Deleted Downloads Folder Mac

How to Recover Deleted Downloads/Documents Folder on Mac? Downloads folder, as we all know that it is a default location in every macOS where stores all downloaded files. However, when you clean up files and folders, you may accidentally delete the whole Downloads folder. Even worse, the whole Documents folder disappeared suddenly. Having the user Downloads folder in the Dock for Mac OS is undeniably convenient for quick access to downloaded files, so if you have accidentally deleted the Downloads folder from the Dock, or the Downloads folder is missing from the Mac Dock for some other reason, you may want to restore it back to it’s original Dock location.

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By Vernon Roderick, Last updated: June 16, 2020

The Downloads folder can mean a lot to many users. It’s where most files go when you download something from the internet. And we all know that this folder is built-in, meaning it is already there before you even got your Mac.

Despite being built-in to the Mac computer, it is still as vulnerable to data loss as other folders on your Mac. In fact, quite a few users have already been complaining about losing their Downloads folder out of the blue.

This article will talk about how you can restore deleted Downloads folder Mac so you may also restore the files contained within the folder. Let’s start with what I consider the best solution.

Part 1: Restore Deleted Downloads Folder Mac with Mac Data Recovery

Our very first entry involves a third-party tool that specializes in file recovery. File recovery software is known to have the capability of recovering files and even folders altogether. As such, a data recovery tool is a must, and for that, I recommend FoneDog Data Recovery.

FoneDog Data Recovery is a tool that is capable of restoring files from their original state. It supports all kinds of files and can even include folders. Since it supports Mac, it is the perfect tool for the job. Here’s how you can restore deleted Downloads folder Mac with this tool:

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Step 1: Choose File Type and Storage Drive

Open the FoneDog Data Recovery software on your computer. Now on the main page, there will be a selection of file types and storage drives. For the file type, I suggest selecting the Check all file types option since the Downloads folders are likely to have all kinds of files. For the storage drive, select the drive where the Downloads folder is located, which is most likely to be the C: drive.

Step 2: Scan for Files

Once you have configured the settings on the first page, click on the Scan button. This will initiate a Quick Scan by default. However, you may continue with Deep Scan if you want to get more results.

Step 3: Restore Deleted Downloads Folder Mac

The scanning will start after you click on the Scan button. At that point, you will get a list of files on the next page. However, all you have to do is look for the Downloads folder and click on its box. Then, click on the Recover button.

It should be very easy to restore deleted Downloads folder Macwith this tool. However, some people may find it very difficult to trust a tool that they haven’t heard of before. If that’s you, then this solution may not be the most suitable option for you. So you may want to look elsewhere for the best solution.

Part 2: Restore Deleted Downloads Folder Mac from Trash

The keyboard of Mac is the same as of Windows’. They both have the Delete key that is used to delete items on your computer. That’s why if Windows users can unintentionally delete folders in their computer, Mac users can also do the same. If your case is an unintentional deletion, there is a high chance that you will be able to restore deleted Downloads folder Mac.

This is pretty common since there are two ways to send files and folders to the trash. The first one would be by pressing the Command + Delete, and the second one is selecting Move to Trash. Files and folders that go through this process will always be sent to the Trash, but since it is common, a solution was made immediately.

If that’s the case, you can restore deleted Downloads folder Mac by first opening the Trash by clicking on its icon on the Mac Dock. Once you are in the Trash, you can restore deleted Downloads folder Macin several ways:

  • Select the Downloads folder and press Command + Delete. This will return the selected files or folder into its original location.
  • Drag back the Downloads folder outside. This of course will not return the folder into its original location, but into the place where you drag it into.

This is a very quick solution since it won’t take long even if the Downloads folder is filled with files. However, there are many occasions where you won’t be able to use this method. You now have the Downloads folder again. Now, what if you can’t find the Downloads folder in the trash? How will you restore deleted Downloads folder Mac then?

Part 3: Restore Deleted Downloads Folder Mac from Home

Although most files that are lost get sent to the Trash, sometimes you just need to look harder since it was probably sent somewhere else and not deleted. This is the problem with some users. They often assume immediately that the files are deleted just because they can’t find it the same way they did before.

Fortunately, there is a way to automatically go to where the Downloads folder is located and possibly put it into the Dock once again. This is so you can restore deleted Downloads folder Maceasily. Here are the steps to do put the Downloads folder into your Dock again:

  1. Open a session of Finder on your Mac.
  2. On the menu bar of Finder, click on Go.
  3. From the resulting dropdown menu, select Home.
  4. Now you will see a list of folders inside the Home directory. You can now find the Downloads folder here.
  5. Simply click and drag the Downloads folder and drop it into the Dock.

The Downloads folder is now on the Dock once again. With this, you can restore deleted Downloads folder Mac by simply finding it and not recovering it from deletion. However, there are actually two possible reasons why you can’t find the Downloads folder in the Trash. The first one would be because it wasn’t deleted in the first place, which is that case you can solve it with this method.

The second reason would be if it was permanently deleted, thus explaining why it wasn’t sent to the Trash. This is often the case when the user presses Shift + Delete instead of the Delete key only.

Part 4: Restore Deleted Downloads Folder Mac with Time Machine

How do I restore my Downloads folder? If your case involves deleting the Downloads folder permanently, there is only one solution left, and that would be to revert your whole computer altogether into its original state. In other words, you have to turn back time on your computer, which will return the Downloads folder along with other files and folders.

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Altogether it is quite extreme; there is an easy way to do this. And it involves a function that is literally named “Time Machine”, and you can probably guess what this function can do.

Time Machine is a built-in function in all Mac devices that allows users to turn back time on their computers. It is often used to solve any issues that may be related to the operating system.

