Is it possible to retrieve files that have been deleted in trash?

g520incherg520incher
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
Hi,



I've had a hell of a morning. My young nephew was playing on my computer this morning while I was asleep and dragged a desktop folder into the trash. When I got up, I came on my computer and without checking, emptied the trash. It took a bit to empty it, something like 2500 files, and it didn't click right away that something was wrong...Doh!



By the time I realized something was definitely wrong it had deleted all the files. Basically all my important files are gone. Every program tutorial I bought in the past six months (about 9), all my business files, all my graphics files, every project I've worked on in the past few months, all my personal data, bill receipts, everything pretty much.



And the best part is I don't have a backup for most of it. The last major backup I did was about 6 months ago. I've of course been planning to do one for a few weeks now, but never got around to it. Wish I had time machine right about now....lol. Gotta smile.



I'm running Mac OSX Tiger 10.4.10. Just wondering, praying actually, that there is some way to retrieve these files?



Any help is greatly appreciated, but I think I already know the answer to my question.



Thanks,



Ryan

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by G520incher View Post


    ...



    I'm running Mac OSX Tiger 10.4.10. Just wondering, praying actually, that there is some way to retrieve these files?



    ...



    Yes, TechTools Pro.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    g520incherg520incher Posts: 86member
    Really?



    I have TechTool Pro! YES!!



    I'll start it up right now and see what I can do. Thank you VERY MUCH!
  • Reply 3 of 8
    hockey2891hockey2891 Posts: 44member
    . . . . . . . . . .
  • Reply 4 of 8
    drdocumentdrdocument Posts: 4member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hockey2891 View Post


    Looks like someone's gonna find Time Machine to be handy!



    And perhaps giving the nephew his own user account with limited access?
  • Reply 5 of 8
    jaketherockjaketherock Posts: 286member
    Funny similar story: I walked into my younger brothers' room, to look for something of mine a while back. In there, i found younger brother number 2 (five years old) giggling madly over younger brother (thirteen years old) number 1's G3. Younger bro number 2 had done the same thing you said, deleated everything on the desktop, but he proceeded to go into the hard drive, open each floder, and move every folder's contents into the trash. The G3 still had OS 9 on it, so he also managed to delete the system folder. Fortunately, he did not know how to empty the trash, (and I am not telling him for a long time now) so I was able to restore everything within a few minutes. you are luck your nephew is not as sadistic as my younger brother, or else you probably would be reinstalling every application you own
  • Reply 6 of 8
    crentistcrentist Posts: 204member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post


    Yes, TechTools Pro.



    I recently created a new user account and trashed the old one (for a fresh start) not realizing that some applications like Journler save their info somewhere in the hierarchy of the Library. Can anyone tell me if TechTools Pro us able to retrieve the contents of a deleted user account? My journal is really the only thing I absolutely must have.



    Can anyone give me a hand and help me preserve some of the memories of the birth of my son, etc.? I would really appreciate it.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    ``Maybe, but do it quickly. The more you use your computer after something like this happens the worse your chances are of retrieving intact files! As soon as something like this happens you should unplug your computer, and start up from a utility CD like TechTool Pro.
  • Reply 8 of 8
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,320moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by G520incher View Post


    HWhen I got up, I came on my computer and without checking, emptied the trash. It took a bit to empty it, something like 2500 files, and it didn't click right away that something was wrong...Doh!



    This is why Apple shouldn't have removed the trash warning that tells you how many items and what size is about to be deleted. It used to be in OS 9 and for some reason they got rid of it. So simple yet so useful.



    Data Rescue is another file recovery software that's ok but it takes ages if it's searching a big drive. You need to recover to an external drive so that you don't overwrite files that might be recoverable. Booting from an external is one thing but recovering to an external is very important.
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