How I Recovered My Photos from HDD that mac stopped showing up

For photographers, losing access to your photos is a professional nightmare. 😱 When my external HDD failed a few months ago (and this isn’t my first rodeo with HDDs 😐), I felt that all-too-familiar sinking feeling of potentially losing irreplaceable work. Despite my usual backup routine, I hadn’t yet backed up my latest projects. Thankfully, I discovered a tool that came to my rescue and saved the day…

If you're short on time, feel free to skip reading the article (it’s just my drama story)! Here’s the tool that saved me: Wondershare Recoverit.

Start with the free version to check if it can detect your HDD/SD card and locate your files. If it does, I highly recommend upgrading to a paid license since the free version only allows you to recover 100MB of data. I personally opted for the perpetual license, and it’s been a lifesaver. 😅 Do I advertise this tool? 100% YES! If you purchase the tool through my link, I will earn a small fee at no extra cost to you. I’m sharing this tool because it genuinely saved me, and I hope it can help you too. 🙏

The Moment of Panic: When Your HDD Fails

Picture this: I plugged in my external HDD, ready to edit photos from recent shoots, and... nothing. My Mac didn’t recognise the drive. I switched cables, tried different ports, and even tested it on another laptop. No luck.

The real kicker? A few of the latest photoshoots weren’t backed up yet. This was a major wake-up call for me. Without those images, I faced the possibility of disappointing clients, losing income and my reputation. 😫

Solution to my drama

I started researching recovery tools. Some options were overly complex, others required sending my HDD to a lab (costing hundreds of pounds and taking ages). Then I found Wondershare Recoverit, a tool that offered a free version to test its functionality.

When I downloaded Recoverit, I had no idea if it would work. But to my surprise, it detected my HDD when my Mac couldn’t even recognise it. Here’s what happened:

1. The free version allowed me to preview files and recover a few megabytes of data (max 100 MB). While limited, it reassured me that my files were still there, and they are open-able 😅

2. To recover several GB, I purchased the perpetual license (in my case - for Mac. Btw for Windows it’s a bit cheaper!). The upgrade was worth every penny, as it gave me full access to unlimited data recovery.

3. The recovery process was simple:

   1. Scanning the HDD: Recoverit began scanning my drive, which, given its size, took a couple of hours. However, alredy within the first 20-30 minutes, I could preview my “lost” photos.

   2. Recovering Files: The tool allows selective file recovery, so I prioritised the most critical photos first. Larger files took longer to download, but the process was seamless.

Now, whilst my HDD remains unreadable by my Mac 🤦‍♀️ , I can still access it through Recoverit whenever needed. I didn’t download the whole HDD (I bet it would take hours and hours), as I have backups of most of the files, but it still good to know that if needed - I can get access to this HDD through this software.

The Pros and Cons of Recoverit

Pros:

• Recognises drives that your Mac or other systems can’t detect.

• User-friendly interface, even for non-tech-savvy users.

• Selective recovery saves time when retrieving essential files.

Cons:

• Scanning large drives can be time-consuming.

• Not something new but downloading large files can also take time.

Lesson Learned - Always back up

Once again, this experience highlighted the importance of a robust backup system. I usually use a combination of external HDDs and cloud storage for redundancy (I’ve been using Backblaze for a few years now). But you can also use Dropbox, OneDrive etc.

Addressing SD Card Failures

While my experience was with an HDD, I know that Wondershare Recoverit can also recover files from SD cards. Though I haven’t tried this feature myself, it’s a promising option for photographers who use SD cards for their shoots.

Final Thoughts: Why Every Photographer Needs a Backup Plan

The experience of nearly losing my photos taught me two things:

1. You can never have too many backups.

2. When disaster strikes, having the right tools can save you.

I hope my story helps other photographers avoid the panic I felt. If you’ve ever faced a similar situation or have your own recovery tips, share them in the comments below! We all need that 😅