Recover Data From External Hard Drive on Mac

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Recover Data From External Hard Drive on Mac

External hard drives are a popular way to expand the storage of a Mac or MacBook. They’re essential for local backups using tools like Time Machine, for sharing data between users, or transferring files between machines.

In this article, we’ll cover how to recover data from external hard drives, focusing on DIY software solutions while also touching on other recovery methods.

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Why Would I Need to Perform External Hard Drive Recovery?

Data loss can happen to any digital storage device, including external drives. Causes range from human error to hardware failure, and your recovery approach depends on the type of data loss. Common scenarios include:

• Accidental Deletion:
  Files or directories are removed unintentionally. While modern operating systems may temporarily store deleted items in Trash/Recycle Bin, permanent deletion removes them from the file system. If the drive hasn’t been heavily used since deletion, recovery software can often restore files with high success.
• Formatting an External Drive:
  Formatting erases the file system and existing data. Quick formats are generally easier to recover from than full formats, and no new data should be written to the drive for better success.
• File System Corruption:
  Corruption can occur from software errors, system crashes, or improper shutdowns, making files inaccessible. Some OS tools can repair minor errors, but severe corruption may require specialized software.
• Incompatible File System:
  If the drive’s file system isn’t supported by your Mac, the device may appear inaccessible. Using a compatible device or software can resolve this without actual data loss.
• Bad Sectors:
  Physical damage (hard bad sectors) or logical errors (soft bad sectors) can make data unreadable. Software can sometimes bypass or repair logical bad sectors, but physical damage reduces recovery chances.
• Improper Ejection:
  Removing a drive while in use can corrupt files or file tables. Recovery software can sometimes restore these files if the damage is limited.
• File Transfer Errors:
  Interruptions during transfers, like power outages or crashes, may corrupt files or file system structures. Recovery success depends on the extent of corruption.

Other factors affecting recovery include:

• Malware or virus infection: Recovery success varies; ransomware or severe malware often requires professional help.

• System crashes: May corrupt files on the drive; some recovery is possible.

• Physical damage: Dropping a drive or exposure to heat/moisture can permanently damage data. Professional recovery may help, but results vary.

• Theft: Stolen drives usually mean permanent loss of data.

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Mac External Hard Drive Recovery Dos and Don’ts

Do:

• Stop using the drive immediately to prevent overwriting data.

• Choose reputable recovery software compatible with macOS and your drive’s file system.

• Consider creating a disk backup/image before scanning, which reduces stress on the drive.

Don’t:

• Format the drive unless necessary.

• Attempt DIY repairs on physically damaged drives.

Following these rules significantly increases your chances of successful data recovery.

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How to Recover Data from an External Hard Drive on Mac Using DIY Software

When files are deleted, formatted, or corrupted, reliable software is key. Look for:

• macOS Compatibility: Must work with your current macOS version.

• File System Support: Should support HFS+, APFS, exFAT, NTFS, etc.

• Ability to Scan Corrupted Drives: Needs to handle RAW or damaged drives.

• File Signature Recognition: Can recover files even when the file system is heavily damaged.

• Optional – Disk Backup: Creating a byte-to-byte disk image before scanning is safer than scanning directly.

Example Software: Disk Drill is a strong option that meets these requirements.

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Step-by-Step Guide Using Disk Drill

1. Download and Install Disk Drill on your Mac.

2. Connect the External Drive to your Mac.

3. Launch Disk Drill and select the connected drive from the list of available devices.

4. Choose the Recovery Method – “Quick Scan” for recently deleted files, or “Deep Scan” for formatted or corrupted drives.

5. Scan the Drive – Disk Drill will search for recoverable files and display them.

6. Preview and Select Files – Check the files you want to recover to ensure they’re intact.

7. Recover Files – Choose a safe destination (not on the same drive) to restore your data.

8. Verify Recovered Data – Open some files to confirm the recovery was successful.

This process maximizes your chances of recovering data safely without further risking the drive’s contents.

1. Download and install the recovery software on your Mac.

   

2. Connect the external hard drive that experienced data loss to your computer.

3. Launch the program and choose the external drive from the list of available disks. Then click on Search for lost data.
   

   

4. Wait for the scan to finish, then click on Review found items, or if you have a certain file type in mind you can choose it by clicking on thematic tile

5. Preview the found files and select the ones you want to recover.

   

6. Select a safe location in which to store the recovered data. Don’t save it to the external disk to avoid overwriting or corrupting files during the recovery.

