Stolen MacBook Pro Retina (Mid-2012) Retrieved But Wiped

[Flimsy]

Dear Little Helpers,

I was lucky to retrieve my stolen MacBook Pro 15" Retina (Mid 2012), but it was already up for sale and therefore all the data has been wiped and the OS was newly installed. I don't know what exactly the thief and the technicians did to wipe it clean (whether they formatted it, or how) but when I got the computer back, and started it up, it opened on a fresh desktop window, with a new user profile created.

My first attempt was speaking to a Mac Genius, who told me that there is no data recovery for SSD drives, only for hard drives. Being determined to get my data back, I kept looking online and found all sorts of recovery softwares, claiming that data can be restored even for SSD drives.

So what's really up? It's great to have the MacBook back but obviously it's the data I'm after.

Please share your experiences and suggestions, eternally grateful for any leads that would help me put the data back in place where it belongs.

Thanks!

 

[GoCubsGo]

First, it is awesome that you got your computer back. Perhaps the next step is to invest in another drive to use for Time Machine.

It has been my understanding that data from an SSD may be recovered but I am unsure if this can be done by any typical user. I assume the process is absolutely more expensive than it would be if this was a standard HDD. SSDs that use TRIM also may be harder to recover data from because of the way the files are handled.

In the end, I would find a professional and get a quote. If that price is worth that data then do it.

 

[Flimsy]

Thanks for your feedback.

I would absolutely go to a professional, but I'm currently in Nigeria and the "Best Apple Genius in town" just told me that there's nothing I can do, which is why I'm looking for online recommendations.

Has anyone tried Yodot, EaseUS, Remo or the like?

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Do know, that the more you use it, the less chance there is of recovering any data, as the old files will be overwritten.

 

[Flimsy]

I haven't used the computer yet, I just picked it up from the Police Station an hour ago and haven't touched it beyond starting it up and putting it to sleep. I am aware that I'm not supposed to write anything on the drive, to avoid overwriting. That's why I'm asking what to do before I take any action that can't be reversed.

Any leads on data recovery softwares, anyone?

 

[tampasteve]

I have never tried this app and cannot recommend it from experience...but it may be worth a try:http://www.cleverfiles.com/

 

[bmac89]

This may not be possible, but may be worth considering...

Could you run OSX from an external drive and work from there to try an recover the internal SSD. That way you would not be writing/overwriting anything on the internal drive. Someone with more knowledge may be able to clarify this.

Good luck!

 

[blueroom]

As mentioned, there is no way to get that data off your SSD. It's not like magnetic storage.

Time to get a backup solution in place for the future.

 

[miahconnell]

Was the serial number changed?

Hey. my 2009 13" macbook pro was stolen here in Taipei, and I went to go see a seller whom I thought might be selling my machine. The computer had dings in the same places that mine had dings: but when I looked in "about this mac" there was a serial number different from mine. With no definite proof, I left empty handed. Can thieves change the serial number? Does swapping hard drives do the same thing?