Mac storage recovery · August 2026

How to Recover Deleted Partition on Mac?

A deleted partition is recoverable only while its old data remains untouched. Start with the physical disk, save recovered files elsewhere, plus avoid rebuilding the volume too early.

By Kismac-ng Journal Editorial Team Published
Quick answer

Stop using the affected disk, then scan its physical device with Disk Drill. Preview the found files before paying or recovering, then save everything to another drive. Use Time Machine instead if you already have a clean backup from before the partition vanished.

!

Do not erase, repartition, reinstall macOS, or create a new volume on the affected space. Those actions can overwrite the partition metadata or file contents you are trying to recover. If the disk clicks or disconnects, power it off.

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★ Editorial pick ★ 4.5 / 5

Scan a Deleted Mac Partition → Disk Drill

Searches the full physical disk · Previews found files before recovery · Runs on macOS plus Windows

✓ Free scan plus preview ✓ Byte-to-byte backup tool ✓ APFS plus HFS+ support
Scan the disk →

Top 5 Ways to Recover a Deleted Partition on Mac

01

Scan the Lost Partition With Disk Drill

Best first move when the physical disk still appears in Disk Utility

~15 min
Difficulty Easy
You need Disk Drill plus a second drive
Works for APFS, HFS+, exFAT, FAT32, NTFS

Disk Drill can search the whole physical device for lost partition data, even if the missing volume no longer mounts in Finder. Use this route before creating a replacement partition or erasing anything.

  1. Stop saving files to the affected disk. If it is external, disconnect it until you are ready to begin.
  2. Install Disk Drill on a different disk, never the device holding the deleted partition.
  3. Open Disk Drill, grant the requested macOS permissions, then select the physical device rather than a surviving volume beneath it.
  4. Click Search for lost data. Let every scan finish, since the lost partition may appear later in the process.
  5. Open the found partitions or review reconstructed files. Preview several important items to check whether they are readable.
  6. Select the files you need, click Recover, then save them to a separate healthy drive.
Disk Drill Review ↗
i A working preview is more useful than a filename alone when judging whether a file survived intact.
Open the Disk Drill website
02

Restore the Missing Files From Time Machine

Safest choice when a backup predates the partition loss

~20 min
Difficulty Easy
You need A usable Time Machine backup
Works for Personal files, apps, user accounts

Time Machine will not normally recreate a deleted partition entry by itself. It can put the files back onto a new healthy volume, which is usually what matters.

  1. Connect the Time Machine backup disk without erasing or reformatting the affected device.
  2. Create a new volume on a different healthy disk if you need a destination for the restored files.
  3. Open the folder where the missing files originally lived, then launch Time Machine through Spotlight.
  4. Move through the backup timeline to a date before the partition disappeared.
  5. Select the needed folders or files, then click Restore.
  6. For a full user-account recovery, open Migration Assistant from Applications > Utilities, then choose the Time Machine option.
i Check the date of the selected backup before restoring. A newer snapshot may already reflect the deletion.
Read Apple's Time Machine restore instructions
03

Run First Aid in Disk Utility

Useful when the partition is present but damaged, unmounted, or missing from Finder

~10 min
Difficulty Easy
You need Disk Utility
Works for Volumes with logical file-system errors

A volume can look deleted when its file system is damaged or macOS simply failed to mount it. First Aid may restore access, but it cannot undelete a partition entry that has truly been removed.

  1. Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities.
  2. Choose View > Show All Devices so the physical disk, containers, plus volumes are visible.
  3. Look for a dimmed volume beneath the affected device. Select it, then click Mount once.
  4. If it will not mount, select the volume, click First Aid, then confirm with Run.
  5. Repeat First Aid upward through the storage structure, starting with the volume, then its container, then the physical device.
  6. If the volume mounts, copy important files to another disk before doing further repairs.
i Skip First Aid if the disk clicks, disconnects, stalls, or reports severe hardware errors.
View Apple's Disk Utility repair guide
04

Rebuild the Partition Entry With TestDisk

Advanced option for an exact partition match on a stable drive

~30 min
Difficulty Advanced
You need TestDisk plus Terminal
Works for Supported partition maps, HFS+, FAT, exFAT

TestDisk can search a disk for old partition boundaries, then write a recovered entry back to the partition table. A wrong selection can make the layout worse, so recover files first whenever possible.

  1. Create a sector-level image of the affected disk if you have enough storage. Work from that image rather than the original when possible.
  2. Download TestDisk from the official CGSecurity site, extract it, then open Terminal in its folder.
  3. Run sudo ./testdisk , choose Create for the log, then select the affected physical disk.
  4. Accept the detected partition-table type unless you know it is incorrect. Choose Analyse, followed by Quick Search.
  5. Highlight a found partition, press P to list its files, then verify names plus folder contents. Use Deeper Search if the correct layout is absent.
  6. Choose Write only if the start position, size, file listing, plus neighboring partitions match the old layout exactly. Restart the Mac afterward.
i Do not write a guessed layout. Exit TestDisk if you cannot clearly identify the original partition.
Read the official TestDisk partition recovery guide
05

Send the Drive to a Recovery Lab

Right choice for unstable hardware or irreplaceable data

1–10 days
Difficulty Low effort
You need A professional recovery service
Works for Failing HDDs, damaged enclosures, unstable SSDs

DIY scans are a poor gamble when a disk clicks, repeatedly disappears, runs extremely slowly, or contains the only copy of critical work. A recovery lab can image unstable media with equipment unavailable in normal Mac software.

