You emptied the Trash, and a minute later you remembered a folder in there that you needed. Once the Trash is empty, Mac OS X gives you no built-in way to get those files back. Mac OS X File Recovery Software from Mac Undelete Software is built for exactly this situation.
Quick facts
- Platforms: Mac OS X 10.5.x and above, including Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion and Mavericks
- Version listed: 1.0.0.25
- Price listed: $59.00
- Trial: a demo version is offered so you can try the software before you buy
- Disk and memory: minimum 512 MB RAM, 50 MB free disk space for installation
Key features
Get back files after the Trash has been emptied
The software brings back files deleted from the Trash folder. It also recovers files that bypassed the Trash, and files removed by third-party utilities such as disk error checkers.
Recover from formatted or damaged Mac volumes
It can undelete a whole Mac partition after accidental formatting, hard drive partitioning errors or Input/Output errors. It also handles drives hit by Apple Partition Map, journal or catalog record corruption, and drives formatted as HFS+ or HFSX.
Rescue photos and media from SD cards and external drives
You can recover files deleted while copying from an SD card, or after the card was ejected improperly. Audio and video formats such as WAV, MOV, MP3 and MPEG are covered, as are RAW photos. USB drives, FireWire drives, memory sticks and flash memory cards are supported.
Preview files and save your scan session
The vendor's listing describes a Preview option for viewing lost files before you save them. It also describes Save Recovery Session, which lets you avoid rescanning the whole device. The listing says it can retrieve more than 150 file types.
Who it's for
It suits Mac users who emptied the Trash by mistake, formatted a volume, or lost photos from a camera card. It also covers files lost to improper shutdowns, deletion through Terminal, or an operating system reinstall. It does not replace a backup. The vendor positions it as an option for people without a Time Machine backup.
Pros and cons
- Pro: It covers many loss causes: emptied Trash, formatting, corruption and external media.
- Pro: A demo lets you test it before paying.
- Pro: Modest requirements of 512 MB RAM and 50 MB of disk space.
- Con: The vendor's stated support list stops at Mavericks (10.9), so newer macOS releases are not confirmed.
- Con: Separate downloads exist for Leopard/Snow Leopard and for Lion/Mountain Lion/Mavericks, so you need to pick the right one.
FAQs
Can it recover files after I empty the Trash?
Yes. That is its main purpose, and it also finds files that skipped the Trash.
Which Mac OS X versions does it support?
Mac OS X 10.5.x and above, including Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
Can it recover from SD cards and external drives?
Yes. It handles SD cards, memory sticks, USB drives, FireWire drives and other external drives.
Can I try it first?
Yes, a demo version is available.
System requirements
- Mac OS X 10.5.x or later
- Minimum 512 MB RAM
- 50 MB free disk space for installation