Software Mac Apple Preview 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.

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 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.

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)

As AntonTheGreat mentions in a reply on this page, if it's a launchpad icon, open launchpad and click and hold an icon as if you are going to move it. That fixes the issue. – Dan Brady May 3 '17 at 8:12. Mar 09, 2018  To remove an app from your Dock, you can click, hold, and drag its icon up off the Dock and then let go, which will result in it disappearing in a nice little “poof” animation. Alternatively, you can right-click (or Control-click) on the app’s icon and select Options Remove from Dock in the menu. Jul 28, 2015  Executing this command will rebuild the system's icon association database, and will restore order in OS X with regards to how apps' icons appear in the Finder. If you are on OS. Aug 28, 2017  My iMac is too heavy to lug to my neighborhood Apple Store. Perhaps someone can tell me how to fix this. Any folder, photo, document I place on my desktop can't be moved around. Instead when I try to move it, it bounces back into place. I can guide into the trash if I click and drag it, but otherwise, all icons bounce back into place. Nov 30, 2019  Quit the application, if it's currently open. If you’re removing a document, you don’t need to close the document first, but it's probably a good idea to do so. Click and drag the item's icon off the Dock towards the Desktop. As soon as the icon is completely outside of the Dock, you will see a Remove menu pop.

• 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.