   

7. Complete the recovery process using the tool’s interface.

   

Following these steps carefully gives you the best chance of recovering your data. Acting quickly and avoiding further use of the affected drive are crucial for maximizing recovery success.

Alternative Methods to Recover External Hard Drive Data on a Mac

There are several techniques for recovering files from external drives. Here, we’ll explore options that may work depending on your situation.

Method 1: Recover Files from the External Drive Trash

macOS temporarily stores deleted files and folders in the Trash. If you delete an item from a connected external drive, it remains visible in the Trash until it’s manually emptied or automatically removed according to your Trash settings.

• Your Mac’s main Trash folder shows the contents of the hidden Trash folder on the external drive while it’s connected.

• Once the drive is ejected, the files are no longer visible in the Trash.

• Reconnecting the drive will make these deleted files accessible again.

Steps to Recover from Trash:

1. Connect the external drive to your Mac.

2. Open the Trash from the Dock.

3. Look for the deleted files originating from the external drive.

4. Right-click on the files and select Put Back or drag them to a safe location on your Mac.

This method is simple and works well for recently deleted files that haven’t been permanently erased.

1. Connect the external hard drive to your Mac.

2. Open the Trash by clicking on its icon.

   

3. Locate the item you want to recover.

4. Right-click on the item and select Put Back.

   

5. The file will be recovered to the external drive.

To locate the Trash folder on an external drive on a Mac:

1. Connect the external drive to your Mac.

2. Open Finder from the Dock or Applications folder.

3. Click File in the menu bar and select New Finder Window.

4. In the new Finder window, click Go in the menu bar and choose Go to Folder.

5. In the dialog box, type /Volumes and click Go.

6. Locate and double-click your external drive in the Volumes folder.

7. Look for a folder named .Trashes in the root directory. This folder stores deleted files from the external drive.

8. Open .Trashes and find the folder with your user account name. Deleted files for that account will usually be there.

9. Drag the deleted files to another folder on the external drive or to your desktop to recover them.

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Method 2: Recover Data from an External Hard Drive Using Time Machine

If you regularly back up your external drive with Time Machine, you can restore lost files from a previous backup. This method only works if the files were backed up beforehand.

Steps to Recover via Time Machine:

1. Connect the storage device that contains your Time Machine backups to your Mac.

2. Connect the external hard drive that originally contained the files you want to recover.

3. Open a Finder window and navigate to the folder on the external drive where the lost files were stored.

4. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar to enter Time Machine.

   

5. Search through the available backed up files using the timeline and arrows to locate the items you want to restore.

6. Make your selections and click the Restore button to recover the items to their original location on the external drive.

   

Solution 3: Recover Files from an iCloud

If you have previously saved the deleted files to iCloud Drive, you can recover them from iCloud.

These are the steps to use when recovering data from cloud backup:

1. Connect the external drive to your Mac.

2. go to iCloud Drive - Apple iCloud

3. Find the files you want to recover.

   

4. Download them and transfer them to your external hard drive.

Solution 4: Fix External Hard Drive Issues with Disk Utility

Mac’s Disk Utility is a built-in tool that can help resolve some disk-related issues, potentially restoring access to your data. Here’s how to use it:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your Mac.

2. Open Disk Utility by going to Applications > Utilities or searching for it using Spotlight.

3. In Disk Utility, select your external hard drive from the sidebar.

   

4. Click on the First Aid button and then Run to start the repair process. Disk Utility will check the disk for errors and attempt to repair any it finds.

   

5. Once the process is complete, close Disk Utility and check if your data is accessible.

   

Note: If Disk Utility reports that the disk is about to fail, back up your data immediately and replace the drive.

Solution 5: Repair External Hard Drive Partitions Using TestDisk

TestDisk is a powerful, open-source data recovery software that can fix partition tables, recover deleted partitions, and more. Here’s a basic guide on how to use it:

1. Download TestDisk from its official website and install it on your Mac.

2. Connect your external hard drive to the Mac.

3. Open TestDisk by launching the terminal and entering sudo and then the path to the app.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new log file or append to an existing one.

   

5. Select your external hard drive from the list of drives and proceed with the analysis.

   

6. Choose the partition table type (TestDisk will try to detect it automatically). If unsure, select [Proceed] with the suggested type.