  1. Power off the drive or Mac. Do not keep reconnecting it to see whether it works this time.
  2. Write down what happened, including any erasure, partition change, fall, liquid exposure, noises, or repair attempts.
  3. Contact a lab that offers an evaluation plus a written quote before recovery begins.
  4. Ask whether the lab performs the work in-house, whether opening an HDD is done in a controlled clean environment, plus how recovered data is returned.
  5. Pack an external drive in an anti-static bag with firm padding. For a MacBook with soldered storage, send the whole computer if the lab requests it.
  6. When the recovered files arrive, open a sample from each important folder before approving the result.
i Physical damage does not improve with repeated software scans. Each extra power cycle may reduce the readable area.

How to Tell Whether the Mac Partition Is Deleted or Merely Unmounted

Open Disk Utility, then choose View > Show All Devices. If the volume appears beneath its container but is gray, try mounting it before treating it as deleted. If only empty space appears where the volume used to be, the partition entry may be gone.

If the physical device itself is missing, test another cable, port, enclosure, or Mac. Software cannot scan storage that macOS never detects.

When to Stop DIY Mac Partition Recovery

Stop if an HDD clicks, spins down repeatedly, or vanishes during reads. The same rule applies to an SSD or USB device that becomes unusually hot, disconnects, or reports the wrong capacity.

Also pause if FileVault encryption is involved but you lack the password or recovery key. A scan may locate encrypted sectors without producing usable files.

Choose a Mac Partition Recovery Method

Pick based on whether the problem is deletion, corruption, backup loss, or failing hardware.

Method Best for Time Success rate
1. Scan the Lost Partition With Disk Drill TRY FIRST A deleted volume on a readable disk ~15 min ● 82%
2. Restore the Missing Files From Time Machine Files covered by an older backup ~20 min ● 95%
3. Run First Aid in Disk Utility A present volume that will not mount ~10 min ● 65%
4. Rebuild the Partition Entry With TestDisk Recovering a verified partition boundary ~30 min ● 58%
5. Send the Drive to a Recovery Lab Unstable or physically damaged storage 1–10 days ● 72%

Which Mac Partition Recovery Method Should You Use?

Start with Disk Drill when the device is stable, visible in Disk Utility, plus missing its old partition. It lets you scan the physical disk, inspect found partitions, then preview files before copying them elsewhere. Choose Time Machine when a backup already contains the lost data, First Aid for a volume that still exists but will not mount, or a recovery lab for unstable hardware.

Top pick Disk Drill
Recover the files to a separate disk before attempting to recreate, resize, or repair the missing partition.

Mac Deleted Partition Recovery Questions

Can a deleted partition be recovered on a Mac?
Often, yes, if the old partition data has not been overwritten. Stop using the disk, then scan the physical device or restore the files from a backup.
Does deleting a partition immediately erase every file?
Usually the partition map changes before every underlying sector is overwritten. The files may remain recoverable until macOS or another app writes new data into that space.
Can Disk Utility recover a deleted partition?
Disk Utility can mount or repair an existing damaged volume. It does not provide a normal undelete command for a partition that was removed from the partition map.
Can Disk Drill find a partition that does not appear in Finder?
It can scan a physical disk that macOS still detects, even if the missing volume is absent from Finder. Scan the device-level entry rather than only a surviving volume.
Should I create a new partition in the empty space first?
No. Creating or formatting a replacement volume can overwrite old metadata plus file content, reducing the chance of recovery.
Where should I save recovered files?
Use a separate healthy disk with enough free space. Never recover files onto the same device that contains the lost partition.
Will First Aid make partition recovery harder?
It writes repairs in some situations, so it is not the first choice after a confirmed deletion. Use it when the volume still appears but has file-system errors or refuses to mount.
Can Time Machine restore the entire deleted partition?
Time Machine is better viewed as a way to restore the lost files, apps, or user account onto healthy storage. It generally does not recreate an accidentally deleted partition layout.
Can I recover an erased APFS volume?
Recovery may be possible if little or no new data was written afterward. Results can be poor on SSDs because TRIM may clear released blocks quickly.
Does FileVault prevent partition recovery?
FileVault-protected data requires the correct login password or recovery key. Without valid credentials, found encrypted data will generally remain unreadable.
Can I recover a deleted Boot Camp partition on Mac?
A scanner may recover files from the former NTFS area if they remain intact. Rebuilding a bootable Windows installation is less predictable, so prioritize copying personal files first.
Is TestDisk safe to use on a Mac?
Its search functions are useful, but writing a partition table is risky if the selected boundaries are wrong. Make an image first, verify the file listing, then write only an exact match.
What if the external disk is absent from Disk Utility?
Try another known-good cable, port, powered enclosure, or Mac. If the device remains undetected or makes unusual noises, contact a recovery lab.
How long does a lost-partition scan take?
A small SSD may scan fairly quickly, while a multi-terabyte HDD can take hours. Connection speed, bad sectors, encryption, plus disk health all affect the time.
Can I reinstall macOS before recovering the partition?
Avoid it if the deleted partition was on the internal disk. Installation writes a large amount of data, which may overwrite recoverable sectors.
Is professional recovery worth the cost?
It makes sense when the data is irreplaceable or the hardware is unstable. Ask for an evaluation, written quote, privacy terms, plus a clear no-data outcome policy before shipping the device.