Files lost in cut - paste file transfer

Hello,

Looking for help in restoring lost files after an interrupted cut & paste operation. Details below:

While trying to copy files from drive x to drive y, I accidentally hit cmd-x instead of cmd-c, and pasted the files in their new location. The file transfer began when I realized my mistake and so and hit 'esc'.

Now I was expecting that the files I 'cut' from their original location would be restored but that didn't happen. I couldn't paste the files again either... the data seems to have disappeared.

Any clue where the cut files might be and how I could recover them?

Thanks in advance for the help!
Rick

What apparently happened is your mistaking "cut" for "copy" caused the files to be deleted when you aborted the transfer. The first bit of advice is not to use the drive you "cut" the files from for fear of accidentally overwriting them.

The best bet to recover them is by using file recovery or undelete software. None of the good recovery packages are inexpensive so it's advisable to download trial versions first.

Data Rescue 3

Disk Drill Pro (The same web page has other data recovery products you can compare and try.)

I don't get it, but, I'm still using Leopard, so maybe that makes a difference. If I highlight a file and go to the File menu, Cut is greyed out. If I do command-X and then Command-V in another window, the file is copied, and the original remains untouched. So I'm not sure how interrupting the process, which works as a Copy and Paste for me, deleted the file. :scratch-head:

Next time someone comes along (as happens frequently) and complains that Apple won't let them cut and paste files in Finder like Windows does, I'm showing them this thread.