URGENT!! Recovering a deleted folder (Without Time Machine)

[BlakTornado]

My friend has accidentally deleted a REALLY important folder on his iMac, and needs to get it back.

I read that OSX leaves the data on the disk until it's over-written by a new item (basically leaving the data where it is, but telling the rest of the computer that it's unused data, and free for other applications to use)

By that logic, it should be possible to restore the folder, if it wasn't deleted too long ago, right?

My friend doesn't have Time Machine (I don't think)...

All help will be REALLY appreciated.

 

[CanadaRAM]

First step: Turn the machine off. Now.
Your chance of recovery reduces with every minute OSX is running, because it will overwrite the deleted space with temp files quite quickly.

Second step: Get Data Rescue II software, run it. Have an external drive ready to recover the data to.

 

[macforlife1987]

Yea get Data Rescue II

Its amazing, I recovered loads of films, photos and documents that were accidently deleted.

Use an ipod for an external disk if your stuck, just make sure to switch it to mass storage device in itunes before you connect it.

 

[someone28624]

Final step- use time machine to avoid future panics.