Accidentally formatting a USB drive on a MacBook Pro (MBP) can be alarming, especially if it contained important files. When you format a drive, macOS typically erases the file system, making the data inaccessible—but not necessarily gone. With the right approach, it’s often possible to recover your files.This guide explains the best methods to recover data from a USB drive formatted by an MBP.1. Stop Using the USB Drive ImmediatelyAfter formatting, do not save new files to the drive. Writing new data can overwrite the formatted files, making recovery difficult or impossible. Disconnect the USB drive and keep it safe while preparing recovery tools.2. Determine the Type of FormatBefore recovery, identify the format used:Mac OS Extended (HFS+) – common on older macOS systemsAPFS – default for macOS High Sierra and laterFAT32 / exFAT – compatible with Windows and macOSKnowing the file system helps choose the appropriate recovery software.3. Use Data Recovery SoftwareSeveral reliable tools can scan formatted drives and restore lost files:Popular Recovery Options:Disk Drill (Mac & Windows) – User-friendly, supports HFS+, APFS, FAT, and exFATEaseUS Data Recovery Wizard – Good for both Mac and PC, supports multiple formatsPhotoRec / TestDisk – Free, open-source, works across platforms but less intuitiveSteps to Recover Files:Download and install the recovery software on your MBP (or another Mac).Connect the formatted USB drive.Open the recovery tool and select the USB drive.Choose a deep scan (more thorough, slower).Preview recoverable files if the software allows.Select the files you want to recover and save them to a different drive (never back to the formatted USB).A deep scan can take time depending on drive size, but it maximizes the chance of recovery.4. Check Time Machine BackupsIf you regularly back up your MBP with Time Machine, you may be able to restore files from your backup:Connect your Time Machine drive.Open Time Machine and navigate to the folder where your USB files were last stored.Select the files and click Restore.This method is safer than recovery software because it doesn’t rely on scanning the formatted drive.5. Consider Professional Data Recovery ServicesIf software recovery fails or the USB drive is physically damaged, professional recovery services can help. These companies can:Recover data from severely corrupted or formatted drivesHandle hardware issues such as bad sectors or broken controllersHowever, professional services can be expensive, so try software solutions first.6. Prevent Future Data LossOnce you’ve recovered your files, follow these tips:Always back up important files to Time Machine, iCloud, or another external drive.Label USB drives clearly to avoid accidental formatting.Consider using read-only protection for critical drives.Final ThoughtsRecovering files from a USB drive formatted by a MacBook Pro is often possible with the right tools. The key steps are: stop using the drive, identify the format, use reliable recovery software, and save recovered files to a safe location. If necessary, professional recovery services can help with more complex cases. By taking preventive measures, you can avoid future data loss.

USB drive formatted by MBP, how to recover the files

What is SanDisk Dashboard — and what it can doSanDisk Dashboard is a software provided by SanDisk/WD, designed primarily to monitor the health and performance of SSDs and supported external drives, not typical memory cards like ordinary SD/microSD.Among its features: it can show drive model, capacity, firmware version, and health / SMART attributes — but only for drives supported by the software.Officially supported drives include certain SSDs (internal and external) and special high-end memory cards: specifically, CFexpress, SD and microSD Express (i.e. the Express variants) — but not standard memory cards.Conclusion: For typical regular SanDisk SD / microSD cards, SanDisk Dashboard usually will not report realistic “health status” or SMART-style monitoring.What SanDisk says about monitoring “card health” for regular memory cardsFor example — as per a support article on “WD Purple microSD Card Health Monitoring” — SanDisk explicitly states that they do not provide any dedicated tool/software for SD / microSD card health monitoring. Instead, third-party apps or the host system need to support SMART-like monitoring if health status is to be tracked.In other words: even if there is some “health status register” at the card-level (for special Industrial-grade cards), this does not translate into an off-the-shelf GUI tool from SanDisk that a typical user can run.So: officially, SanDisk has disclaimed it does not supply a “health monitor” tool for memory cards (except perhaps for special industrial / Express-type cards, and even there no general Windows GUI is provided).Special case: Industrial / “Health-Status Register” for certain SanDisk cardsAccording to the datasheet for SanDisk Industrial microSD cards, these cards come with a Health Status Register. This register contains information like a health-percentage (how much of the card’s life/usage is “used up”), manufacture date, product identifier string, etc.To query this register, one must send a low-level SD command: CMD56 with a particular argument ([00 00 00 01]) — a “general command” (GEN_CMD). The card then returns 512 bytes, with a specific byte indicating “Health Status in % used.”In effect — this means, technically, if you have such an industrial-grade SanDisk card and a tool that can send low-level SD commands, you could retrieve a “health status” reading. However: SanDisk does not provide a ready-made consumer-oriented tool for this croSD/SDS Industrial cards — replies confirm there is no official GUI tool from SanDisk for that.Instead, many recommend using third-party software (on PC) that can read SMART data (for drives/cards that expose it). For example: general disk-health utilities (like CrystalDiskInfo, Hard Disk Sentinel, and others) — though success depends on whether the card presents health/S.M.A.R.T. data to the OS.Note: for “normal” SD / microSD cards (non-industrial), SMART / health-register data is seldom exposed to Windows or consumer OS tools — so third-party tools may not succeed.Bottom line: There is no universal “SanDisk health-checking tool” for all cardsIf you have a standard SanDisk SD / microSD card: there’s no official SanDisk software that reliably shows “health status.” SanDisk Dashboard doesn’t support regular cards.If you have a special Industrial/Express SanDisk card with a built-in Health Status Register — technically the card supports health queries — but there is no official consumer-facing tool. You’d need a specialized utility (often command-line, low-level SD interface) to read the register via CMD56.For practical purposes: if you want to monitor card health over time (errors, risk, failing sectors), you are better off relying on third-party drive-monitoring tools — but even then only if the card exposes health or SMART data to the OS.What you can do now, if you want to check your SanDisk cardIf you want to attempt checking the health of your SanDisk SD / microSD card:Check if it’s a supported card — e.g. Industrial-grade, Express-type — which might expose Health Status (else it’s unlikely).Use third-party disk-health utilities on your PC (e.g. CrystalDiskInfo, Hard Disk Sentinel, or equivalents) to see if the card reports any SMART or health data.If you are technically inclined and card supports it: use a tool (or write a small script) to send the SD command CMD56 to query the Health Status Register — note this requires a card reader that allows low-level SD command access (not all do).Always keep backups — especially if the card is critical (photos, data), because even if health looks fine, SD cards can fail unpredictably.If you want — I can check as of a list of recommended third-party tools that seem to work (in many cases) for checking health/status of SanDisk SD / microSD cards on Windows/Linux.

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