My Downloads Folder Disappeared Mac

Workable SolutionsStep-by-step Troubleshooting
3 Ways to Recover Folder Disappeared from Desktop on Windows 10/8/7
  1. Tip 1. Show hidden files using CMD
  2. Tip 2. Restore lost desktop files from previous versions
  3. Tip 3. Recover desktop files with software...Full steps
6 Ways to Recover Folder Disappeared from Desktop Mac
  1. Tip 1. Unhide files by using Finder
  2. Tip 2. Show hidden files with Terminal
  3. Tip 3. Find folders through Stacks ...Full steps

Issue: Folder Disappeared From Desktop Mac

Downloading anything to keep something in 'download list'. Make sure (at least in the 'very first time') you are NOT in 'private window'. Even though I followed steps 1 through 3, my solution came after downloading a file in public window. Afterwards, download button was visible again even to my private windows. Are you facing any issue related to Mac Desktop? Like disappearing files and folders, icons not showing, or missing dock and toolbar. Reading on, recover everything that disappeared on Mac Desktop. If your folders disappeared from desktop Mac or Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, you can restore lost desktop files in 9 ways. One of the most effective ways to retrieve desktop files is using EaseUS data.

Users like to place their frequently-used folders or files on the desktop so that they can get quick access to those files whenever they need them. But they don't know that this habit dramatically increases the danger of data loss caused by accidental deletion, system crash, or sudden power failure. As a result, the demand for recovering folders disappeared from the desktop arise.

In this article, we will show you various ways to restore desktop files or folders that disappeared on Mac. What's more, useful ways to recover folders that disappeared from the Windows desktop are also demonstrated in this article. Let's start now.

3 Ways to Recover Folder Disappeared from Desktop on Windows 10/8/7

If you are a Windows operating system user, you can get back disappeared desktop files by using Windows 10 data recovery software, CMD, or the previous version.

Tip 1. Show Hidden or Disappeared Files Using CMD

Your desktop files may get missing from your Windows PC if they are hidden. But you can let them show up with the command prompt. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Press Windows + X keys and select Command Prompt (CMD) as an Administrator.

Or you can click the Windows icon, select 'Search' and type the command prompt. Right-click on it and select to open Command Prompt as Administrator.

Step 2. Determine the drive or storage device where the files are hidden and you want to recover.

Step 3. Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d G:*.* and hit 'Enter'. (If it's drive D, then replace G: with the drive letter for your device).

Tip 2. Restore Lost Desktop Files from the Previous Version

If you want to try a manual solution to show files that disappeared from the desktop on Windows 10/8/7, you can follow these steps.

Step 1. Create a new folder on the desktop and name it with the same name as the disappeared folder.

Step 2. Right-click the folder and click 'Properties' > Previous Versions'. And then Windows will search for and list the previous versions of the deleted or lost files or folders.

Step 3. Choose the latest one and click 'Restore' > 'OK' to recover the disappeared folder from the desktop.

Tip 3. Recover Missing Desktop Files on Windows with Software

My Downloads Folder Disappeared Mac

If you are a Windows user, you can also use the Windows version disk data recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. This tool is famous for its high recovery rate and ultimate data recovery features. You can use it to recover deleted files from emptied recycle bin, formatted disk/partition, corrupted internal/external hard drive, lost partition, and more.

Now, download this top-ranking data recovery tool to recover folders that disappeared from the desktop on a Windows computer within three steps.

Step 1. Select the location to scan lost folder

Under the Location section, click 'Browse' on Select Folder to choose the location where you lost the folder and click 'OK' to scan the lost folder.

My Downloads Folder Disappeared Mac Download

Step 2. Find and preview found files in the lost folder

If you remember the folder name, type the folder name in 'Search' to quickly find the lost folder. Then open the found folder and double-click to preview lost files.

Or you can use the left pane to locate the lost folder, then use 'Filter' and 'Type' to specify the desired files.

Step 3. Recover and save the lost folder with files

Last, select the folder and files and click 'Recover', browse to choose a new & secure spot on your PC and click 'OK' to save it.

6 Ways to Recover Folder Disappeared From Desktop Mac

There are two reasons that may cause the folders on your Mac desktop to disappear, one is that the folders are hidden, and the other is that the files are deleted. No matter if your files/folders are hidden or deleted, you can use the following effective ways to retrieve the missing files.

Among them, the most effective way is to recover missing Mac files with EaseUS Mac data recovery software. If you don't want to use data recovery software, you can try other ways below.

Tip 1. Use Finder to Find Missing Mac Desktop Folders

macOS Finder helps organize files and folders. If you can't find a file or folder, you can find hidden files in Finder in the ways below.

Step 1. First, relaunch the Finder by clicking the Apple logo at the left top corner. Then click 'Force Quit > Finder > Relaunch'. If this doesn't work, you can try troubleshooting with the Finder.

