{"id":49,"date":"2021-06-20T16:05:39","date_gmt":"2021-06-20T16:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/help.cleverfiles.com\/?p=49"},"modified":"2025-10-28T23:03:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T23:03:30","slug":"recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill Basic on Mac or PC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/recover-lost-files-disk-drill-mac.jpg\" alt=\"Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill Basic on Mac\" width=\"1560\" height=\"522\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16973 colorbox-49\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/recover-lost-files-disk-drill-mac.jpg 1560w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/recover-lost-files-disk-drill-mac-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/recover-lost-files-disk-drill-mac-500x167.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/recover-lost-files-disk-drill-mac-768x257.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/recover-lost-files-disk-drill-mac-1536x514.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1560px) 100vw, 1560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve lost a file, time is of the essence. As new information is saved to a hard drive, flash drive or memory card, old information gets overwritten. So <b>do not use the drive or disk that has the lost file<\/b> on it at all, until you have completed the Disk Drill scanning and recovery process.<\/p>\n<p>If you didn\u2019t realize that your file was lost right away, don\u2019t panic &#8212; there is still a chance your file can be recovered (you can learn more about the <a title=\"Variables That Impact File Recovery Chances\" href=\"\/help\/variables-that-impact-file-recovery-chances\/\">variables that impact file recovery here<\/a>). The scanning features of Disk Drill Basic are free, so it\u2019s always worth checking to see if it is still there.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N4NoX8mcWCQ?si=ha0P41gpvoBJldHK\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"before_you_start_essential_data_recovery_tips\"><\/span><b>Before You Start: Essential Data Recovery Tips<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>Install Disk Drill:<\/b> If you haven\u2019t installed Disk Drill yet, refer to our <a title=\"How to Install Disk Drill\" href=\"\/help\/how-to-install-disk-drill\/\">How to Install Disk Drill<\/a>\u00a0tutorial. <div class=\"post-relative post-download\">\r\n<i class=\"box-60x36 icons icon-winmac-xs  \"><\/i>\r\nDownload Disk Drill data recovery app\r\n<a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-xs-block pull-right\" href=\"\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/dl.html\">Download now<\/a>\r\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div><p><\/li>\n<li><b>Connect Your Device:<\/b> If the deleted files you wish to recover are on an external device, such as a flash drive or camera, connect it to your Mac or PC now.<\/li>\n<li><b>Quit Applications:<\/b>\u00a0Quit all applications that you currently have running on your computer, especially ones that may be trying to access the disk you are trying to recover from (i.e. Time Machine, File History, iCloud, OneDrive etc.).<\/li>\n<li><b>For Mac Internal Hard Drives:<\/b> If you need to recover files from your Mac\u2019s internal hard drive, proceed to <a title=\"How to Recover Lost Files from Your Mac Internal Hard Drive\" href=\"\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-from-your-mac-internal-hard-drive\/\">How to Recover Files From Your Mac Internal Hard Drive<\/a>.\n<div class=\"alert alert-warning\" role=\"alert\">&#x270b; We strongly suggest you <b>shut down the Mac<\/b> you need to recover files from and perform recovery from another Mac if possible.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Check for Data Protection:<\/b> If you have Recovery Vault and\/or Guaranteed Recovery enabled on the volume you need to recover files from, proceed to <a title=\"How to Use Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery\" href=\"\/help\/how-to-use-recovery-vault-and-guaranteed-recovery\/\">How to Use Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Review FAQs:<\/b> Review our <a title=\"Scanning FAQs\" href=\"\/help\/tutorials\/\">Scanning FAQs<\/a>\u00a0document for frequently asked questions about scanning and recovery.<\/li>\n<li><b>Check File Type:<\/b>\u00a0If you have a specific file type that you need recovered, check <a title=\"What file types can Disk Drill recover?\" href=\"\/help\/file-types\/\">What File Types Can Disk Drill Recover?<\/a>\u00a0to see if your file type is supported.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"launch_disk_drill_for_macos_or_windows\"><\/span><b>Launch Disk Drill for macOS or Windows<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>Open Disk Drill (Mac &#038; Windows)<\/b>:\n<ul style=\"list-style-type:disc\">\n<li><b>macOS<\/b>: Open Finder \u2192 Applications, then double-click Disk Drill. You can also press Command-Space, type &#8220;Disk Drill&#8221;, and press Return.<\/li>\n<li><b>Windows<\/b>: Click Start, type Disk Drill, and select the app. You can also find it under All apps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div class=\"alert alert-info\" role=\"alert\">\n \t&#x1f4a1; <b>Tip<\/b>: Pin Disk Drill for quick access:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type:disc\">\n<li><b>macOS<\/b>: Drag Disk Drill from the Applications folder to the Dock, or right-click the icon in the Dock while the app is open and choose Options \u2192 Keep in Dock.<\/li>\n<li><b>Windows<\/b>: Right-click Disk Drill in the Start menu and select Pin to taskbar (or Pin to Start).<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>If this is your first time launching Disk Drill, the setup steps differ by platform:\n<ul style=\"list-style-type:disc\">\n<li><b>macOS<\/b>: See the <a href=\"\/help\/how-to-install-disk-drill\/#launching_disk_drill_for_macos_for_the_first_time_and_enabling_additional_useful_options\">Disk Drill for Mac installation guide<\/a> to get the app installed and ready to scan.