Recover Deleted Files from SD Card on Mac for Free
Have you ever accidentally deleted important files from your SD card and are now looking for a way to recover them for free on your Mac? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. Losing data can be a frustrating experience, but there are several free methods you can try to get your deleted files back. In this article, we will explore various ways to recover deleted files from an SD card on your Mac, ensuring that you can retrieve your precious data without spending a dime.
1. Use the Mac Finder
The Mac Finder is a built-in utility that can help you recover deleted files from your SD card. Here’s how to do it:
- Connect your SD card to your Mac using a card reader.
- Open the Finder and navigate to your SD card.
- Click on the “Go” menu and select “Go to Folder” (or press Command + Shift + G).
- Enter the path to your SD card, which is typically “/Volumes/SD Card Name” (replace “SD Card Name” with the actual name of your SD card).
- Once inside the SD card, look for the deleted files. If you can’t find them, you can use the search bar at the top right corner of the Finder window to search for specific file names.
- Right-click on the deleted files and select “Move to Trash” to recover them.
2. Utilize the Time Machine Backup
If you have enabled Time Machine on your Mac, you can use it to recover deleted files from your SD card. Here’s how:
- Connect your SD card to your Mac.
- Open the Time Machine app from the Dock or Applications folder.
- Click on the “Enter Time Machine” button.
- Use the timeline on the left side to navigate to the date when your files were still present on the SD card.
- Locate the deleted files and click on them to select them.
- Click on the “Restore” button to recover the files to their original location or a new location of your choice.
3. Try Free Data Recovery Software
There are several free data recovery software options available for Mac users. Here are a few you can try:
- PhotoRec: A free and open-source data recovery tool that specializes in recovering lost photos and videos. It can be used to recover deleted files from an SD card.
- Recuva: A free data recovery tool that supports various file formats and can recover deleted files from an SD card on a Mac.
- TestDisk: A free and open-source data recovery tool that can recover deleted files from an SD card, as well as fix corrupted partitions and recover lost partitions.
Here’s how to use Recuva to recover deleted files from an SD card:
- Download and install Recuva on your Mac.
- Open Recuva and select the file types you want to recover (e.g., photos, documents, videos, etc.).
- Select the location where the files were deleted from (e.g., SD card). If you’re not sure, choose “I’m not sure” and let Recuva search your entire Mac.
- Click on “Start” to begin the scanning process.
- Once the scan is complete, preview the recovered files and select the ones you want to recover.
- Click on “Recover” and choose a location to save the recovered files.
4. Check the Trash
Before trying any advanced recovery methods, it’s always a good idea to check the Trash on your Mac. Deleted files are often moved to the Trash instead of being permanently deleted. Here’s how to check the Trash:
- Open the Trash by clicking on its icon on the Dock or by navigating to the Applications folder and opening the Trash folder.
- Search for the deleted files using the search bar at the top right corner of the Trash window.
- Right-click on the deleted files and select “Put Back” to recover them to their original location.
