OS X Mavericks: Recover Deleted User
Under OS X Mavericks you can restore a deleted user at any time if you have made a backup copy of the user folder. Depending on the file format, there are two recovery solutions. You can find out how it works in our practical tip.
Restore deleted users under Mavericks from image file
First, a backup image of a user folder is required to restore a user. You can find out how to save your user folder as a copy before deleting it in this practical tip under step 6.
- First, enter the keyword "User" in the Spotlight search and select the first hit in the form of the "User" folder.
- Now open the "Deleted users" subfolder and then double-click on the respective DMG file of the deleted user (see picture). Now the content of the saved user folder opens.
- In the "Users" folder, create a new folder for your user by selecting "File" at the top of the system bar and then "New Folder". Simply enter the name of the new user as the label.
- Copy the contents of the backup folder determined in step 2 into the new folder created in step 3 by selecting all files with the key combination "CMD + A" and then pressing "CMD + C". In the new user folder you only have to press "CMD + V".
- Next, open the system settings in your dock and select the menu item "Users & Groups". Here, press the lock symbol on the left to enter your administrator password.
- Then press the plus symbol to add a new user. Enter your information here and choose a name that is similar to the name of your saved image file. At the end press "Create user".
- Now select your user on the left-hand side and then right-click on your user name. Then open the "Advanced Options ..." item in the window that appears.
- Under "User folder" you now select the folder you created in step 3.
OS X Mavericks: User recovery via user folder
If you have saved your information in a user folder, simply open your "Users" folder again as described in step 1 and select your user folder with the addition "(Deleted)". You only have to remove this addition so that the name is identical to the user name. Then simply carry out all the steps in these instructions from step 5.
In the next practical tip you will learn how to save an email as a PDF under OS X Mavericks.