How to Recover Deleted ZIP & RAR Files on Mac [4 Proven Ways]

RAR and Zip are two common archive file formats on both Windows and Mac, favored by many Mac users for their convenience and integrity. However, these Zip and RAR files can go missing due to unforeseen Mac issues like sudden crashes, accidental deletion, or file corruption.

So, how to recover deleted Zip and RAR files on Mac? Read on, and you will get 4 methods to recover RAR and Zip files on Mac.

Why would you want to delete a compressed file format? We listed 4 possible reasons:

• ❎ Loss of some RAR or ZIP files due to your Mac not working.
• ？Deletion or corruption of RAR or ZIP file contents due to system failures or virus infections.
• ？Accidental or intentional deletion, assuming it was no longer needed.
• ？An interrupted copy-paste operation of the ZIP or RAR file.

Recover Deleted Zip and RAR Files from Mac Trash

If you deleted your ZIP or RAR files but didn't empty the Mac Trash, you can quickly recover them from there. You can always launch the Mac Trash from the Dock. Follow these steps to restore compressed files from the Trash:

Step 1: Click on the Trash icon to open it. If you want to open it quickly, press Command + Shift + G and type in "Trash" to open it.

Step 2: Right-click on the Zip or RAR file you wish to recover and select it.

Step 3: Choose “Put Back” from the menu.

Click “Put Back”.

Step 4: The RAR or ZIP file should now be restored to its original location.

2. Recover Lost Mac ZIP and RAR Files Using Software

You can easily and quickly recover deleted Zip and RAR files from your Mac's internal/external hard drive and other storage devices using the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool.

The data recovery tool stands out for its professionalism, safety, and user-friendliness. With just three steps, you can preview and retrieve deleted files from Mac trash. Moreover, many of these other recovery software options support Windows, and these tools cater to both Windows and Mac users.

You can use the trial version (through the button above) to scan and preview lost files for free. After verifying that the software is effective, you can decide whether to recover your lost files.

There is much more to our story.

• Besides the trial version, this free data recovery software also offers a service to recover up to 2 GB of data on Mac.
• It supports Zip file recovery and can restore over 1000 different file types, such as pdf, doc, excel, ppt, and more.
• It helps you swiftly complete the recovery of all your archived files on Mac.

Here are the steps to recover different types of documents on your Mac:

Note: You can create a backup first using the "Disk Backup" on the left. The software will recover your documents from the backup image. This prevents further damage to your disk and data, making it safer and more reliable.

Step 1: Scan for Lost Files

Select the location where you lost your important Word/Excel/PPT/Numbers/Pages document and then click “Search Lost Files”.

Step 2: Look for Lost Files on Your Mac

After running the “Data Recovery Wizard for Mac”, the program will immediately scan the disk volume you've chosen. The scanning results will be displayed in the left panel. Select “Documents” and quickly filter out your previously lost DOC/PDF/PPT/XLS files.

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Documents

Double-click to select and preview the target file. Then, click “Recover” to get your lost document back immediately.

3. Recover Lost Zip and RAR Files from Mac Time Machine

Another quick way to restore deleted Zip and RAR files on Mac is by using the built-in backup feature on your Mac called Time Machine Backup.

Time Machine is supported on macOS 10.5 or later. It was originally introduced with macOS 10.5 Leopard but was comprehensively redesigned in macOS 11 Big Sur. If your archive files were backed up using Time Machine, you can follow these steps:

Step One: Click on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar.

Step 2: Open the folder that contained the deleted Zip or RAR file.

Step 3. After selecting the files you want to restore from the backup, click the “Restore” button.

This method is simple and applicable to many file recovery scenarios, hence the recommendation to regularly back up your data.

4. Recover Zip and RAR Files from Temp Folder on Mac

A RAR or ZIP file on a Mac might store an unsaved compressed document in the Temporary folder. Your Mac also temporarily stores program data and other files in this area. Though, finding it can be challenging for many Mac users. Thus, you can recover deleted files from the Trash on a Mac.

How to Recover Deleted or Lost Zip or RAR Files:

Step 1: Click on “Applications” > “Utilities,” and then double-click to open the Mac Terminal.

Step Two: In the terminal, type open $TMPDIR to open the TMP folder where temporary files are stored.

Step 3: Inside the “TMP” folder, locate and open the “TemporaryItems” folder. Right-click on any compressed files you find there and select “Open with Microsoft Word.”

4. Choose File > Save As to save the ZIP and RAR files elsewhere.

To avoid losing the files or getting complicated save paths, it's better to save the recovered files to another secure and accessible storage disk.

These were the four ways to recover zip and RAR files on Mac. If any of these methods helped you restore your compressed files, share it on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more!

Final Words

While ZIP is a more well-known and mature compressed file format, compatible with most systems and comprising a significant portion of internet files, RAR has an advantage in terms of efficiency and speed. Both formats effectively compress your files without compromising content quality. However, there are three common reasons for file loss:

• MacOS system crash or hardware failure
• Accidental deletion of Zip and RAR files
• Virus infection or other system malfunctions

If you accidentally lose your Zip or RAR files, don't panic. You can still retrieve them using any of the 4 methods outlined in this article. We recommend utilizing the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool for a quick and hassle-free file recovery process. With its user-friendly interface and powerful data recovery capabilities, you can ensure that your lost information is safely restored.

Frequently Asked Questions on Recovering Deleted Zip and RAR Files on Mac

Here are 4 extra questions about recovering Zip and RAR files on a Mac. Click here to see the answers.

**1. How can I restore an edited ZIP file without extracting its contents?** Restoring an edited ZIP file to its original state without extracting the files first can be challenging. Here are some potential methods: 1. **Use a backup**: If you have a backup of the ZIP file, simply replace the edited version with the backup copy. 2. **Version control**: If the editing was done within a version-controlled environment (like Git), you can revert to an earlier commit to retrieve the unmodified files. 3. **File recovery tools**: Certain data recovery tools might help you recover previous versions of the ZIP file. Examples include Recuva and tools Data Recovery Wizard. Note that this is not guaranteed to restore the original file, and there's a risk of data loss. 4. **Online decompression services**: Some online ZIP unpacking services might have cached copies of your file. Try uploading the file, re-downloading it, and see if you get the unedited version. 5. **Built-in software features**: Some compression software (like WinRAR or 7-Zip) has a "Repair" function that you can attempt on damaged or edited ZIP files. Remember, without a backup, recovery can be difficult or even impossible. Therefore, regular data backups are the best strategy to prevent such issues.

• If you downloaded the ZIP file from the internet, try downloading it again.
• If the file is missing or currently invisible, use a file recovery program to restore the ZIP file.
• Then, you can run a third-party compression program like WinRAR to repair the corrupted ZIP file, or reinstall your decompression tool to open the ZIP file.

How can I recover a deleted RAR file from my computer?

A powerful data recovery tool like the Data Recovery Wizard can still retrieve the deleted RAR file when it's not found in the Windows Recycle Bin or the Mac Trash. To avoid overwriting the deleted file, stop using the drive where the file was located immediately.

3. How to recover permanently deleted RAR files?

Lost files can be recovered with the Data Recovery Wizard tool for Mac.

Step 1: Select the location from where the file was deleted. To look for permanently deleted files, click on the “Scan” option.

Step 2: On the left sidebar, the Data Recovery Wizard will display the files it finds.

Step 3. Preview the items you're looking for when recovering permanently deleted RAR files on Mac, and then click the “Recover Now” button.

4. What's the difference between ZIP and RAR files?

ZIP is a standard file format that plays nicely with many implementations. RAR is a proprietary format that only works with specific third-party programs.