Five things to stop doing before any file recovery

Deleted data is not gone; it is marked as free space. It disappears when something else is written over it - and in practice, that something is usually the user trying to fix the problem.

So the order of operations matters more than the tool you pick. These five steps are what a recovery professional does first, and they cost nothing.

Stop doing these right now

1. Stop writing to the drive. Close downloads, pause sync clients, and do not save anything new there.
2. Do not install recovery software on the affected drive. Use a USB stick or a second disk.
3. Do not run repair tools - chkdsk, Disk Utility's First Aid, 'optimize', defrag. Repairs rewrite structures you need.
4. Do not format, reformat or re-partition, and never accept a 'you need to format this disk' prompt.
5. Do not recover onto the same drive. Every file saved back can destroy another one you have not reached yet.

What to do, step by step

The safe sequence

First: make an image if the drive makes any unusual noise, clicks, or disconnects. A byte-for-byte image onto another disk lets you work safely while the original rests. ddrescue is the standard free tool for this.
Second: check the free routes - restore points, File History, Time Machine, cloud trash, app autosave. These are free and lossless.
Third: only then scan, with the tool installed elsewhere and the output written to another disk.
Fourth: sort the result by type and date, preview it, and save the good copies first.

When to stop and call a lab

Clicking, grinding, or a drive that spins up and stops: this is mechanical failure, and software makes it worse.
A drive that is not detected at all, or disappears after a few minutes of work.
An SSD that reports zero capacity, or a phone that will not boot after water or impact damage.

What decides whether it works

Sound and behaviour of the drive - mechanical symptoms mean stop immediately.
Whether an image was taken before scanning. Without one, every attempt spends some of the drive's remaining life.
Whether the data is worth more than the risk of one more attempt. Irreplaceable data justifies a professional.

Not sure where you fit?

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Common questions

Is recovery software safe for my drive?

Reading is safe. Writing is not - and installing, repairing and saving all write. Keep every write away from the affected drive and the risk is low.

Should I turn the computer off?

If the drive is making mechanical noises, yes, power down. Otherwise leave it on and simply stop writing; shutting down and restarting also writes.

Why do professionals make an image first?

Because a failing drive may only have one good read left in it. An image captures that read once, and every later attempt works from the copy instead of the patient.

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The right order of operations - and what to stop doing right now

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Last updated: 2026-09-30