Step 2. In Finder, open your Macintosh HD folder. Press Command + Shift + . (Dot) to make the hidden files appear. You can also do the same from inside the Documents, Applications, and Desktop folders.

Tip 2. Show Hidden Files with Terminal

The terminal command can unhide any hidden files on Mac.

Step 1. Go to 'Finder > Applications > Utilities' and double-click 'Terminal'.

Step 2. In Terminal, run these commands in order:

Type defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true, and press Return

Type killall Finder and press Return


When the commands run, you can see your hidden files in Finder and any temporary files saved on the desktop.

Step 3. Type Quit in the Terminal to exit the Terminal window.

Tip 3. Find Disappeared Mac Folder Through Stacks

If the Stack feature is available on your Mac and enabled, all your files will be organized in the category. When you click a category, it will expand it and show all the content on the desktop.

Step 1. Go to 'View' on the top of your desktop and choose 'Use Stacks'.

Step 2. Select 'Group Stacks By' and check the way your files were organized.

Step 3. Find your missing folders and place them at the destination.

If there are no desktop folders, try to disable stacks to find Mac desktop files.

The above three ways help recover missing files or folders on Mac desktop. But the premise is that the file is not deleted, but hidden. If your Mac folders are deleted or removed, take the following solutions to recover lost files or folders on the Mac desktop.

Tip 4. Restore Deleted Desktop Files/Folders from Trash

If you accidentally deleted Mac desktop files, you can retrieve them from Trash easily. Follow these steps to get back deleted desktop files on Mac.

Step 1. Open the Trash Bin icon on your desktop, and you can see all the deleted files there.

Step 2. Find the files you want to recover, drag them to the desktop. Or right-click on them and select the 'put back' option to recover deleted files on Mac from the Trash. The files will return to their original location.

Tip 5. Turn Off iCloud Drive to Restore Lost Desktop Folders on Mac

You can sync the local desktop and document folder to iCloud Drive on Mac. The desktop and documents folders will be moved to the iCloud section of your Finder sidebar. If you find the folder disappeared from the Mac desktop, you can turn off iCloud to recover the lost documents folder.

Step 1. Go to 'Apple menu' > 'System Preferences' > 'iCloud'.

Step 2. Click 'Options'.

Lost Downloads Folder Windows 10

Step 3. Uncheck 'Desktop & Documents Folders' and click 'Done'.

Tip 6. Recover Disappeared Folders with Mac Data Recovery Software

The most effective way to get back disappeared or deleted desktop files on Mac is by using the professional Mac data recovery software. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can effectively recover lost data due to accidental deletion or other causes.

  • Recover deleted Word, Excel, photos, videos, audio files, and other hundreds of file types
  • Recover deleted files from desktop, emptied trash, formatted hard drive, inaccessible storage device, etc.
  • Support all versions of Mac operating systems (macOS 10.15 ~ 10.9)

Now, free download this Mac data recovery tool to recover folders or files that disappeared from the desktop on Mac.

Follow these steps to recover desktop files on a Mac device:

Step 1. Select the disk location (it can be an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device) where you lost data and files. Click the 'Scan' button.

Step 2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan your selected disk volume and display the scanning results on the left pane.

Step 3. In the scan results, select the file(s) and click the 'Recover' button to have them back.

You can apply Tip 4 - Tip 6 to recover disappeared files or folders on the Mac desktop. If you delete files from Mac thoroughly, only EaseUS Mac data recovery can recover permanently deleted files or folders on Mac.

Deleted Downloads Folder Mac

Conclusions

This article shows 10 methods in all to recover lost desktop files. Among them, the most effective way to recover folders or files that disappeared from Mac or Windows desktop is using EaseUS data recovery software. It enables you to restore the hidden, deleted, lost, inaccessible, and corrupted files without any effort.

FAQs to Desktop Files Disappeared on Mac

You have learned these effective ways to show missing files from the Mac desktop. If you have related questions, you can read these questions and answers to know more.

Where did all my desktop files go Mac?

If your desktop files have disappeared from Mac and you have saved those files & folders on iCloud Drive, they will be moved to the iCloud section of your Finder Sidebar.

Why did everything on my desktop disappear Mac?

When it comes to everything disappearing from the desktop, the first problem must be the missing folders or hidden Mac folder icons. There would be a problem with system settings or you might have accidentally deleted something as well.

How do I restore my desktop files?

