{"id":"external-drives.my-fast-drive-was-lost-or-broken","url":"/faq/external-drives/my-fast-drive-was-lost-or-broken","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"upgrading-and-copying","title":"Upgrading, transferring and backing up the drive"},"question":"My fast drive was lost or broke — can I get my moved files back?","alt_questions":["External SSD died with moved files","Lost my fast drive what happens","Recover files moved to a broken drive","drive dead storage studio moved apps","Are my moved files gone if the drive is lost?","Fast drive stolen"],"short_answer":"Only from a backup — the drive held the only copy of what you moved. Check any Backup Drive copy, an old drive from a previous transfer, Data Backup, Time Machine or the cloud. Reinstall apps from their makers.","answer_markdown":"Only from a copy. A move frees space because the files leave your Mac, so if the drive itself is lost or dead and you have no backup, Storage Studio can't recreate them. Check, in order:\n\n- A drive you made with **Backup Drive**.\n- The old drive, if you used **Transfer Drive** before.\n- Versioned copies from **Data Backup**, Time Machine (if it included the external drive), or a cloud copy.\n\nApps can be reinstalled from their makers or the App Store. To tidy up afterwards, Storage Studio flags moved items whose copy is missing so you can clear the dead shortcuts. Going forward, keep a backup of your fast drive.","answer_html":"

Only from a copy. A move frees space because the files leave your Mac, so if the drive itself is lost or dead and you have no backup, Storage Studio can't recreate them. Check, in order:

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Apps can be reinstalled from their makers or the App Store. To tidy up afterwards, Storage Studio flags moved items whose copy is missing so you can clear the dead shortcuts. Going forward, keep a backup of your fast drive.

","answer_text":"Only from a copy. A move frees space because the files leave your Mac, so if the drive itself is lost or dead and you have no backup, Storage Studio can't recreate them. Check, in order:\n\n- A drive you made with Backup Drive.\n- The old drive, if you used Transfer Drive before.\n- Versioned copies from Data Backup, Time Machine (if it included the external drive), or a cloud copy.\n\nApps can be reinstalled from their makers or the App Store. To tidy up afterwards, Storage Studio flags moved items whose copy is missing so you can clear the dead shortcuts. Going forward, keep a backup of your fast drive.","tags":["lost drive","recovery","backup"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-make-a-backup-of-my-fast-drive","question":"How do I back up my fast drive to another drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-make-a-backup-of-my-fast-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.should-i-run-backup-drive-regularly","question":"How often should I run Backup Drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/should-i-run-backup-drive-regularly"},{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-move-everything-to-a-new-external-drive","question":"How do I move everything to a new, bigger external drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-move-everything-to-a-new-external-drive"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"My fast drive was lost or broke — can I get my moved files back? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Only from a backup — the drive held the only copy of what you moved. Check any Backup Drive copy, an old drive from a previous transfer, Data Backup, Time Machine or the cloud. Reinstall apps from their makers.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"My fast drive was lost or broke — can I get my moved files back?","path":"/faq/external-drives/my-fast-drive-was-lost-or-broken"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/my-fast-drive-was-lost-or-broken","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"My fast drive was lost or broke — can I get my moved files back?","alternateName":["External SSD died with moved files","Lost my fast drive what happens","Recover files moved to a broken drive","drive dead storage studio moved apps","Are my moved files gone if the drive is lost?","Fast drive stolen"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Only from a copy. A move frees space because the files leave your Mac, so if the drive itself is lost or dead and you have no backup, Storage Studio can't recreate them. Check, in order:\n\n- A drive you made with Backup Drive.\n- The old drive, if you used Transfer Drive before.\n- Versioned copies from Data Backup, Time Machine (if it included the external drive), or a cloud copy.\n\nApps can be reinstalled from their makers or the App Store. To tidy up afterwards, Storage Studio flags moved items whose copy is missing so you can clear the dead shortcuts. Going forward, keep a backup of your fast drive.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/my-fast-drive-was-lost-or-broken"}}]},"fragment":"
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External drives · Upgrading, transferring and backing up the drive

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My fast drive was lost or broke — can I get my moved files back?

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Short answer: Only from a backup — the drive held the only copy of what you moved. Check any Backup Drive copy, an old drive from a previous transfer, Data Backup, Time Machine or the cloud. Reinstall apps from their makers.

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Only from a copy. A move frees space because the files leave your Mac, so if the drive itself is lost or dead and you have no backup, Storage Studio can't recreate them. Check, in order:

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  • A drive you made with Backup Drive.
  • The old drive, if you used Transfer Drive before.
  • Versioned copies from Data Backup, Time Machine (if it included the external drive), or a cloud copy.
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Apps can be reinstalled from their makers or the App Store. To tidy up afterwards, Storage Studio flags moved items whose copy is missing so you can clear the dead shortcuts. Going forward, keep a backup of your fast drive.

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Last reviewed

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