Recover Missing Files From External Hard Drive on Mac

[wasabi]

4 Steps to Recover Disappeared Files from External Hard Drive on Mac

No matter the reason your files disappeared—or if a folder vanished from your external hard drive on Mac—there’s a good chance they can still be recovered. Whether it’s due to accidental deletion or file system corruption, recovery software can scan your drive and locate data that seems lost.

Here’s how it works: when files are deleted, they aren’t immediately erased. Instead, the system marks the space where the file was stored as available for new data. As long as that space hasn’t been overwritten, recovery software can detect and restore your lost files by scanning for remnants. These tools access the drive’s underlying file structure and can often find files that are otherwise invisible or inaccessible through normal methods.

Important: If your files disappear from an external hard drive on Mac, stop using the drive immediately. Writing new files risks overwriting the space where your lost data resides, making recovery impossible. Disconnect the drive right away, download and install your recovery app on your Mac, and reconnect the drive only when ready to perform the recovery.

Step 1: Choose a Data Recovery App

The first step is selecting the right recovery tool. Avoid randomly downloading the first app you find online—many are unreliable or could even make things worse.

Take time to read reviews and check ratings from trusted sources. Look for feedback from real users who have tested the app in actual recovery scenarios.

We’ve tested and reviewed the top Mac data recovery apps, breaking down their features, pros, and cons so you can make an informed choice. Some of the most widely recommended tools include:

Software	Pros	Cons
Disk Drill	– Excellent recovery performance – Supports multiple file systems (APFS, HFS+, exFAT, NTFS, etc.) – Easy-to-use interface – Byte-to-byte backup – Great preview feature	– Free version only allows scanning and previewing
PhotoRec	– Free and open-source – Great for deeply corrupted drives – Works on multiple platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux)	– Command-line interface (not beginner-friendly) – Slower scanning speeds compared to commercial tools – No file preview before recovery
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard	– Reliable for common recovery tasks – User-friendly interface – Supports multiple file systems – Good for standard data loss scenarios	– Slow deep scan – Lacks advanced recovery features – Higher cost for full version
Wondershare Recoverit	– Simple, user-friendly interface – Quick and deep scan options – Supports a variety of file systems – Affordable for basic recovery tasks	– Free version is limited to 100MB of data recovery – Higher monthly cost for full version – Lacks advanced recovery capabilities
R-Studio	– Powerful recovery for complex scenarios (RAID, disk imaging, cloning) – Works with multiple file systems – Excellent for professional-level data recovery	– Steep learning curve – Not the most user-friendly interface – High price for full functionality

If you’re unsure which recovery tool to use, we recommend Disk Drill. It’s our top choice because it consistently delivers reliable results in almost any situation. Disk Drill works seamlessly on macOS—including the latest Sequoia update—and is extremely easy to use. Recovery can often be done in just a few clicks.

To get started with Disk Drill:

1. Visit the official CleverFiles website and download the software.

2. Open the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install Disk Drill on your Mac.

Step 2: Connect Your External Hard Drive and Start the Scan

After installing Disk Drill, connect your external hard drive to your Mac using the appropriate cable (USB, Thunderbolt, or another type). Give your Mac a moment to recognize the drive. Once it appears in Disk Utility, you’re ready to proceed.

Open Disk Drill and select your external drive from the list of available devices to begin scanning for your lost files.

Click on Search for Lost Data. Disk Drill will go through several scan modes to find any recoverable data:

• Quick Scan: Checks for recently deleted files and usually takes the least amount of time.

• Deep Scan: Scans for more complex issues like file corruption or formatted drives.

• Signature Scan: Looks for specific file types by their unique signatures, often used for hard-to-recover files. Disk Drill can recognize around 400 file types.

Step 3: Preview and Select the Files to Recover

As Disk Drill scans your external drive, you’ll see the results broken down into categories, such as Pictures, Videos, Audio, Documents, and Archives, as shown in the image below. This makes it easier to navigate and find the specific files you want to recover.

You’ll see the process unfold in real-time. You can either wait for the scan to finish or click Review Found Items to see a list of the files that have already been found. These will be organized into subcategories like Existing Files, Deleted or Lost Files, or Reconstructed Files.

The files you look for will probably show up under Deleted or Lost Files. Next to each file, you’ll see a Recovery Chances indicator, which tells you how likely it is that the file can be fully recovered. The higher the recovery chances, the better the file’s condition and the easier it is to restore.

To make things easier, you can use the search bar at the top to find files by name or file extension. This is especially helpful if you’re looking for specific file types among a large list of results.

Step 4: Preview and Recover

With Disk Drill, you can preview basically any file to make sure it’s the exact one you need. When you hover over each file in the recovery list, you’ll see an eye icon. Click on this icon, and you’ll be able to preview the file before recovery. This is especially useful for images, videos, documents, and other media files, so you can double-check that you selected the right ones.

Once you’ve selected the files you want to recover, click Recover and choose a safe location to store them. Do not save the recovered files back to the same external drive, as this could overwrite the data you’re trying to recover. Instead, save them to a different location on your Mac or another external drive.

Note: The free version of Disk Drill lets you scan and preview files without limits. To actually recover and save files, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro version.

Is This All? Can I Use This External Drive Like I Used To?

After recovering your files, you may wonder whether the external drive is safe to use again. In most cases, the answer is yes, but it depends on the cause of the issue and the drive’s current condition.

If the data loss was due to accidental deletion or formatting and you’ve successfully recovered your files, the drive should be fine for regular use. However, it’s a good idea to run a health check. Tools like Disk Drill’s S.M.A.R.T. monitoring can track the overall condition of the drive and detect any hidden issues.

To enable S.M.A.R.T. monitoring in Disk Drill:

1. Open Disk Drill and go to the Extra Tools section.

2. Select S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring.

3. Click Turn On to have Disk Drill actively track the health of both your internal and external drives.

S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is a built-in feature in most modern hard drives that monitors the health of your drive. It tracks various attributes such as temperature, read/write error rates, and overall performance, and can warn you if it detects potential issues that could lead to failure.

If S.M.A.R.T. monitoring reports any problems, we don’t recommend using the drive—at least not for data you can’t afford to lose. Even if the drive seems to work for now, one showing signs of trouble is more likely to fail later. In that case, back up your data immediately and consider replacing the drive.

Check the External Hard Drive with the First Aid Tool

Even if S.M.A.R.T. monitoring shows no issues, it’s still a good idea to run First Aid through Disk Utility. This checks for logical problems and fixes minor file system errors that could cause issues later. Running First Aid periodically helps keep your external drive in good shape and prevents more serious problems down the line.

Here’s how to run it:

1. Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility on your Mac.

   

2. In the sidebar, click on your external hard drive to select it. Make sure it’s the correct drive.

3. Then click the First Aid button at the top of the window.

   

4. Click Run to start the First Aid process. Disk Utility will scan the drive for any errors and try to fix them. This can take some time.

   

5. Once the process finishes, Disk Utility will let you know if it found any issues and whether it was able to fix them.

If First Aid detects and fixes problems, it’s a good idea to run it a second time to ensure everything is fully repaired. Sometimes, a second pass is needed to catch any remaining issues.