{"id":45912,"date":"2022-12-19T16:09:10","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T16:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/?p=45912"},"modified":"2022-12-19T16:09:10","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T16:09:10","slug":"recover-deleted-folders-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/recover-deleted-folder-mac.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Recover Deleted Folders on a Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finder on Mac offers us powerful features when it comes to organization and the ability to search for our files. We accumulate a ton of files on our Mac over time, and using folders is a great way to keep things organized and tame the chaos.<\/p>\r\n

\"finder<\/p>\r\n

Keeping your Mac organized means getting rid of stuff when you don\u2019t need it and making sure that everything is neatly in its place.<\/p>\r\n

In this article, we’re going to talk about how to recover deleted folders on Mac in case you’ve deleted some when you wish that you would have saved them.<\/p>\r\n

<\/span>Is It Possible to Recover Deleted Folders on Mac?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

Yes, there are multiple ways to recover deleted folders on Mac. Some of the methods we can use are macOS built-in features while others require us to download and use third-party data recovery software.<\/p>\r\n

<\/span>How to Recover Deleted Folders on Mac<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

We will go over some of the best and most proven ways to recover deleted folders on our Mac below. I recommend that you follow them in order. If you\u2019ve already attempted a method, simply skip to the next one.<\/p>\r\n

First, let’s look at how we can recover deleted folders by using the Trash.<\/p>\r\n

<\/span>Method 1:<\/span> Recover Deleted Folders Using the Trash<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

The Trash<\/a> is where everything that is deleted on our Mac goes and is saved until we either manually empty it or it\u2019s set to automatically empty itself.<\/p>\r\n

I love this feature as sometimes we delete something and then wish that we had kept it. The Trash will allow us to recover it and put the folder back onto our Mac.<\/p>\r\n

You don\u2019t need to download anything to use the Trash and this feature is free.<\/p>\r\n

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  1. Click on the Trash icon to open the Trash. It\u2019s the one that looks like a Trash can.\"launching<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Look for the folder that you want to recover.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Right-click on the folder and then choose Put Back. This will recover the deleted folder and put it back where you had it before. You can also click and drag the folder to where you want it restored on your Mac.\"recovering<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    If you\u2019re not seeing your folder in the Trash, then it\u2019s possible that you\u2019ve already emptied the Trash, or your Trash is set to automatically empty on its own.<\/p>\r\n

    Let\u2019s move on to what we can do if your Trash has already been emptied.<\/p>\r\n

    If you think that your Trash empties itself on its own, we go over how to change that setting later in the article in the section \u201cHow to Protect Folders on Your Mac\u201d.<\/p>\r\n

    <\/span>Method 2:<\/span> Recover From a Time Machine Backup<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

    Time Machine<\/a> is a free built-in macOS backup tool that will automatically back up your folders, personal data, apps, photos, documents, music, and everything else that you have on your Mac.<\/p>\r\n

    If you\u2019ve been backing up with Time Machine, we can go into our backup and recover the folders that have been deleted even if our Trash has been emptied.<\/p>\r\n

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    1. Plug in your Time Machine backup.<\/li>\r\n\t
    2. Enter Time Machine. By pressing the keys COMMAND + SPACE we can launch Spotlight search which then allows us to search for an app on our Mac. Type in Time Machine and then on your keyboard click on return.\"time<\/li>\r\n\t
    3. Find the folder that you want to recover. You can go through different backup dates by using the date slider on the right-hand side.\"time<\/li>\r\n\t
    4. Click on Restore.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      Later in the article, we will discuss how to set up a Time Machine backup under the section \u201cHow to Protect Your Folders on Mac\u201d.<\/p>\r\n

      <\/span>Method 3:<\/span> Recover Deleted Folders Using Disk Drill<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

      Disk Drill<\/a> allows us to scan our Mac for deleted folders and any other type of data that you\u2019ve lost. You can download and scan your Mac for your deleted folders all for free.<\/p>\r\n

      There is a large selection of data recovery software on the market these days, and I want to point out why I like using Disk Drill the most out of all the other options.<\/p>\r\n