<\/li>\n<li><b>Windows<\/b>: See the <a href=\"\/help\/how-to-install-disk-drill\/#installing_disk_drill_for_windows\">Disk Drill for Windows setup guide<\/a> for download and installation instructions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"alert alert-info\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f4a1; <b>Portable Mode (macOS)<\/b>: Disk Drill for macOS can also run in <a href=\"\/help\/disk-drill-portable\/\">Portable Mode<\/a> &#8211; no installation required. This is useful when you want to avoid writing new data to the same drive you\u2019re trying to recover files from.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Want more technical details?<\/b> If you\u2019d like a deeper dive, our Knowledge Base has step\u2011by\u2011step guides and advanced tips. Start here:\n<ul style=\"list-style-type:disc\">\n<li><b><a href=\"\/help\/scanning-faqs\/\">Scanning FAQs<\/a><\/b> \u2014 learn how scan types work, what to expect, and best practices for data recovery.<\/li>\n<li><b><a href=\"\/help\/can-i-recover-a-specific-file-with-disk-drill\/\">Can I recover a specific file with Disk Drill?<\/a><\/b> \u2014 techniques to target an exact file name, type, or location.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ENI2RUpbgLc?si=kEZ8kEPS_fBS0VGJ\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"scan_your_drive_for_lost_or_deleted_files\"><\/span><b>Scan Your Drive for Lost or Deleted Files<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>In the main Disk Drill window you will see a list of drives and devices that can be scanned.<\/li>\n<li>Can\u2019t find your device? If the drive or device you want to scan isn\u2019t showing up in Disk Drill, enable <b>Show hidden items<\/b> (bottom\u2011right corner of the app window) to reveal hidden devices.<\/li>\n<li>Click on the name of the drive that you wish to recover your deleted files from. If your drive has partitions, clicking on the drive name will reveal each of its separate partitions.\n<div class=\"alert alert-info\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f4a1; <b>Tip<\/b>: We recommend scanning the whole drive for the best results.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>Before Disk Drill commences a scan, it will check whether it is possible to <a href=\"\/help\/remount-disks-partitions-in-read-only-mode\/\">put the scanned partition in read-only mode<\/a>. If it is possible, you will see a padlock icon next to the name of this partition. This ensures no other apps can access the disk during the scan and recovery process, and subsequently overwrite any potentially recoverable data.<\/li>\n<li>Click <b>Search for lost data<\/b> in the right panel. When the dialog opens, pick one of the following:\n<ul style=\"list-style-type:disc\">\n<li><b>Universal Scan<\/b> \u2014 Recommended for most drives. Runs Disk Drill\u2019s full set of recovery methods in one pass to find recently deleted files, lost partitions, and files recoverable by signature.<\/li>\n<li><b>Advanced Camera Scan<\/b> \u2014 Optimized for cameras and SD\/microSD cards. Targets RAW photo and video formats for a faster, <a href=\"\/help\/advanced-camera-recovery-in-disk-drill.html\">media\u2011focused recovery<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> \t\n \t<\/li>\n<li>Wait for Disk Drill to finish scanning. If you have a large hard drive or disk, this can take hours (or even days). Starting with Disk Drill 4 there is no need to wait till the scan is over to preview or restore the recoverable files. If no files are found, refer to <a title=\"Troubleshooting Scan Results\" href=\"\/help\/troubleshooting-scan-results\/\">Troubleshooting Scan Results<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Filter the results as needed by keyword, file type, file size and date. Go to <a title=\"Scanning FAQs\" href=\"\/help\/scanning-faqs\/\">Scanning FAQs<\/a> for more information on filtering.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"preview_and_verify_recoverable_files\"><\/span><b>Preview and Verify Recoverable Files<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You will want to preview the files in Disk Drill before deciding to upgrade to Disk Drill PRO. Previewing is the only way to make sure the file is actually recoverable.<\/p>\n<div class=\"alert alert-warning\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f4a1; We can\u2019t say this strongly enough: <b>you MUST PREVIEW the file to be sure<\/b> &#8212; just seeing the filename does not guarantee that it is recoverable.<\/div>\n<p>Disk Drill has three preview options, you can use either of them as you find it convenient:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Whenever you hover the mouse cursor over a file name in the list of file results the &#8220;<b>eye<\/b>&#8221; icon appears to the right of the name of the file. Click it to see an enlarged preview.<\/li>\n<li>When you click a file in the list of recoverable results, you can see its preview in a designated panel in the right section of the Disk Drill window along with some additional info.<\/li>\n<li>Another preview option is Hex view, which will allow you to view the underlying binary code of any file. Click the <b>Hex button<\/b> (hash tag # icon) to the right of the file name to view.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>After a brief pause, a view of the file in question should appear. There are three possibilities for the preview:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jumbotron jumbotron-fluid\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"display-4\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_preview_looks_good\"><\/span><b>#1 Preview Looks good<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If the file looks as you expect it to, this is good news! The file should be recoverable.