Missing Documents

[mmpotash]

I've had my iMac, 10.5.8 version, for over 2 years with no issues till now. Last week one of my Pages documents was missing and today another pages document. I searched using Spotlight and Finder but could not find them. The trash did not have them. Unfortunately I had not backed them up for a couple months. My girlfriend, who isn't very Mac knowledgeable, said she had not opened them.
How do I recover lost files? I do not use Time machine.

 

[GGJstudios]

If they're not in the trash and you have no backups, you're out of luck.

 

[mmpotash]

Missing Pages Documents

I just found out my girlfriend has been emptying the trash periodically

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

So you've been putting Pages documents in the Trash that you weren't meaning to delete? Or has she been putting random documents in the Trash?

 

[old-wiz]

The trash is NOT a place to store documents. The only thing you put in the trash is something you don't want back. OSx provides a documents folder, why not store them there?

 

[mmpotash]

Missing Pages Documents

I did not put those items in the trash, and she says she didn't either. That being said, I suspect she randomly hits keys without understanding what she screws up.

Is there any way to retrieve these items after the trash is deleted?

 

[GGJstudios]

Is there any way to retrieve these items after the trash is deleted?

As I said earlier, no.

 

[Gregg2]

If you have printed copies, you could give them to your girlfriend and tell her that all that stuff has to go back on the computer screen. Hide all your glue, tape, staplers, etc.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

As I said earlier, no.

This is not quite correct. Unless the OP secure-deleted the files, there is a chance that the OP could recover them with data-recovery software. Not a big chance, but a chance nonetheless.

Look around on Google for recovery programs. One I use is called photorec. It's a tiny terminal program designed for recovering images but I've had success with other filetypes as well. Good luck!

Remember, there's not a very good chance you'll get what you need, but it's worth a shot. Recover the files to a partition NOT the one you've lost from... so an external drive or flash drive would be ideal.

 

[chown33]

Looking forward, two other things to do:
1. Create a separate non-admin account for gf.
2. Make regular backups.

 

[GGJstudios]

there's not a very good chance you'll get what you need,

That's why I said no. It's better not to set expectations, when it appears enough time has gone by that those files have been overwritten by now.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

That's why I said no. It's better not to set expectations, when it appears enough time has gone by that those files have been overwritten by now.

I didn't set expectations either, but I did lay out the options.