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Recover folders changed to Unix Executable Files on Mac

I recently upgraded to macOS Big Sur and then started to transfer four folders from a USB drive to my Mac. The transfer went smoothly with the first folder. But the second one was halted due to a notification saying that the USB drive had been improperly ejected. I remounted the drive and found two of my folders had been converted to "Unix Executable File." They can't be opened or executed. My concern is permanent loss of data in the folder. Is there any way to recover the data?

Best Answered by

iBoysoft author Jenny Zeng

Jenny Zeng

Answered on Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Here's how to recover the folders that have turned into Unix Executable Files on Mac:

  1. Open your USB drive.
  2. Press Command + Shift + Period ( . ) to reveal hidden files.
  3. Check to see the original folders and files.
  4. Create a new folder on the USB disk.
  5. Drag and drop the found files into the new folder.
  6. Delete the empty folder and Unix Executable Files.

If the above process doesn't work, try recovering the folders with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac. You can take advantage of its free preview to see if it can find the files you need.

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