[5 Solutions for macOS] Recover Deleted Files After Upgrading to Catalina

Does upgrading to macOS Catalina erase everything?

Are you planning to upgrade to macOS Catalina, but worried about losing your data? Whether you're downloading macOS Catalina or updating to macOS Catalina, there's always a chance of data loss. Will the macOS update erase everything? Generally, updating to macOS Catalina won't delete everything on your Mac, but it may lead to data loss under certain circumstances:

• You want to clean install macOS from USB without a backup.
• The macOS Catalina update is stuck or failed.
• You don't have enough storage space on your Mac's disk to update to macOS Catalina.
• Your Mac gets stuck while downloading macOS Catalina.

If your files were deleted after the update, you can still get them back. In the next part, we will introduce 5 solutions to recover files deleted after updating to Catalina.

5 Ways to Recover Deleted Files After Upgrading to Catalina

We'll go over each of the five solutions in turn. You can recover deleted files after updating to Catalina with a data recovery tool, a Time Machine backup, iCloud, or Apple Support. You can also check your Mac's folders for missing files.

Tool 1: Recover Deleted Files After Updating to Catalina with Software

Using a file recovery software is the easiest way to recover deleted files after upgrading to Catalina. We have a video prepared to help you recover deleted files from Mac trash. You can check out the video for the highlights below:

• 00:21 Mac Recovery Utility
• 02:11 Restoring from Time Machine
• 03:05 Recovering Files Using Terminal

The Mac Data Recovery Wizard specializes in retrieving deleted files from the macOS Base System. Why should you choose this data recovery tool to get back your deleted files after updating to Catalina?

• Recover deleted files from your local Mac, USB flash drive, external hard drive, camera, or SD card after upgrading to macOS Catalina.
• Supports video recovery, graphic recovery, email recovery, and document recovery after upgrading to macOS Catalina.
• Restore deleted files on macOS Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, and more.

Recovering deleted files after upgrading to Catalina using the Mac Data Recovery Wizard is not difficult. Read on and learn the complete process:

Note: You can create a backup by clicking "Disk Backup" on the left first. You can then restore data from the backup image when the disk is damaged or data on the disk is accidentally deleted or lost.

Step 1: Choose a location

Select the disk from which you lost data after upgrading to macOS Sonoma/Ventura/Monterey/Big Sur, and click “Search for Lost Files.”

Step 2: Look for the Lost Data after Scanning

Data Recovery Wizard immediately scans the selected disk volume and displays the results in the left pane. You can use file types and paths to locate your desired data on the Mac.

Step 3. Recover Data after macOS Update

Select any target files that were accidentally lost during or after the update, and then click Recover to restore all of them.

Solution 2: Restore erased files after updating to Catalina using Time Machine

The second way to recover deleted files after upgrading to Catalina is by using Time Machine. Make sure that you have enabled Time Machine and regularly back up with it. Then, you can perform a recovery from Time Machine as described in this article.

Step 1: Click on “System Preferences” in macOS Catalina.

Click “System Preferences,” and find “Time Machine”:

Step 2: Run Time Machine by clicking on it.

Click on Time Machine to run it.

Step 3. Choose the backup to restore your deleted files from.

Step 4. Find the files you want to recover and click on “Recover.”

Solution 3: Recover Files Deleted after Updating to Catalina from iCloud

iCloud is Apple's built-in cloud storage service that comes with 5 GB of free storage for files. If you use iCloud, recovering deleted files after updating to Catalina is straightforward.

Step 1. Go to the official iCloud website, and sign in to your iCloud account.

Step 2: Click on “Account Settings.”

Click “Account Settings” to restore the file

3. Check the “Advanced Options” box, then click “Restore My Files.” You'll be able to select which files you want to restore from there.

Click “Recover Files,” then select the file you want to recover.

Solution 4: Check the Mac Trash to Recover Files After Updating to Catalina

Sometimes your files aren't deleted. They may just be hidden or moved after the update to Catalina. You can check your Mac's folders to recover missing files.

Step 1: Tap the "Go" button to bring up the menu.

Step 2: Click on "Go to Folder" to open a Finder window on your Mac.

Click on “Go to Folder” to open the Mac folder.

Step 3: Type ~ and then click on “Go.”

Step 4. You can now check each folder or search for the lost file names to find them.

Solution 5: Contact Apple Support to Recover Deleted Files After Updating to Catalina

If none of these four methods work, you can seek professional help by contacting Apple Support. How do you contact Apple Support?

1. If you're in the US, call 1-800-275-2273 to get in touch with Apple Support. 2. Visit the official Apple Support website at https://getsupport.apple.com/ to contact Apple Support. 3. Go to an Apple Retail Store near you.

Conclusions

Hopefully, you can retrieve your deleted files after updating to Catalina with the recommended solution. The easiest way to recover lost files on macOS Catalina is by using a professional file recovery tool. You can download the Mac Data Recovery Wizard tool by clicking the button below.

Frequently Asked Questions on Recovering Deleted Files After Upgrading to Catalina

We have more questions and answers about recovering deleted files after updating to Catalina that you might find helpful.

Will upgrading my Mac to Catalina erase everything?

Does updating macOS delete everything? Normally, upgrading your Mac to macOS Catalina won't delete your data or wipe everything from your Mac. However, you may lose data when downloading, installing, or updating macOS Catalina if it gets stuck or fails.

After upgrading to macOS Ventura, is it possible to recover lost photos?

You can quickly recover lost photos after updating to macOS Ventura using any of the following five solutions:

• 1. Recover lost photos using the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool.
• 2. Check the Recently Deleted album on your Mac.
• 3. Recover lost photos using iCloud.
• 4. Restore photos with Time Machine.
• 5. Retrieve lost photos from the Mac Trash.

Can I update to macOS Catalina without losing my data?

The secret to updating to macOS Catalina without losing data is to use Time Machine or iCloud to back up your Mac. If you forget to back up your Mac before updating to macOS Catalina, you can use recovery software, such as Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, to restore deleted files after updating to macOS Catalina.

How to recover lost files after updating to macOS Monterey?

The easiest way to recover missing files after updating to macOS Monterey is by using the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool.

1. Install and run the Mac Data Recovery Wizard.
2. Scan the disk to locate files lost after the macOS Monterey update.
3. Preview and recover lost files after updating to macOS Monterey.