   

7. Select [Analyse] to search for lost partitions. Follow the on-screen prompts to check and repair the partition table.

   

8. After the analysis, follow the instructions to repair the partition table or recover deleted partitions.

9. Once completed, exit TestDisk and check if your data is accessible.

Note: TestDisk can be complex, so it’s recommended for more advanced users or those willing to carefully follow detailed instructions. Always back up your data before using such tools, if possible.

Solution 6: Contact a Data Recovery Service Center

In cases of physical damage to your external drive, a reliable data recovery service may be your only chance of getting your data back. Technicians at a recovery center have advanced software and hardware techniques available with which to attempt to save your data.

Here’s how to engage a data recovery service.

1. Contact the data recovery service to get an initial consultation and find out how to ship your device.

2. Ship the storage device to the recovery center. The technical team at the center can then evaluate the device and provide an estimate of the cost for its recovery.

3. Technicians will open the drive and try to recover its data.

4. The recovered data will be shipped to you on new media, and the original external drive will be destroyed.

More External Hard Drive Recovery Software for Mac Options

Following are seven software solutions that can be used to recover files from an external hard drive. We run you through their features and let you know how much they cost. Hopefully, you’ll find one that works for your data loss situation.

1. Disk Drill Hard Drive Recovery for Mac

Disk Drill is a comprehensive data recovery and protection tool that can handle a wide variety of data loss situations. It features a user-friendly interface that allows users of all levels of experience to easily recover their deleted data from an external hard drive with just a few clicks.

Disk Drill supports recovering image, video, document, audio, and archive files in over 400 formats. It allows users to recover data from any disk-based storage device such as external hard drives, SD cards, thumb drives, and internal hard drives.

Quick and deep scanning modes interrogate your hard drive on the sector level to identify and recover long-lost files. Free data protection tools are provided that enable users to create byte-level backups and configure one-click recovery for important files and folders.

Pros:

• Supports a wide variety of file formats
  and storage devices

• Reliable recovery results

• Scan results can be mounted as a volume

• Intuitive and user-friendly interface

• Includes free data protection tools

Cons:

• The free version only identifies recoverable files

• No phone support

Best for:

• General users looking for a versatile data recovery tool.

Pricing:

• Free trial to preview files

• Pro upgrade for $89

• Enterprise version $499

Free Download

2. TestDisk

TestDisk is a freeware solution that is designed primarily to recover deleted partitions and repair corrupted ones. Its features include the ability to fix partition tables, rebuild boot sectors, fix FAT tables, and recover a boot sector from its backup.

TestDisk runs under multiple operating systems including DOS, Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and FreeBSD. The tool supports all of the filesystems found on partitions running under these operating systems. This recovery solution is most suited to users with technical experience who are comfortable operating with a command-line interface.

Pros:

• Freeware

• Recovers lost and deleted partitions

• Extensive operating system and filesystem support

Cons:

• The latest update was in July 2019

• Cannot recover individual files

• Uses a command-line interface

Best for:

• Recovering complete partitions by experienced users.

Pricing:

• TestDisk is freeware with no cost to the user

Free Download

3. PhotoRec

PhotoRec is a freeware tool that is a companion product to TestDisk. It’s an HDD recovery tool designed to recover individual files rather than complete partitions. The tool supports all major operating systems, device types, and file formats.

The main drawback of this tool is its command-line interface which requires multiple commands to be executed when recovering files. A degree of knowledge about disk internals is necessary to run the tool successfully. Results are returned with generic filenames, making it difficult and time-consuming to find recovered data.

Pros:

• Freeware

• Recovers lost and deleted files

• Extensive operating system and file system support

Cons:

• Requires users to navigate a command-line interface

• Complicated recovery procedure not suitable for inexperienced users

• Latest update was July 2019

Best for:

• Experienced users who are looking for a free file recovery tool.

Pricing:

• PhotoRec is freeware with no cost to the user

Free Download

4. EaseUS Data Recovery for Mac

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a simple data recovery software tool that can be used to recover files from external hard drives and other disk-based storage devices. The software is an all-inclusive recovery solution that presents users with a streamlined method of retrieving lost data from all types of storage devices.

The tool is substantially more expensive than its competitors but has a long history of successful recoveries and has been on the market for close to 20 years. Its user-friendly interface and the ability to preview files before recovery are features that appeal to its user base.

