Moving a folder back

There are three ways to bring a folder back to your Mac's built-in disk. Which one fits depends on how it was moved. Whichever you use, it runs through the same careful copy as the original move: the folder is copied back, checked, and only then removed from the drive.

Pick the right way back

%% caption: Which way back to use
flowchart TD
  A[Folder to bring back] --> B{Is a folder of shortcuts still at the original place?}
  B -->|Yes, it was relocated| C[Storage Inspector - Relocated - Move back]
  B -->|No, the original place is empty| D{Was it moved in Data Parking?}
  D -->|Yes| E[Data Parking history - Revert]
  D -->|No, or you want another place| F[Data Parking - pair the folders - Move or Merge to the left]

Revert in Data Parking

1. Open Data Parking and click the list button in the middle column to see the move history.
2. Find the move — completed moves are marked Completed.
3. Click Revert. A message confirms the folder is being copied back, and the progress appears with your other moves.

Revert refuses, with a message saying why, when:

• something already exists at the original place — move or delete it first, so nothing you created since is overwritten;
• the folder is no longer on the drive;
• a different drive is connected from the one the folder was moved to;
• the folder that used to contain it no longer exists on your Mac.

Because a relocated folder is still at its original place (full of shortcuts), Revert doesn't apply to a Relocate — use Move back below.

Move back from Storage Inspector

Folders that were relocated — from Data Parking or with Move to NVMe in Storage Inspector — are listed in Storage Inspector's Relocated panel.

1. Open Storage Inspector and click Relocated at the top right.
2. Click Move back on the folder.
3. Review the Move back to internal disk sheet. It shows where the folder is coming from and going to, its size, and:
   • any new files added at the original place since the move — they're kept and included;
   • any apps using files in the folder, with Quit and Quit all buttons — see When an app is holding a folder open;
   • whether automatic syncing for this folder will be turned off.
4. Confirm. A progress sheet shows each step. When it's done, it says ✓ Data is back on internal disk.

By default, where the same file exists on both sides, the newer one is kept. Force move back skips the apps-in-use check and always uses the drive's copy; files that are only on your Mac are still kept.

Move back checks first that the drive is connected, that the folder that held it still exists, and that your Mac has enough free space, with some room to spare.

Using the ← buttons

Pair the folder on your Mac with the matching folder on the drive (see A tour of the Data Parking window), tick what you want on the right, and press ← Move or ← Merge. This is handy when you want only part of a folder back.

Good to know

• Your drive must be connected. If it's unplugged part-way through a move back, the move stops and the copy on the drive is left as it was; plug it back in and start again.
• Getting your own files back is always allowed, even if your licence is on hold.
• If a move back fails, nothing is lost — see A folder move failed or was cancelled.

See also: The Moves log, Moving folders safely, The shortcut left behind after a move.