I'm desperate for help! Last night, while working on a Word document on my MacBook Air M2 (2022), I saved a file and it somehow saved as a backup. When I tried to save it again, it saved another backup instead. After closing the document, I noticed that my desktop was entirely blank, with no files or folders in sight except for the two documents I just saved. After restarting my Mac, the issue persisted. I've searched for my missing files in iCloud and the trash, but they're nowhere to be found. It's as if they just vanished! Apple tech support couldn't recover them, and I'm heartbroken over losing about 30GB of data, including a nearly complete book with 100,000 words. To make matters worse, it seems like Time Machine hasn't been backing up my files. I'm currently reaching out to data recovery services, but they're saying they can't help due to the model of my Mac. How did this happen? Any constructive suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Have you checked the 'Recent Items' list in Finder or Word? Sometimes files are still listed there even if you can't find them on the desktop. I understand it's a hassle, but it might give you a glimmer of hope. If they show up, at least you’ll know they’re not completely gone. Good luck!
I totally sympathize with your situation! I recently faced a similar issue where my desktop files disappeared too. I couldn't find them even when I accessed the desktop through the sidebar; it was completely empty. After trying for two days, I realized that backups I thought I made were gone without a trace. It’s super frustrating, and I’m with you on thinking about ditching Apple after this experience. Maybe look into local recovery options; I've heard some could still help despite what the big names say.

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