How to Recover Files after Factory Reset Mac?

Resetting the Mac system is very helpful, especially when you want to sell it to another person or when it is running extremely slow. When you reset your Mac using factory resetting, it formats your Mac hard drive and deletes all its content. In such cases, all your valuable data get deleted, and you must apply proper Mac data recovery methods to regain them.

Here, in this article, we will discuss some commonly used methods that you can apply to recover lost data files on Mac. Go with the fixes mentioned in this post to recover files after factory reset your Mac. Moreover, we have also included some tips to perform factory resetting on Mac without losing data.

Can I Recover Lost Data on My Mac After Factory Reset?

If you have lost data after resetting your Mac and wondering whether it is possible to recover files after that, the answer is YES. Factory resetting the Mac or macOS reinstallation erases the volume and deletes the entire file directory. As a result, if any new file does not overwrite the deleted data, you can recover it. You just need to take proper action when encountering data loss issues after factory resetting your Mac.

You should stop using your computer once your data has been deleted to avoid overwriting. Now go through the below-mentioned Mac data recovery methods to know how to recover files after Factory Reset Mac.

Quick Methods to Reset Files after Factory Resetting Mac

Let’s look at the following methods you can use to recover files for your Mac after a factory reset:

Method 01: Recover Files after Factory Reset Mac using Time Machine Backup

If you created a Time Machine backup before factory resetting your Mac, you could restore all the deleted files using Time Machine backup. All you have to do is:

  • Firstly, you need to connect the device where you have created the Time Machine backup to your Mac.
  • Open the Finder window and launch the folder where your deleted files were previously stored.
  • Now, launch Time Machine and select Browse Time Machine Backups.
  • Select all the folders you need to recover and click the Restore button.

Once you are done with the above steps, all your deleted files will be restored to the original locations on your Mac.

Method 02: Restore Mac Data Using Disk Utility Restore Option

You can even use macOS Disk Utility’s restore option to restore Mac data after a factory reset. This method copies the contents of one volume to another on your Mac. Therefore, having a copy of the volume is important before you factory reset your macOS device. Go through the following steps to restore the volume using the Mac disk utility’s restore option:

  • You must restart your Mac in Recovery Mode to start with this method.
  • Now, open Disk Utility on your Mac and View > Show All Devices.
  • After that, select the volume you need to restore and the target volume where you want to save the Restored data.
  • At last, click the Restore button to save the data on the selected drive.

Method 03: Recover Mac Files after Factory Reset Via Mac File Recovery Software

There are several third-party Mac data recovery software that you can use to restore data deleted from formatted or erased disks of your Mac. If you have lost data from your Mac while formatting it, you can still recover deleted data using Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac. It is the best Mac data recovery software to recover data from lost, deleted, formatted, and re-formatted partitions. The software supports recovering files from several file systems, such as FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5, and ExFAT.

Why Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac?

Check out the following reasons why you should use this professional Mac data recovery software to restore our deleted files after Mac factory restriction:

  • The software is compatible with M1, M2 & T2 chip-enabled Macs.
  • Supports recovery of files from the latest macOS Ventura 13 and Lower versions.
  • This tool can recover files from high storage (>18 TB) capacity Mac storage drives.
  • It supports recovery of data deleted due to partition loss or corrupt partition of Mac.
  • Recover lost/deleted of multiple types, including Microsoft files, photos, videos, music, and others.
  • The Stellar data recovery software is available in multiple versions. You can check their features and select the one best suits your requirement.

Steps to Recover Files After Factory Reset macOS/Mac OS X

  • Download and install your device’s Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac software. Launch the software and select the file types you need to recover from the “Select What to Recover” window. Click Next to continue.
  • From the “Recover From” window, select the storage location from which you want to recover data and click the Scan button.
  • Once the scanning process is completed, preview the recoverable data and select the files you need to recover. Click the Recover button to save the files at a desired location.

Things to Do Before Performing Mac Reset

Given below are some important tips that you can keep in your mind and apply before factory resetting your Mac:

  • Keep backups of your Mac data on multiple storage devices. This backup plays a very important role if data loss occurs.
  • If you are signed in to your iCloud account on your Mac, sign out before you reset your Mac. This prevents your iCloud data from changing and keeps them accessible on other devices.
  • It is also good practice to disconnect all the Bluetooth devices, such as Keyboard, Mouse, headphones, etc., before you reset your Mac.
  • Keep your device OS and all software installed in it up-to-date.

Wrapping Up

This -page post provides all the best possible methods to help you know how to recover files after Factory reset Mac. If you fail to properly back up your files before factory resetting your Mac, take Stellar Data Recovery Professional as the best alternative. This software completely scans your drive and immediately identifies the lost files. You can easily use this software to recover your precious Mac data.