Accidentally erasing data on an external USB disk can be a frustrating experience. If you've used macOS's Disk Utility and found yourself in this unfortunate situation, don’t panic. There are ways to recover your lost data. In this article, we'll explore how to restore erased data from an external USB drive, along with tips and best practices.
Understanding the Problem
When you format or erase an external USB disk using macOS’s Disk Utility, the files don’t vanish immediately; instead, the disk's file system is reset, marking the space previously occupied by your files as available for new data. This means there's a window of opportunity to recover your files before they are overwritten.
Original Problem Scenario
You have mistakenly erased your external USB drive using the following command in Disk Utility:
diskutil eraseDisk FAT32 MY_USB /dev/disk2
In this command, the disk is formatted, and all the existing files are deleted. However, with the right approach, it might be possible to recover some or all of your lost data.
Steps to Recover Erased Data from an External USB Disk
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Stop Using the Disk Immediately: The first and most crucial step in data recovery is to stop using the USB drive. Writing new data can overwrite the old files, making recovery impossible.
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Use Recovery Software: There are several data recovery tools available that can help you retrieve your lost files. Here are a few highly recommended ones:
- Disk Drill: A popular choice among Mac users, Disk Drill provides a user-friendly interface and powerful recovery capabilities. It can recover a variety of file formats and supports multiple file systems.
- PhotoRec: This free tool specializes in recovering lost files from hard disks, CD-ROMs, and memory cards. While it may not have the most intuitive interface, it’s effective.
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: This software is great for beginners, offering a clear recovery process that guides you through recovering lost files.
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Install the Recovery Software: Download and install the chosen data recovery software on a different drive than the one you're trying to recover. This prevents any accidental overwriting of your lost files.
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Run the Recovery Software:
- Open the data recovery application.
- Select your external USB disk and initiate a scan. Most tools will offer both a quick scan and a deep scan option.
- After the scan completes, browse through the found files. The software will typically show a preview of the recoverable files.
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Recover Your Files: Select the files you wish to recover and save them to a different drive (not the erased USB disk). This ensures that you're not writing over any data that might still be recoverable.
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Backup Your Data: Once you've recovered your files, ensure you have a reliable backup strategy moving forward. Use Time Machine on macOS or cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox to prevent future data loss.
Important Considerations
- Recovery Success Rates: The success of recovery depends on how much the data has been overwritten. If you’ve written a lot of new data since the erasure, recovery chances decrease significantly.
- Data Integrity: Even if some files are recovered, they may not always be intact or usable. Corruption during the recovery process is possible, so keep your expectations realistic.
Conclusion
Accidentally erasing an external USB disk on macOS can be distressing, but recovery is often possible with the right tools and techniques. By following the steps outlined above, you can significantly improve your chances of retrieving lost data. Always remember to practice safe data management by keeping backups of important files.
Additional Resources
- Apple Support: Disk Utility User Guide
- Disk Drill Data Recovery Software
- PhotoRec Data Recovery Software
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
By implementing the strategies and tools discussed in this article, you can navigate the challenges of recovering erased data on macOS with greater confidence.