Pros:

• 30-day money-back guarantee

• Preview before recovery

• One-on-one remote recovery assistance

• User-friendly interface

Cons:

• More expensive than other paid solutions

Best for:

• General users looking for a comprehensive data recovery solution.

Pricing:

Uses a subscription model with choices of:

• Monthly – $89.95

• Yearly – $119.95

• Lifetime – $169.95

Free Download

5. DMDE – Disk Editor

DMDE is a versatile tool offering data recovery and disk editing capabilities. It is available in several editions, catering to different needs and expertise levels. DMDE supports a wide array of file systems and can recover data lost due to deletion, formatting, or disk partition issues, both from external drives and various other storage media.

The software stands out with its disk editor feature, allowing users to dig deep into disk structures. DMDE also provides functionality for RAID reconstruction, making it a handy tool for complex recovery tasks. Its user interface is more technical, and appealing to users with advanced knowledge in data recovery.

Pros:

• Supports a wide range of file systems and storage devices

• Features a powerful disk editor for in-depth analysis

• RAID reconstruction capabilities

• Partition recovery and file undelete

Cons:

• Steep learning curve due to technical interface

• Free version has limited functionality

• Lacks customer support options available in paid versions

Best for:

• Users with technical expertise in disk structures and data recovery.

Pricing:

One-year licenses for various versions of the product are available:

• $20 for the Express edition

• $48 for the Standard edition

• $98 for the Professional edition

Free Download

6. Recoverit

Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac lets you perform external hard drive recovery as well as recover data from many other types of storage media. Its intuitive interface makes it easy for any user to recover lost files without seeking professional help. It uses a three-step process to select the recovery target, scan for recoverable files, and recover them to a safe storage location.

The tool can recover deleted data in all major file formats and can also be used to repair some damaged videos. The company has been in business since 2003 and claims to have helped over five million users.

Pros:

• An easy recovery process that just takes a few clicks

• 7-day money-back guarantee

• Supports recovery of over 1000 file types

• Recovers data from any disk-based storage device

• Can repair some damaged videos

Cons:

• Lack of data protection tools

Best for:

• General users looking for a reliable recovery tool.

Pricing:

Monthly, yearly, and lifetime options are available for Essential, Standard, and Advanced versions of the tool.

• Monthly prices range from $75.95 to $105.95

• Yearly $79.95 to $119.95

• Lifetime from $119.95 to $159.95

Free Download

7. Stellar Data Recovery

Stellar Data Recovery is a general data recovery tool that can recover deleted data from external hard drives and most other types of disk-based storage devices. It recovers videos, images, documents, and audio files in all major file formats.

The software uses a simple three-step process that asks the user for the file type to be recovered and then locates and recovers files of that type from the storage device. The company partners with Stellar and provides 24×5 technical support.

Pros:

• Quick and deep scanning modes

• Preview files before recovery

• The free version recovers 1GB of data

• Free technical support

Cons:

• Lack of data protection tools

Best for:

• General users looking for a paid recovery tool.

Pricing:

• A free trial is available

• The Professional version costs $79.99

• The Premium version is $99.99

Free Download

How we Chose

When selecting an external hard drive recovery solution for Mac, we considered several key factors:

• macOS Compatibility
  Not all recovery tools work with every macOS version. Ensure the solution you choose is compatible with your current macOS to avoid installation or functionality issues.
• Recovery Capability
  The software must support the file types and storage devices you’re working with. Look for tools that recover individual files and provide detailed information about recovered data. Some tools only restore complete partitions or assign generic names to files, making them less practical. Choose a tool that fits your specific data loss scenario.
• Ease of Use
  Data loss can be stressful, so a user-friendly interface is essential. Avoid tools that rely on complex command-line operations. A clear, intuitive interface makes recovery faster and less error-prone.
• Pricing
  Recovery tools range from free software to premium commercial products. Free tools often lack full functionality or a smooth user experience, while paid tools generally offer better features, reliability, and support.
• User Reviews
  While not all online reviews are trustworthy, reading a variety of reviews can give insight into a tool’s usability, reliability, and performance..

Conclusion

Any of the software solutions or recovery methods discussed above should help you retrieve your lost data. Acting quickly and avoiding further use of the external drive is crucial to prevent overwriting recoverable files.

While free tools may be tempting, they usually lack the functionality, interface quality, and reliability of commercial software. Choose wisely, as you often only get one chance to recover your valuable data. Using the best tool available maximizes your chances of success. Good luck with your recovery!