How to recover HFS/ HFS+ partitions and data on Mac?

How to recover from HFS Partition on Mac OS X? Can Data Recovery software access files on corrupted, deleted or lost HFS partitions? How do I perform HFS Partition Recovery to get back my lost files?

As a Mac user, you might need a solution to save your precious files when data is lost from HFS/HFS+ partitions. In such a condition, you can go through this page to know the easy way to recover HFS partition in Mac OS X.

Reasons for HFS/HFS+ Partition Loss

A Mac is made up of local partitions or logical drives, just like any other operating system, and its most commonly used file system is HFS (Hierarchical File System) and HFS+ (Hierarchical File System Plus). These are the two file systems that are used on Mac partitions, meaning that all of your important data and documents are saved within an HFS or HFS+ partition.

However, at times, your HFS partition becomes invisible and you are unable to access your files. Below are some common factors that might lead to the invisibility of HFS partition and data loss issues:

    • HFS Partition Deletion
    • Damaged HFS or HFS+ Partition
    • Improper Handling
    • Virus Attack
    • Hard Drive Formatting
    • Reinstallation of Mac OS etc.

In such cases, you can use a Mac Data Recovery Software to get back the lost files from HFS partition. The recommended software here can also be used to recover lost APFS partition data on macOS Mojave, High Sierra, and Sierra.

HFS/HFS+ Partition Recovery: Recover Files from HFS Partition on Mac OS X

Here are the detailed steps to perform HFS, HFS+ Partition Data Recovery:

Step 1: Search for the missing file

On macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, and the latest Ventura, select the disk location where you lost the file (it can be either the built-in HDD/SDD or a removable storage device). Then, click on the “Start Lost File Search” button.

Recover Data Step 1

Step 2: Check the scan results

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will scan the disk volume you select immediately and display the scanning results.

Recover Data Step 2

Step 3: Select the files and recover them.

Select the files you want to preview from the scan results, and then click the “Recover” button to get them back.

Recover Data Step 3

Caution:
To prevent further data loss, save the HFS or HFS+ partition data to another secure location on your Mac hard drive or an external storage device.

Bottom line

After going through the tutorial to recover HFS partitions on Mac OS X, I believe you can easily retrieve lost files from the invisible HFS partition.

Meanwhile, if you are unable to access your files after formatting the partition to HFS, you can go through the article on how to recover formatted partition in Mac OS X for solutions.