Follow these steps if you are ready to restore deleted Downloads folder Mac:

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  1. Connect the Time Machine disk into your Mac. It should be the disk that you used when creating the Time Machine backup.
  2. Go to the Applications folder.
  3. Select Utilities and open the Migration Assistant.
  4. Follow the onscreen instructions until you get to the main page of Migration Assistant.
  5. Select From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk and click on Continue.
  6. Select the backup that you would like to use, preferably the one where the Downloads folder still exists and you already have the new files. Click on Continue.
  7. Select the files you want to include. I recommend including Applications, the option with your profile name, and Other files and folders. Click on Continue.

This will not only restore deleted Downloads folder Mac, but it will also restore other files that you have lost, regardless of whether you intend to recover them or not. The only downside of this is that you will lose some of your files, most likely the ones that you didn’t have before or the ones you have recently downloaded or transferred into your Mac.

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Part 5: Conclusion

A lot of users complain about not being able to access their Downloads folder the same way they did before. This often leads to many complications, but that just goes to show how important the Downloads folder is to Mac users.

Although it is quite difficult, you can always learn how to restore the deleted Downloads folder Mac. Once you have gained such skills, you can always keep tabs on your Downloads folder and possibly retrieve it if the worst comes to pass.

>Recovery >4 Best Ways to Restore Deleted Downloads Folder Mac for Free
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It happens many times when we delete some important files accidentally. It becomes crucial to recover this data as data contained in deleted files can affect performance. To recover this deleted data, you can follow certain steps to restore it manually or through some data recovery program. These data recovery programs help you to recover data more precisely and instantly. These steps can be helpful to you to recover deleted or lost data.

Accidently Deleted Download Folder On Mac Os

To recover deleted files on Mac, you can select the hard drive partition where you lost your important downloads. Scan for deleted files Recoverit will start scanning deleted files, which will display some recoverable files after the first scan. In this article, I will show you How to Recover Mac Deleted Files Permanently. Certainly, everyone is accidently deleting the files from smartphones, Computer, PC, Laptop, Mac or etc. For example, such as pictures, Videos, Audios, Documents and any other important files. How to Recover Deleted Downloads/Documents Folder on Mac? Downloads folder, as we all know that it is a default location in every macOS where stores all downloaded files. However, when you clean up files and folders, you may accidentally delete the whole Downloads folder. Even worse, the whole Documents folder disappeared suddenly. Follow the steps below just after you accidentally delete a file to undelete file on Mac: Step 1 As soon as after the deletion of file, quickly get to the “Edit” option in the Finder menu bar, and click on it. Once you will click on the Edit, you will see a drop-down menu appearing.

Look into the Trash can: This should be the first place when you try to recover your deleted files as this is the first holding place for all deleted files. The trash can hold your deleted items until the time you set them to be permanently deleted. You can open the Trash Can from the system’s desktop. Once you have opened the Trash Can, find the item you want to recover. Find the deleted file or files you want to restore by scrolling down the Trash Can items.

If the deleted item is no longer in the Trash Can, you can right-click the item and select Put Back option, it will restore the deleted item. If the Put Back option is not available, it means the original location is no longer present. Further, you can drag the file out of the Trash and place it on your desktop so that you can restore it later.

Check the Time Machine:

Time Machine backup software application was introduced with Mac OS X Leopard. It was distributed with the Apple OS X computer operating system. It is designed to work with the Time Capsule storage product and other internal and external disk drives. To recover files Time Machine, follow these steps:

Open the original window:

If you have earlier used the Time Machine function to create a backup of your files or folders you can access those files here. This way you can restore an older version of the file or folder that you have deleted. Open the window where the file was contained originally. For example, if you deleted something from Downloads folder, open the Downloads folder.

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Connect your Time Machine drive:

If you have Time Machine backup on an external or network drive make sure the drive is connected before going to next level.

Click on Time Machine menu:

Version

Show Downloads In Dock Mac

My Downloads Folder Is Missing

Go to menu bar and enter Time Machine. It may take a while your system connects to Time Machine drive.
Find the file: You can use the arrows to move back and forth to select snapshots of the folder or directly search the specific file using the search bar. You can also use the timeline on the right side of the screen to go directly to specific backup.

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Preview the backup file:

Deleted Downloads Folder Mac

Macos Dock Disappeared

Double-click a file to open it. Use the preview option to check the version of the file that is closest to the one you want.

Restore the file:

Select the file you want to restore and click Restore. The File will be restored to its original location.

Use a Data Recovery Program

Stop using drive immediately:

This step is the key to recover deleted files using data recovery program. Immediately stop using the drive as the file is deleted, as it can be overwritten. This way you can increase the chances of recovering deleted file.

Install the data recovery program:

Download the data recovery program on any other system or drive. It will lessen the chances of accidentally overwriting the deleted file. Try to install the program onto a disk drive in portable mode this way you can connect the drive to your system and can run it further.

Scan your drive: Select the drive from which you want to recover the file from. You may require specifying the type of file or files you want the program to look for. You can select Quick or Full/Deep scan for deleted file. Try Quick scan for instant results or next to go to Full or Deep scan. Mac address changer windows 8 download.

Select the file(s) you want to restore:

Select the file(s) you want to recover based on the scan results. You may need to sift through multiple files to find the one you want to recover.

Save your files:

Once you manage to recover the files try to save them to some other drive or external drive.

Data can be deleted due to numerous reasons. It can be mistakenly deleted using duplicate files finder tools or using Mac cleaner apps as well. In this situation to recover accidentally deleted data, you can follow above mentioned steps to recover lost data instantly.

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