Recover Files Missing After Mac Update

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Where to Check First if Files Are Missing After a Mac Update

Here are three quick places to check first. We always recommend starting here, since files are often just relocated during updates. These simple steps can save a lot of time.

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First Things First—Check the Trash

It may seem obvious, but many people skip this step. During macOS updates, files can sometimes be moved to the Trash if the system encounters certain issues. Open the Trash folder and look for any missing documents, images, or other files. If you find what you’re looking for, you can simply restore them to their original locations.

Click the Trash icon in your Dock.

1. Look for any missing files. If you find them, right-click and choose Put Back to restore them to their original location.
   

Tip. If you have multiple user accounts on your Mac, check those too; in some cases, files may still be accessible under a different account.

Search for missing files with Finder

Sometimes, files just end up relocated. If that’s the case, you can use Finder or Spotlight to find missing files after a Mac update by searching with parts of the file name or type.

• Open Finder from the Dock, go to File > Find, and type part of the file name or file type (like “.pdf” or “2023 Invoices”) to narrow it down. Finder helps track files that may have landed in different folders.

  

• Or press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight, then enter keywords related to the file, like “Photoshoot,” “Tax Report,” or “2023.” Spotlight will pull up any matches across your Mac.

These quick searches usually solve the problem if files were just moved around during the update. If your missing files don’t turn up, don’t worry—there are more solid recovery options.

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Check the Relocated Items Folder

If a Relocated Items folder appears after a macOS update, it means some files couldn’t be moved to their proper locations. During the upgrade, macOS verifies that files are valid, authorized, and undamaged. Any files that don’t meet these criteria are placed in the Relocated Items folder.

You can find it at:

Users > Shared > Relocated Items

There’s usually also a shortcut on your Desktop. Inside the folder, you’ll often see a PDF explaining how to handle the files. This is one of the first places to check when files go missing after a Mac update.

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Didn’t Find Missing Files After a Mac Update? Here’s What’s Next

Quick checks can recover desktop files or documents, but if nothing appears, you have two main options:

1. Backups – Restore from Time Machine or iCloud if available.

2. Data Recovery Software – A reliable recovery tool can scan your Mac for files that were lost or misplaced during the update.

From experience, many users don’t have backups ready, so recovery software often becomes the go-to solution. We’ll first explain how to use a data recovery tool, then cover restoring files from backups for those who do have them.

How to Restore Missing Files Using Data Recovery Software

Data recovery tools can scan your Mac’s drive for traces of files that were deleted, moved, or made inaccessible after the update. Even if a file seems permanently lost, it usually leaves behind data fragments that these tools can detect and reconstruct.

Here are some popular data recovery tools: Disk Drill, R-Studio, PhotoRec, UFS Explorer. We’ve tested and reviewed all of these (and more), but we’ll show you how to use Disk Drill. This app consistently ranks at the top of lists and ratings as the #1 choice for Mac users.

Over the years, we’ve recovered terabytes of data thanks to Disk Drill. The process is straightforward, and it’s helped countless users get back missing files after a Mac update. We’ll explain why Disk Drill is perfect for this job, but first, let’s get your files back. Here’s how to do it:

1. Head to the Disk Drill website and download the latest version for macOS.

2. Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts to install Disk Drill on your Mac.

3. When you open Disk Drill, you’ll see a clean interface; the main screen displays your available drives, and recovery tools, all laid out for quick access.

   

4. Select your Mac’s main drive (usually labeled Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD – Data).

5. Click on Search for lost data, and the recovery process will start. You’ll see categories like Pictures, Videos, Audio, and Documents appear. You can choose any category or click Review found items at the top to see all files found so far. Disk Drill lets you preview and recover files even before the scan finishes, making it easy to grab what you need right away.

   

6. You can pause and resume the scan whenever you want. Next to each file, you’ll see Recovery chances, which shows how likely it is to recover that file successfully.

   

7. You can select individual files or entire folders, then click the Recover button at the bottom to restore them. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need the PRO version to actually recover files. The Basic (free) version allows you to scan and preview files, but it doesn’t allow actual recovery.

And now, as promised, here’s why Disk Drill is our go-to tool for recovering lost files after a Mac update:

• Straightforward setup and a clean design.

• Recovers all kinds of files, from popular formats (PDF, JPEG, MP4) to more specialized ones (RAW, PSD, FLAC).

• Known for high success rates, even from formatted or corrupted drives.

