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Jesse_PooleL's avatar
Jesse_PooleL
Iron Contributor
Feb 19, 2025
Solved

Can I recover files after emptying the Mac Trash? Help!

I just emptied the Mac Trash and found that several important files were accidentally deleted... 😭 I have two computers at home, one is Windows 11 and the other is Mac, but the main files were delet...
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  • Walterttor's avatar
    Walterttor
    Feb 19, 2025

    Don't worry, there is still a chance to recover files after emptying the Mac Trash, as long as too much new data is not written. You can try the AiseeeSoft data recovery first.  I have used it to successfully recover emptied photos and documents before.

    I followed this tutorial: (worked for me)

    https://www.pctipdaily.com/recover-deleted-files-mac

     

     

JameSmith01's avatar
JameSmith01
Copper Contributor
May 12, 2025

I’ve been there before :( Let me try to answer your questions one by one based on my own experience.

Is there any free tool I can try?
To be honest, free Mac data recovery tools are quite limited, especially compared to Windows. Most Mac recovery tools only offer a free trial that allows you to scan and preview lost files — but you’ll usually need to pay (often $50 or more) to actually recover them. That’s the reality of the Mac ecosystem.

Can I recover Mac files using Windows 11?

In theory, yes — but it’s extremely complicated. If your lost files were on an external drive formatted in HFS+ or APFS, you could try connecting that drive to your Windows PC and use a recovery tool that supports Mac file systems. But:

  • Most Windows tools don’t fully support APFS.
  • If the data was on your Mac’s internal SSD, there’s no way to access it from Windows unless you remove the drive, which isn’t possible on most modern MacBooks (since the SSD is soldered to the motherboard).

My personal experience
I had a very similar issue before — I’m using a MacBook Air 13-inch (2017) running macOS Sonoma. I accidentally emptied the Trash and lost some work files. I personally recommend 4DD1G Mac – it’s one of the few tools that can deeply scan a Mac drive and recover many file types. You just:

  • Install it on your Mac (avoid installing it on the same drive where the files were deleted).
  • Let it scan your disk.
  • Preview the files before recovery.

During my research, I found that Mac data recovery is a lot harder than on Windows, especially because most Apple devices now use high-speed SSDs with a feature called TRIM. This feature wipes deleted data almost immediately, making recovery nearly impossible once it’s triggered.

If your Mac uses an SSD (which it likely does), and no software can find your files, don’t waste time trying random tools. Your best shot is to contact a professional recovery lab — but be prepared: it could cost $800–$1500. Make sure to call a few labs to compare prices

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