How to recover deleted file in mac?

Question

I wanted to copy a file using cp, however, I happened to type rm and the file was deleted.

How can I recover it?

The file is stored in a mobile hard disk drive with FAT32 file system

I'm using Mac OS X

Hoping someone can help me!

Answer 1

I've had good luck with TestDisk.

An example of how to use it to recover FAT32 data is here: http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk:_undelete_file_for_FAT

It is a free download (works on a Mac) from here: http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download

Remember to mount the removable disk read-only so your data isn't overwritten somehow; copy your recovered files to your Mac HD.

Answer 2

+1 for TestDisk.

You can also try Disk Warrior or Tech Tool, which aren't free, if you prefer GUIs.

Answer 3

@Lucas DiskWarrior does not have the capability to recover deleted files through rm. Applications like VirtualLab, Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery, and DiskDrill can be used to recover deleted files but (as far as I know) only ones that are deleted through "Empty Trash" and (possibly) not "Secure Empty Trash". There isn't anything to save files deleted through rm, it seems.