Recover MKV Files on Mac | How to Open or Recover MKV Files

MKV files (short for Matroska Video) are commonly used for high-definition movies and videos, especially those downloaded from the Internet. It can be frustrating when you try to start a video editing project or watch a movie and can't find an MKV file. But don't worry too much.

This article will introduce 5 ways to recover MKV files on Mac. It recommends the best MKV recovery software – tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, a reliable tool to quickly get back MKV files.

Since Mac computers are used for multiple purposes and store different types of files, you might lose MKV videos stored on it at times. Here are a few factors that might result in the loss of valuable MKV video files:

• ✔️Accidental Deletion: Users often unintentionally delete MKV video files, resulting in the removal of these video files.
• ✔️Accidental Formatting: Formatting the Mac drive that stores MKV movie files can lead to massive data loss.
• ✔️Virus Attack: In some cases, MKV video files may vanish without your knowledge due to malicious viruses.
• ✔️Technical Issues: Problems like incorrect file system conversion, hard disk crashes, or damage to storage devices can cause loss of MKV files saved on the Mac system.

1. Recover MKV Files on Mac with Professional Software

The preferred and best way to recover lost MKV files is by using a powerful video recovery software – Any Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. It's an all-in-one solution to restore MKV video files from external devices or computer under any data loss situation.

Do you believe your screen recording is gone forever? No, the data is still on your Mac, and you can recover it by yourself. All you need is a Video Recovery tool to help you find it.

This secure video-recovery tool can also do other things:

• ？ Recover Files from Mac Trash. This application helps you retrieve all deleted files from your Mac after emptying the trash.
• ？ Repair Corrupted Files on Mac. This application assists in restoring and repairing corrupted video files on your Mac.
• ？ Recover deleted photos and videos from your camera, with support for video recovery from Sony, Leica, Nikon, and Canon cameras.

Here are the simplest steps to recover MKV files on Mac:

Step 1: Select the location to scan

Run the Mac Data Recovery Wizard and select the hard drive, SSD, SD card, USB flash drive, or TF card from where you lost data. Click “Find Lost Files” to start scanning.

Note: Before data recovery, it's recommended that you click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar to create a backup of your Mac to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can write new data again.

Step 2: Filter Lost Mac Data

The software will automatically scan for lost data on your MacBook or iMac. Once the scan is complete, you can filter out the desired data using the “Type” and “Path” buttons.

Step 3: Recover the lost data or files

Preview the files and then click the “Recover” button to restore the lost data to another location.

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2. Recover Hidden MKV Files via Terminal

In addition to using keyboard shortcuts, you can access hidden files and folders on a Mac through the command line interface in Terminal. Here's how:

Step 1. Open the Terminal application from Launchpad/Spotlight/Mac's Finder.

Step 2. Type the following command in your terminal window:

The command in American English would be: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true This command, when executed, reveals all hidden files and folders in the Finder on macOS.

Step Three: Force quit the Finder by executing the command killall Finder.

Figure 1: Terminal window

This will show all hidden files and folders. If your MKV files were hidden, you can use this method to reveal and recover them.

Of course, more can and should be done.

 

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3. Recover Deleted MKV Files from Time Machine Backup

For Mac users, Time Machine backups are a must, and this powerful data backup solution comes in really handy. Most importantly, it can help you avoid unnecessary data loss on your Mac.

If you have a recent Time Machine backup, you can recover a deleted file on Mac without software. You might have had Time Machine backing up your files without you even realizing it, so it's worth checking out Time Machine in any case.

If you have Time Machine set up in the menu bar, you can find an entry to it in the Apple menu.

Step 2: All the available backups will be displayed, from which you should select one to locate your deleted MKV video.

Step 3. Once you've selected the files or folders, click “Restore” to get them back.

4. Recover deleted MKV files from Trash

We'll guide you through the steps to recover deleted MKV files from Mac's Trash. If you accidentally removed an MKV video using the "Move to Trash" shortcut and have not yet emptied the Trash, then the MKV files would be in the Trash. Let us walk you through finding and restoring MKV files from the Trash:

Step 1. Find the Trash icon in your Mac Dock.

Step 2. Click the Trash icon to open the Trash.

Step 3: Locate and select the deleted MKV file you wish to recover.

Step 4. Right-click it and choose “Put Back” to restore the MKV file.

Please provide the English content you want to translate, and I will translate it into Chinese for you as soon as possible.

 

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5. Retrieve MKV File with the Undo Option

If you accidentally deleted important MKV files on your Mac, you can recover them by using the “Undo” option. However, you have to do this quickly after deleting the files. This method won't work once you've permanently emptied the Trash or erased the data.

Step 1. After moving or deleting MKV video files on your Mac, click “Edit” from the Apple menu at the top of the screen.

Step 3: The action will be immediately undone. You can also reverse a move or deletion with command + Z.

A Guide to Preventing Loss of MKV Files

You could easily avoid losing MKV files if you were more careful. Here are some precautions to prevent future loss of MKV files:

• Avoid abruptly removing the storage device while transferring MKV video files.
• Be cautious when deleting unnecessary data from the storage device.
• Always back up valuable MKV videos on an external device.

In short

If you accidentally delete important MKV video files, don't worry; there are several ways to recover them. You can use Command Prompt or restore MKV files easily from a backup. If these methods fail, you can always rely on a professional MKV video recovery tool like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, which can recover your MKV files from any storage device with simple steps.

Frequently Asked Questions on Recovering MKV Files on Mac

Here are 4 more questions about recovering MKV files on Mac. Click here to view the answers.

1. Is it possible to recover deleted MKV files without using software?

No need for software, you can recover MKV files with the following methods:

• 1. Recover MKV files from Mac Trash.
• 2. Undo deletion on Mac.
• 3. Restore deleted MKV files with Time Machine.

2. Which apps can play MKV files?

An MKV video player can play MKV-formatted videos from CDs, DVDs, hard drives, phones, and other storage devices. MKV files can be opened on media players like VLC Media Player, MX Player, or KMPlayer, which are available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

3. Why won't MKV files play on Mac?

Though MKV files are not natively supported by the Mac system, you can open and play them by installing a Quicktime plugin or using a third-party, open-source, and free program that includes the necessary AVI codecs. The best way to open and play MKV files on a Mac is with Quicktime and the Perian plugin.

If your MKV video isn't playing, try using a different media player, such as VLC, KMPlayer, or any player that supports various file formats and codecs. If that doesn't resolve the issue, attempt to play the video on another system.