To restore desktop files on Mac:

  • Tip 1. Recover Folder Disappeared from Desktop with Software
  • Tip 2. Restore Missing files on Mac via Trash
  • Tip 3. Get Back Deleted Files on Mac with Terminal
  • Tip 4. Use Finder to Find Missing Mac Desktop Files
  • Tip 5. Turn Off iCloud Drive to Restore Missing Desktop Files
  • Tip 6. Disable Desk Stacks on macOS to Find Missing Mac Folder

To restore desktop files on Windows:

  1. 1. Recover Missing Desktop Files on Windows with Software
  2. 2. Restore Lost Desktop Files from the Previous Version
  3. 3. Show Hidden or Disappeared Files Using CMD

'Why is my documents folder is empty on Mac. The content of the folder disappeared. How can I get back the content? It’s weird they disappear in one night.'

All of the files in the Documents folder disappear without any hint? It must be very annoying since your important files are default to save there. Actually, you should first learn the ways to solve the problem of the Mac documents folder empty.

Documents Folder is Empty on Mac, What Are the Possible Reasons?

Basically there are 2 reasons cause macOS documents folder empty: one is you’ve enabled the documents folder uploaded to iCloud and another one is the files in the folder are deleted.

If you’ve enabled iCloud drive, you must know that macOS allows you to sync files from your Mac desktop and Documents folder to iCloud for the convenience of access in different devices. While syncing files, if you disabled the iCloud folder sync feature, the macOS will automatically remove the files from the Documents folder.it will delete the Document files from your Mac, only store them in iCloud Drive. Do not worry, to fix the Documents folder empty issue, you just need to follow the steps below to disable iCloud sync and recover the Documents folder.

Another possible reason that your Documents folder is empty might be unintentional deletion. You may have deleted the files there without notice. In this case, you need to try data recovery software for Mac to recover them. Learn the details below

Quick Navigation
Part 1. How to Disable iCloud Sync to Recover Files in Documents Folder on Mac
Part 2. How to Recover Deleted/Lost Files in Documents Folder on Mac

Part 1. How to Disable iCloud Sync to Recover Files in Documents Folder on Mac

To keep your files in the Documents folder on Mac, you need to disable the iCloud drive feature.

1. Click the System Preferences on the Dock. Find and click 'iCloud' to begin to fix the documents folder is empty on Mac.

2. On the top right of the iCloud drive, click 'Options'.

3. Deselect the box for 'Desktop & Documents Folders'.

4. When you do it, a pop-up will warn you that these files will only be stored in the iCloud drive. Please confirm it and click 'Turn off' to fix iCloud drive folder empty.

5. Open the iCloud Drive folder on your Mac. One is named as Desktop and another one is named 'Documents'. Copy the files from Desktop and Documents to its original folders.

Part 2. How to Recover Deleted/Lost Files in Documents Folder on Mac

If the Documents folder is emptied not caused by the iCloud drive sync, then you must face the problem of losing them either by unintentional deletion or system problems. In this case, you need to solve the problem of the 'Mac documents folder empty' with the help of iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac.

iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac is a professional and trustworthy tool for individuals to scan drive and recover deleted files on Mac or format drive recovery. It’s an easy-to-use tool with a simple interface, making data recovery an easy streamlined task. It covers all the features you need to restore data from Mac.

Your macOS Documents Folder Empty Recovery Software

  • Recover all the commonly used files on Mac, including pictures, videos, audio files, emails, documents and more.
  • Recover files lost due to various reasons, like deletion, emptied trash bin, formatted drive, system crash, software crash, errors, viruses, and more.
  • Fully compatible with all macOS running in MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac.
Download for macOSDownload for WindowsFolder

Download iBeesoft recover HD Mac tool to solve the problem of my documents folder is empty on Mac!!!

Step 1. Download and install Mac Hard Drive Recovery

Click the DOWNLOAD button to get the installation package of the recover documents folder empty Mac software. Install it on your Mac like the way you install other software. Feel free to use it. It’s virus-free.

Step 2. Select file types to scan

Next, launch the software. If your Mac running the latest macOS Catalina or Mojave, please follow the built-in guide to set it up first if you want to continue the scanning process. After then, select the file types you want to recover for the Documents folder after emptied and click 'Start'. If you want to shorten the scanning process, please only select the file types you want to recover before you click 'Start'.

Step 3. Select hard drive to scan

After then, you need to select the hard drive where once the Documents folder saved to scan. Click 'scan' to let the software begin to scan the hard drive for the files disappeared from the Documents folder.

Step 4. Preview and recover files for the Emptied Documents folder

Mac

It might take a while for the software to finish the whole scanning. When it finished, you can see all the files found by the software. Please filter the target files by selecting file types and file extensions on the left side and preview the file details on the right side. When finding the target files, select them and click 'Recover' to save them on your Mac Document folder. That’s it!

Find Folders On Mac

If you haven’t found all lost files for the Emptied Documents folder on Mac, try the 'Deep Scan' option in the result window. It takes longer to scan for the files lost for the Documents folder, but it will find more files for you.

Installer App Mac

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