How to Recover Lost Files from a USB Flash Drive on Mac [with 3 Proven Methods]

This post will show you 3 tested methods to recover lost files from a USB flash drive on a Mac. Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover your lost or deleted files from a USB flash drive without data loss!

Suppose you saved videos, photos, documents, audio, etc., on your USB flash drive and suddenly found they were lost. Don't panic! This post will introduce effective methods to recover lost files from a USB flash drive on a Mac. Keep reading.

Method 1. Recover Lost Files from a USB Flash Drive Using Software

When you find that your files stored on a USB drive were lost, consider the possibility that you accidentally deleted them; in this case, you can recover lost files from a USB flash drive on a Mac using a USB flash drive recovery tool.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can recover both lost and deleted files from a USB flash drive with a user-friendly operation. It can recover files from a USB flash drive that is not showing up on a Mac due to corrupted files or bad sectors. Besides, no matter what file types you lose, the EaseUS software can locate and recover them quickly and safely!

Here are steps to recover lost files from a USB flash drive on a Mac:

Step 1. Connect your USB drive to your Mac

Correctly connect your USB flash drive to your Mac. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. Start selecting the flash drive and click "Search for lost files" to let the software scan for lost files on it.

Note: Before data recovery, you'd better click "Disk Backup" from the left sidebar to create a backup of your USB drive to avoid further data loss. After backing up the USB drive, the software can recover data from your USB drive backup, and you can remove the USB flash drive and use it again.

Step 2. Find lost data on the USB drive

After the scan, all files will be presented in the left panel in the scan results.

Step 3. Recover data from flash drive

Select the files you want to recover and click the "Recover" button. Don't save the recoverable files to the USB drive itself in case of data overwriting.

To easily understand the USB recovery process on a Mac, we also provide a video about how to recover lost or deleted files from a USB flash drive on a Mac. Take a look!

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Method 2. Unhide the Lost Files from a USB Flash Drive on a Mac

If your USB flash drive files are hidden, you can't see them when you open the USB flash drive folder on your Mac, so you may think they are lost. Here are steps to show hidden files on an external hard drive on a Mac, including a USB flash drive:

Step 1. Insert your USB flash drive into a USB adapter and connect it to your Mac.

Step 2. Open the USB flash drive folder from your Mac desktop.

Step 3. Press "Command (⌘) + Shift + ." to unhide the hidden files in the USB flash drive folder.

Method 3. Check the Trash Bin to Restore Lost Files from a USB Drive

Your lost files can be accidentally deleted; the deleted files from a USB flash drive will be moved to the Trash bin, and you can't access them in the USB flash drive folder. But don't worry; macOS has a restore feature in the Trash bin to allow users to return their deleted files to their original storage location within 30 days.

Check out the following steps to recover deleted files on a Mac:

Step 1. Click the trash bin icon from the Mac Dock to open "Trash".

Step 2. Find and select the lost USB flash drive files that you want to restore from the Trash bin.

Step 3. Control-click on the select files and choose the "Put Back" option to restore them to your USB flash drive.

Conclusion

This article discusses 3 effective methods to recover lost files from a USB flash drive on a Mac: using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac (the most effective way), pressing "Command (⌘) + Shift + ." to show the hidden files on the USB flash drive, and using the "Put Back" option in your Mac Trash bin.

Recover Lost Files from a USB Flash Drive on Mac FAQs

Here are questions people frequently ask when they search for how to recover lost files from a USB flash drive on a Mac; take a look:

1. Can I recover any data lost on my USB flash drive?

In most cases, you can recover lost data from the Mac Trash Bin with its "Put Back" feature, but if you emptied the trash bin or the files were deleted over 30 days, the only way to recover data loss on your USB flash drive is using data recovery software, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, which is the most effective way when you encounter data loss on a USB flash drive.

2. How do I find missing files on my Mac flash drive?

Check out the following steps:

Step 1. Open "Disk Utility" and select the flash drive in the devices list.

Step 2. Click the "First Aid" button on the top menu, and click "Run" to repair your flash drive.

Wait for the First Aid process to complete, then check if the missing files appear. If the First Aid process has failed, install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to quickly scan your flash drive and find all recoverable files.