<\/p>\n<p>&#x26a0;&#xfe0f; <b>Important! Be sure to preview the entire file<\/b> &#8212; view all the pages of a document, listen to the whole audio file, or watch the entire video file. Sometimes the beginning looks good, but other parts are lost or corrupted.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-good-restored-file-with-disk-drill.jpg\" style=\"border-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid gray;\" alt=\"restored file looks good in disk drill preview\" width=\"1080\" height=\"612\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16252 colorbox-49\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-good-restored-file-with-disk-drill.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-good-restored-file-with-disk-drill-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-good-restored-file-with-disk-drill-500x283.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-good-restored-file-with-disk-drill-768x435.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jumbotron jumbotron-fluid\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"display-4\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_file_preview_is_corrupted_or_incomplete\"><\/span><b>#2 File Preview Is Corrupted or Incomplete<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If the preview is black or appears garbled (with strange characters or symbols) or the audio\/video is scratchy or only part of it plays, then it probably isn\u2019t recoverable. You might be able to get some bits and pieces of it, but it won\u2019t be perfect. If you recover it, you may not be able to open it at all.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-partially-restored-file-with-disk-drill.jpg\" style=\"border-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid gray;\" alt=\"restored file partially corrupted in disk drill preview\" width=\"1080\" height=\"612\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16253 colorbox-49\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-partially-restored-file-with-disk-drill.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-partially-restored-file-with-disk-drill-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-partially-restored-file-with-disk-drill-500x283.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/preview-partially-restored-file-with-disk-drill-768x435.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jumbotron jumbotron-fluid\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"display-4\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_no_preview_appears\"><\/span><b>#3 No Preview Appears<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Disk Drill uses your operating system\u2019s built-in preview engine-Quick Look on macOS and Preview Handlers on Windows. If you only see basic info (file name, date, size) instead of a real preview, your OS may be missing the right plugin\/codec.<br \/>\n<b>#3.1 Quick test<\/b>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>macOS<\/b>: Select a healthy (non-lost) file of the same type in Finder and press Space to open Quick Look.<\/li>\n<li><b>Windows<\/b>: In File Explorer, turn on View \u2192 Show \u2192 Preview pane, then select a healthy file of the same type.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>#3.2 Compare the results<\/b>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Looks the same as in Disk Drill (no real preview)<\/b>: Your system likely needs a plugin\/codec for that file type.<\/li>\n<li><b>Healthy file previews fine, but the recovered file doesn\u2019t<\/b>: The recovered file is likely corrupted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>#3.3 How to add preview support<\/b>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>macOS<\/b>: Install a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.makeuseof.com\/tag\/quick-look-tips-mac\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" class=\"external\">Quick Look plugin<\/a> for the file type (see <a href=\"https:\/\/quicklookplugins.com\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external\">QuickLookPlugins.com<\/a>).<\/li>\n<li><b>Windows<\/b>: Install a codec\/handler such as <a href=\"https:\/\/codecguide.com\/download_kl.htm\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external\">K-Lite Codec Pack<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.microsoft.com\/detail\/9nctdw2w1bh8?hl=en-US\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external\">Microsoft\u2019s Raw Image Extension<\/a> for camera RAW formats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After installing, restart Disk Drill (and, if needed, your computer) and try previewing again.<\/p>\n<p>There are a few file types that do not have plugins. If you cannot find a plugin, then you will have to decide if you want to gamble and upgrade to Disk Drill PRO to find out if it\u2019s recoverable.<\/p>\n<p>&#x1f4a1; <b>Note<\/b>: Disk Drill PRO does not require you to use Quick Look. Once you <a title=\"How to Upgrade from Disk Drill Basic to PRO\" href=\"\/help\/how-to-upgrade-from-disk-drill-basic-to-pro\/\">upgrade<\/a> you can preview files with their native applications.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/no-file-preview-in-disk-drill.jpg\" style=\"border-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid gray;\" alt=\"no file preview in disk drill\" width=\"1080\" height=\"612\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16254 colorbox-49\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/no-file-preview-in-disk-drill.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/no-file-preview-in-disk-drill-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/no-file-preview-in-disk-drill-500x283.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/no-file-preview-in-disk-drill-768x435.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"note-question-content-types\">\n<h2 class=\"note-question__title title-content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"when_its_time_to_upgrade_to_disk_drill_pro\"><\/span>When It`s Time to Upgrade to Disk Drill PRO?