Here are several places to look for a backup copy: The best way to recover files from an external hard drive on a Mac for free is through a backup copy you have previously created. If that turns out to be the case, then it’s time to explore other recovery solutions. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that your files will be present in the Trash folder, especially if the option to automatically remove items from the folder after 30 days is enabled on your system. Verify that the files have been successfully recovered to their original location.Right-click on your selection and click the Put Back option.Locate the files you want to restore and select them.Open the Trash folder by clicking on its Dock icon.Each Mac storage device has its own Trash folder, so this step is critical. Make sure the external hard drive is connected to your Mac.We know that you’ve probably done so already, but we strongly suggest you check the Trash folder one last time before exploring the three main solutions described below. One thing that’s great about macOS is that deleted files are first moved to the Trash folder, including files deleted from an external hard drive. Honorable mention: Restore from the Trash Bin

Here are four solutions to recovering deleted or lost files from an external hard drive.

External hard drive time machine format