If you have lost data from a USB Flash drive due to accidental deletion, then there are a lot of possible reasons that can lead to the loss of files on your pen drive. Read the post to perform pen drive recovery on mac. And, if you are looking for quick data recovery then we recommend you to make use of Mac USB Recovery software.
Download Now For MacUSB flash drives are quite easily susceptible to lose. Flash drives go through a lot of mishaps, such as improperly disconnecting USB drives without ejecting, accidentally formatting, and finally corruption of USB flash drives. These are some complicated data loss scenarios.
The below graph depicts some of the general statistics for data loss based on the survey from the Kroll Ontrack, CBL Data Recovery Technology, and Infosec Institutes States.
As per the above statistics from the prestigious institutions like Kroll Ontrack, CBL Data Recovery Technology, and Infosec Institutes States, 65% of the statistics shows people lose their data due to accidental deletion.
If you have encountered a similar issue then don't worry. This article is for you. In this article we will discuss how to recover data from using Time Machine. In case you have not taken backup then don't worry you can still recover the data. Stay tuned to know how to recover data from pen drive on Mac without Backup.
When a file is deleted it is not completely erased but, it is marked as deleted. Space occupied by the deleted files is made ready to be overwritten with new data. Which makes files invisible and inaccessible. Hence in such situations, it is recommended not to add any data on the pen drive if you have encountered data loss.
Try the following methods to restore the deleted files from the USB flash drive.
You can recover deleted files from USB flash drive on Mac computer by first checking from the Trash Bin.
| Advantage | Disadvantage |
| The solution is easy and hassle free. | It will be challenging to recover the data if you've removed/erased everything from the Trash bin. |
Note: The following methods have been tried and tested in the Remo Research Lab. Under the Test Environment as follows.
Scenario: Can I recover my data from the USB device on which I deleted the photos and emptied Trash?
Verdict: Yes, you can recover the data from the USB drive on which you deleted photos and emptied the Trash bin using Remo Recover Mac. We did try to recover the permanently deleted photos like .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, etc., on an 8 GB flash drive - it took 25 mins on an M1(processor) machine and the computer resources that were used while scanning were CPU. If the Intel(processor) machine is used then it might take 30 mins for file recovery from your USB drive on Mac.
In case you were not able to access the deleted files from the Trash then we recommend you make use of USB recovery software for Mac since it is impossible to manually access the storage sectors of a Pen drive.
Remo Recover Mac is the most efficient tool trusted by professionals, built with a simple interface that makes the recovery process hassle-free. It is a prominent tool that can recover data from flash drives, SD cards, SSD, hard drives, pen drive, etc., with more than 10 million downloads across the globe to this date. Why wait? Go ahead by downloading the tool and getting it started with the recovery process.
Source: Trustpilot
Download now and Install the Remo Recover Mac Software on your computer. Connect the USB flash drive/Pen drive to your Mac computer, launch the software, and follow the below-mentioned steps.
Note: Since the tool is even compatible with the latest Mac Ventura 13.2.1 OS and works flawlessly with all file systems such as APFS, HFS+, HFS, ExFAT and even recovering NTFS formatted drives on MAC, you will not be facing any compatibility issues at all.
NOTE: Use Advanced Filter and Search Box to make the locating process easier.
Suggestion: Make sure you save the recovered data in a new location to avoid losing them again.
| Advantage | Disadvantage |
| This method will help you get back the data even after you have emptied the Trash or if the files are permanently deleted. | You will not be able to get back the deleted files if your drive is overwritten. |
Note: You can also use this tool to recover the data from inevitable data loss scenarios such as recovering data lost from a Mac guest account. Since the Mac guest user account deletes the data as soon as you log out from the account
If you are wondering why the external storage device does not have the Trash. However, the Trash will exist on the external storage device but it will be hidden. By following the below steps you can unhide the Trash on external storage devices.
If you are looking for USB Trash on Mac on Sierra and a higher version then follow the steps:
If you are looking for USB trash on Mac on an older version than Sierra then follow the steps:
Note: If you want to again hide the file defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE and hit Enter.
| Advantage | Disadvantage |
| This method will help you recover files from the hidden Trash bin. | In case you have deleted the files using the Command-delete option then this method will not be helpful for you. |
Yes, there is a Trash Bin on a Flash drive, but not the general Trash Bin of an internal storage device. Usually, for the external storage device the Mac OS will create a hidden trash folder called .Trashes. In the above section of the article, we have discussed how to access .Trashes on macOS Sierra above and below OS versions.
If you have come across the accidental deletion then first check the .Trashes. In case you were not able to find the deleted files then you can try recovering the lost files via Time Machine.
To do so follow the steps below to recover deleted files using Time Machine.
1. Connect the storage device containing the Time Machine Backup to your Mac.
2. Go to the Finder window and by clicking on the Time Machine icon launch the Time Machine.
3. Now search through the available backup and select the items you want to save then click on the Restore option.
To fix a damaged USB Flash drive on Mac follow the steps below:
1. Go to Disk Utility and select the View tab and then navigate to the Show All Devices option.
2. Click on the First Aid button to fix the corrupted drive and then click on the Run option and then select First Aid and lastly click on the Done option.
To show hidden files on Mac follow the steps below to unhide the files on Pen drive on macOS Sierra and above versions:
1. Go to Finder by clicking on Shift + Command + .
2. Now you will be able to see the hidden Folder called .Trashes and see if you can see the deleted or hidden files.
3. You can also try to copy and paste the files on other storage devices or the Mac.
There might be a few reasons your USB drive might not be getting recognized on Mac.
1. Check if you have connected your Mac properly or not, else connect the USB to the other USB port
2. There might be debris stuck to your USB drive.
3. Your USB drive may not be compatible with the file system of your Mac.
4. See if your USB drive is password protected.
