Production workflow · Finder or Explorer transfer workflow
Finder or Explorer transfer: files missing after import
Where are the originals after an import into Finder or Explorer transfer?
Short answer
Often a move instead of a copy: Command-dragging between drives in Finder and cut and paste in Explorer both delete the source once the copy seems finished. An interrupted transfer can leave files on neither side. Search the destination first, then scan the card read-only, since Windows has no Recycle Bin for removable media.
The situation
The import looked successful, but some or all originals later disappeared in Finder or Explorer transfer.
A copy in Finder or Explorer looks atomic but is not. The system reads from the card, writes to the destination and, in a move operation, deletes the source once it believes the write succeeded. An interruption anywhere in that sequence can leave a file on neither side.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Dragging between two drives normally copies, but holding Command in Finder turns it into a move, and cut and paste in Explorer does the same. Ejecting the card while a write is still buffered, or pulling the reader during the final flush, truncates the newest files. Windows offers no Recycle Bin on removable media, so nothing was parked there.
Copy, move, rename and catalog steps can complete at different times. For Finder or Explorer transfer, this matters because Finder or Explorer transfer can keep references or helper media without containing a complete independent original
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Stop using the card at once and take it out of the reader, so no background indexing or preview service writes to it while you work.
- 2
Count the files at the destination against the frame numbers on the card or in the camera, and list exactly which names are absent.
- 3
Check the desktop trash on macOS and the Recycle Bin of the destination drive, then repeat the transfer for anything still present on the card.
- 4
Scan the card read-only for the names that are missing on both sides, and export what is found to a third location, never back to the card.
Do not retry the failed transfer onto the same destination folder and do not empty the trash before the count adds up. A repeated write can land in the space a truncated file occupies, and an emptied trash removes the copy that a move operation had already put there.
03 / Choose the method
Match the tool to the source
For stable, readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 or uncompressed IMG, DD, RAW and BIN images.
Unconfirmed exports are marked .UNVERIFIED.
A half-written clip stays half-written: a read-only scan finds the fragment on the card but cannot rebuild the part that never reached the destination, and File Recovery Hero does not repair damaged single files. Its exports arrive as copies on a drive you choose.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
The transfer is complete when the destination holds the same number of files as the card, each byte size matches the source listing, and the last file of the session opens without a truncated end. A clip that stops early usually means its write was cut short.
Keep the source until two verified copies exist. One working preview is not enough.
Sources and technical references
FAQ
Questions about this recovery case
Can Finder or Explorer transfer workflow be recovered in this situation?+
A copy in Finder or Explorer looks atomic but is not. The system reads from the card, writes to the destination and, in a move operation, deletes the source once it believes the write succeeded. An interruption anywhere in that sequence can leave a file on neither side. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not retry the failed transfer onto the same destination folder and do not empty the trash before the count adds up.
Does scanning write to my memory card?+
Your memory card is only read. Nothing is saved to it.
How do I know whether the result is complete?+
The transfer is complete when the destination holds the same number of files as the card, each byte size matches the source listing, and the last file of the session opens without a truncated end.