How to Recover Data from HFS, HFS+ Partitions on Mac

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

How to recover from HFS Partition on Mac OS X? Can data recovery software access files on a corrupted, deleted or lost HFS partition? How do I perform HFS Partition Recovery to retrieve lost files?

As a Mac user, when you lose data from HFS/HFS+ partition, you might need a solution to save your precious files. In that case, you can read on to know the simple way to perform HFS partition recovery in Mac OS X.

Causes of Lost HFS/HFS+ Partition

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

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

- Deletion of HFS Partition - Corruption in HFS or HFS+ partition - Improper handling - Virus attack - Hard drive formatting - Reinstallation of Mac operating system, etc.

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

Recover HFS/HFS+ Partition: Restore 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, Ventura, and the latest Sonoma, select the disk location where you want to search for the missing file (it can be either an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device). Then, click on the “Search for Lost Files” button.

Note: Before data recovery, it's better to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup for 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: Review the scan results

Mac Data Recovery Wizard immediately scans the disk volume you select and displays the scan results.

Step 3: Select the files to be recovered

In the scan results, select the files you want to preview and then click the "Recover" button to get them back.

Bottom line

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

Meanwhile, if you are not able to access your files after formatting the HFS partition, read how to recover formatted partition on Mac OS X to find the solution.