• Offers Quick Scan (locates recently deleted files), Deep Scan (analyzes the drive for deeper recovery), and Signature Scan (searches by unique file signatures for hard-to-retrieve files).

• Updated frequently and fully supports the latest macOS Sequoia on Intel, M1, M2, and M3 Macs.

• Lets you preview recoverable files.

Note: If your Mac uses an SSD, recovery chances might be lower due to the TRIM feature. TRIM clears deleted data blocks to keep the drive fast, which can make it harder to recover lost files.

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Use Time Machine to Recover Missing Documents After a Mac Update

If you were smart enough to set up Time Machine backups before your macOS update, you’re in a strong position to restore lost files. Even if you never needed it before, Time Machine can save the day when updates go wrong.

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Option 1: Restore Data with Time Machine in macOS

Time Machine is macOS’s built-in backup solution, and we highly recommend keeping it active. It automatically saves hourly, daily, and weekly snapshots of your data, letting you recover files that were deleted, modified, or replaced.

You can even restore specific versions of files—perfect for recovering documents that disappeared after a Mac update.

Here’s how to use Time Machine to restore files missing after a Mac update:

1. Plug in the external drive where your Time Machine backups are saved.

2. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select Browse Time Machine Backups. If you don’t see it, go to System Preferences > Time Machine and check Show Time Machine in menu bar.

3. Use the timeline on the right to scroll back to a point before the update. This lets you see your files as they were on that date.

   

4. Browse through folders or use the search bar to locate specific files.

5. Select the files or folders, then click Restore. Time Machine will place them back in their original locations on your Mac.

Tip: You can restore files to a different location. Simply drag and drop files from Time Machine to another folder on your Mac instead of returning them to their original location.

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Option 2: Restore Data from APFS Snapshot

Another method is to restore data from an APFS Snapshot in Recovery Mode. This works only on APFS-formatted system drives. During macOS updates, the system automatically creates a snapshot of your entire drive—including files, folders, and settings—provided Time Machine is enabled.

This approach has limitations:

• It restores the entire system, so any files or changes made after the snapshot will be lost.

• It’s unavailable for drives using older formats like HFS+.

Still, APFS snapshots can be a lifesaver in severe data loss situations when other recovery methods aren’t enough.

Once in Recovery Mode, follow these steps to restore from an APFS snapshot:

1. In macOS Utilities, select Restore From Time Machine Backup and click Continue.

   

2. You’ll be presented with a list of available backups. Look for the APFS snapshot on your Mac’s startup disk.

3. Select the snapshot you want to restore and click Continue.

Your Mac will restart once the recovery finishes, and bring back your system exactly as it was at the time of the snapshot.

Use iCloud Backup to Restore Files Missing After a Mac Update

Another option for recovering lost files is iCloud Backup. iCloud usually syncs key locations on your Mac, including:

• Desktop and Documents folders

• Photos

• App data

• Contacts

• Calendar events

Important: iCloud isn’t enabled by default—you must have set it up before the macOS update for it to help with recovery.

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How to Restore Missing Desktop/Documents Files via iCloud

1. Open Finder on your Mac.

2. Click on iCloud Drive in the sidebar.

3. Navigate to your Desktop or Documents folder.

4. Look for any files that are missing after the update.

5. Drag them back to your preferred location on your Mac.

This method is simple and doesn’t require any extra software, as long as the files were synced to iCloud before the update.

1. Open iCloud.com in a web browser and sign in with your Apple ID. This gives you access to your files stored in iCloud from any device.

   

2. Click on iCloud Drive to view your backed-up files.

3. Look in the Recently Deleted folder on the left sidebar. iCloud keeps deleted files here for up to 30 days, so it’s a good place to find files that were removed.

   

4. Find the files you want to recover, select them, and click the Recover All button, or right-click an individual file and select Recover.

Key Takeaways

If a macOS update deleted files, there are several reliable ways to recover them:

• Quick Checks First: Always start with the Trash and the Relocated Items folder. Files are often just moved, not gone.

• Backups Are Your Friend: Use Time Machine or iCloud if they were set up prior to the update. These tools make restoring lost files straightforward.

• Data Recovery Tools: If no backup exists, a reliable data recovery app can help recover lost or overwritten files, especially on SSDs or older drives.

Pro Tip: Prevent future headaches by:

1. Keeping your Mac plugged in during updates.

2. Ensuring sufficient free storage space before updating.

3. Closing unnecessary programs to avoid conflicts.

Setting up regular backups and following these steps will save you time, frustration, and potential data loss in the future.