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Are the Deleted Files/Erased Data on Mac Lost Forever?

Deleting a file from your Mac hard drive and emptying it from Trash can not permanently delete the file from your Mac. The file system only marks the disk space of the deleted file as available for new data. Before new data completely overwrites the disk space of the deleted file, the deleted file can be easily recovered by data recovery software or manual data recovery service.

Similarly, the lost data which is erased by Disk Utility or reformatted by third-part disk formatting tool, is not lost forever and also can be recovered. This rule applies to HDD, SSD, USB drive, SD card and all Mac machines.

It is not safe if you only factory reset your Mac, reinstall macOS and then give it to other people. The deleted/lost files on your Mac can be easily recovered by others and your private information may be used by some “bad people”.

How to Make Data Recovery Be Impossible on Mac?

Make data recovery be impossible on Mac

How to make data recovery be impossible or make deleted files be unrecoverable on Mac? The key to make data recovery be impossible is “Overwrite”. How to repeatedly overwrite the disk space of the deleted/lost files with useless data? One of the best ways is by using an eraser tool.

DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac is one of the best data erasure applications which offers certified data erasure standards to permanently erase data. It utilizes wipe-overwrite to shred files, wipe hard drive and erase deleted files, etc.

  • Permanently deleted files, shred folders, etc.
  • Wipe entire hard drive, HDD, SSD, USB flash drive, SD card, etc.
  • Make data recovery be impossible on Mac.
  • Wipe deleted/lost files on a Mac.
  • Easy-to-use data erasure tool.
  • Military & government erasure algorithms: HMG Infosec Standard 5 (1 pass), Peter Gutmann's algorithm 2 (2 passes), U.S. Army AR380-19 (3 passes), DoD 5220.22-M ECE (7 passes), Peter Gutmann's algorithm 35 (35 passes).

After downloading the software, you can try to launch the program and you can choose three different modes of data erasing.

Mode 1: Erase Files/Folders

If you still have some important files to be saved on your Mac hard drive, so you can choose to erase files/folders mode that allows you to select some files that are going to be destroyed forever. You can destroy some existing files or some deleted files by simply marking the files. Next, you can just simply click "Erase Now".

how to make data recovery impossible on Mac

Mode 2: Wipe Hard Drive

If you think that the data in the hard drive is no longer useful, so you can perform instant erasing by choosing the second mode. This mode will help you destroy all of the files on the hard drive permanently without having a chance to recover it back. However, this mode is only performed when you are already sure that the files or data on the hard drive are not important anymore. So, you can choose the hard drive and then just click "Wipe Now".

how to make data recovery impossible on Mac

Mode 3: Wipe Free Space

If you think that the existing data is still important, so you can choose wipe unused space mode where you will only be able to destroy the trash or the deleted files permanently. Here, you will still have a chance to keep your existing files on the hard drive. You only have to choose the volume or the storage of your Mac, and then click "Wipe Now".

how to make data recovery impossible on Mac

Note: Once the data is erased by DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac, the data will be lost forever and can’t be recovered by any method. You’d better make a full backup before you wipe your Mac’s hard drive with DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac.

FAQs About Making Data Recovery Be Impossible on Mac

1. Are the deleted files really gone after emptying Trash?

No, whether you have deleted the files or reformatted the hard drive, the deleted files are not lost forever. With Mac data recovery software, you can easily recover deleted files from the emptied Trash, HDD/SSD and external device. Follow the deleted file recovery steps:

  • Download and install Do Your Data Recovery for Mac, open it.
  • Select the hard drive where you delete the files.
  • Click on Scan button.
  • Preview and recover the deleted files.

2. How to make data recovery be impossible on Mac?

If you want to permanently delete a file on Mac, just delete it and overwrite the disk space with useless data. DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac can help you permanently delete a file on Mac, erase deleted file on Mac, etc.

3. How to wipe SSD on Mac?

If you want to wipe a SSD on Mac, just open DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac and select the SSD, click Wipe Now button to permanently erase all data stored on the SSD.

Final Words:

Before sell, donate or dispose of an old Mac, you’d better permanently erase all your private images, documents and videos, etc. To permanently erase data on Mac, make data recover be impossible, you can use a data erasure tool to help you shred files, wipe hard drive or erase deleted data, etc. As introduced in this article, DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac is able to securely and permanently erase data on a Mac, you can download and install it on your Mac, then use it to erase any data permanently.

DoYourData Author

Written & Updated by Shirly Chen

Shirly Chen has been writing data recovery, data erasure articles for DoYourData over 4 years. She has been working as a professional website content writer & editor for quite a long time. She also writes articles about disk clone, Mac optimization, disk backup, etc.

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