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"note-question__text text-content\">If you have identified files that you wish to recover, it\u2019s time to upgrade to Disk Drill PRO. Follow our <a title=\"How to Upgrade from Disk Drill Basic to PRO\" href=\"\/help\/how-to-upgrade-from-disk-drill-basic-to-pro\/\">Upgrade Tutorial<\/a> and then move on to <a title=\"How to Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill PRO\" href=\"\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-pro\/\">How to Recover Files with Disk\u00a0Drill\u00a0PRO<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-relative post-download\">\r\n<i class=\"box-60x36 icons icon-winmac-xs  \"><\/i>\r\nDownload Disk Drill data recovery app\r\n<a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-xs-block pull-right\" href=\"\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/dl.html\">Download now<\/a>\r\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div><p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve lost a file, time is of the essence. As new information is saved to a hard drive, flash drive or memory card, old information gets overwritten. So do not use the drive or disk that has the lost [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-49","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-tutorials"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill Basic on Mac or PC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Recover lost files on Mac or Windows PC with Disk Drill Basic. This step-by-step guide explains scan modes, previews, and best practices for safe data recovery.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill Basic on Mac or PC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Recover lost files on Mac or Windows PC with Disk Drill Basic. This step-by-step guide explains scan modes, previews, and best practices for safe data recovery.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mac Data Recovery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-20T16:05:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-28T23:03:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CleverFiles Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Cleverfiles\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Cleverfiles\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CleverFiles Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/\",\"name\":\"How to Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill Basic on Mac or PC\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-20T16:05:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-28T23:03:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#\/schema\/person\/3a87553dc95c810c60a9592a062d4c40\"},\"description\":\"Recover lost files on Mac or Windows PC with Disk Drill Basic. This step-by-step guide explains scan modes, previews, and best practices for safe data recovery.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/\",\"name\":\"Mac Data Recovery\",\"description\":\"Disk Drill, advanced data recovery app for macOS and Windows\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#\/schema\/person\/3a87553dc95c810c60a9592a062d4c40\",\"name\":\"CleverFiles Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e7ffe17fc516de4f17d555861c5abc9d6c4bb9491c6672e08b1dbca4c63b878?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e7ffe17fc516de4f17d555861c5abc9d6c4bb9491c6672e08b1dbca4c63b878?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"CleverFiles Team\"},\"url\":\"\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill Basic on Mac or PC","description":"Recover lost files on Mac or Windows PC with Disk Drill Basic. This step-by-step guide explains scan modes, previews, and best practices for safe data recovery.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill Basic on Mac or PC","og_description":"Recover lost files on Mac or Windows PC with Disk Drill Basic. This step-by-step guide explains scan modes, previews, and best practices for safe data recovery.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/","og_site_name":"Mac Data Recovery","article_published_time":"2021-06-20T16:05:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-28T23:03:30+00:00","author":"CleverFiles Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Cleverfiles","twitter_site":"@Cleverfiles","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CleverFiles Team","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/","url":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/","name":"How to Recover Lost Files with Disk Drill Basic on Mac or PC","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-06-20T16:05:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-28T23:03:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#\/schema\/person\/3a87553dc95c810c60a9592a062d4c40"},"description":"Recover lost files on Mac or Windows PC with Disk Drill Basic. This step-by-step guide explains scan modes, previews, and best practices for safe data recovery.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/how-to-recover-lost-files-with-disk-drill-basic\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/","name":"Mac Data Recovery","description":"Disk Drill, advanced data recovery app for macOS and Windows","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#\/schema\/person\/3a87553dc95c810c60a9592a062d4c40","name":"CleverFiles Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e7ffe17fc516de4f17d555861c5abc9d6c4bb9491c6672e08b1dbca4c63b878?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e7ffe17fc516de4f17d555861c5abc9d6c4bb9491c6672e08b1dbca4c63b878?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CleverFiles Team"},"url":""}]}},"modified_by":"Jeff Cochin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19371,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions\/19371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}