You resize your OS X partition in Disk Utility, restart, and get an "Invalid Partition Table" error. The volume that held your files is gone and you have no backup. Partition Recovery on Mac is built for this situation: it scans the drive for lost or deleted volumes and brings the files back.
Quick facts
- Version: 1.0.0.25
- Platform: Mac OS X
- File systems: HFS+, HFSX, FAT16, FAT32
- Price: $179.00
- Trial: a free demo lets you check recovery chances before you buy
Key features
Get back a deleted or lost Mac volume
The tool targets volumes lost to accidental deletion, a wrong choice in Disk Utility, repartitioning, formatting or re-formatting, and apple partition map corruption. Deleting or formatting a partition removes the partition information, not the data itself. Until new files overwrite that space, the data can still be recovered.
Recover from HFS+, HFSX, FAT16 and FAT32 volumes
You can retrieve photos, audio, video, spreadsheets, Word files and other documents. It also covers volumes damaged by startup disk directory corruption, File Vault problems, or an "Invalid B-Tree node size" error.
Work with many kinds of Mac and storage hardware
It supports MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini and iMac drives. It also handles external drives, memory sticks, flash cards and iPods.
Preview before you commit
The process takes three steps. You choose "Recover Volumes / Drives", then "Volume Recovery". Next you select the affected drive. When the scan finishes, you can preview the recovered data. The graphical interface is aimed at people who have never done data recovery.
Who it's for
It suits you if you have lost a partition on a Mac, for example after a dual-boot setup with Windows and OS X went wrong. It also suits you if a drive has become unreadable or won't mount and you have no Time Machine backup.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Focused on lost and deleted partitions, not just single files
- Free demo to judge results first
- Simple step-by-step workflow with a preview
- Separate downloads for Leopard/Snow Leopard and for Lion through Yosemite
Cons
- Supports only HFS+, HFSX, FAT16 and FAT32, so other file systems are out
- Built for older OS X releases, up to Yosemite
- Priced higher than many general recovery tools
- Overwritten data can't be recovered, so you must stop using the drive straight away
FAQs
Can I try it before paying?
Yes. The demo lets you evaluate your chances of recovery before you buy the full version.
Which Mac versions does it work on?
The vendor offers one download for Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6). A second covers Lion (10.7), Mountain Lion (10.8), Mavericks and Yosemite (10.10).
What should I do right after losing a partition?
Stop using the drive. Don't save new files to it, because new data can overwrite what you want back.
Which devices can it scan?
Internal hard drives, USB and FireWire external drives, memory sticks, flash cards and iPods.
System requirements
- 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended)
- 50 MB free disk space
- Mac OS X