File Extractor

3 min read Original article ↗

Data rescue utility

Deep-scan any file, disk image, or folder to pull out embedded documents, images, and raw text.

  • Expands archives, disk images, and proprietary formats automatically.
  • Recovers deleted items from DMGs you create with Disk Utility.
  • Saves everything to plain folders so you can inspect results instantly.

Runs on macOS 10.10 Yosemite and newer · Apple silicon & Intel friendly

What you can do with File Extractor

Format agnostic

Peek inside anything

Scan PDFs, Photoshop files, camera RAWs, Office docs, and more. File Extractor finds every embedded asset and writes it to disk.

Recovery assist

Revive deleted content

Create a disk image in Disk Utility, point File Extractor at it, and pull back files you thought were gone.

Plain output

No proprietary formats

Every discovery lands in a normal folder hierarchy, using readable names and raw text exports for quick triage.

How to run a scan

  1. 1

    Choose a source

    Pick a single file, a folder, or a disk image. Big proprietary formats like PSD, iWork, and Pro Tools sessions work great.

  2. 2

    Start the extraction

    File Extractor locates compressed payloads, uuencoded blobs, and known file signatures, decompressing and decoding on the fly.

  3. 3

    Browse the results

    Everything appears in a Finder-style list grouped by file type so you can preview and triage immediately.

  4. 4

    Export what you need

    Drag the recovered assets wherever you like. Text exports arrive as UTF-8 plain files for quick copy/paste.

Working on a camera card or disk image? Run Mac Data Recovery Guru first if you need a full deep scan.

Use cases straight from the field

File Extractor is the Swiss army knife for times when an app hides its data or a document is too corrupted to open. Instead of reverse-engineering a format manually, you point File Extractor at it and let the heuristics find every file signature inside.

It’s ideal when you need a specific asset that is otherwise locked away:

  • Pull full-resolution images out of layered Photoshop and Illustrator files.
  • Recover deleted photos from a camera card by scanning a Disk Utility image.
  • Dump the text from mangled Word or Pages documents as plain UTF-8.
  • Comb through browser caches and application bundles for buried resources.

Every extracted item is stored in standard folders on disk so you can archive, diff, or share the results immediately.

Downloads & uninstall

  • Download: FileExtractor.zip
  • Uninstall: Drag the app to the Trash. That removes everything—no background services or launch agents.

Need extraction advice?

Send a note with the file type, size, and what you hope to rescue. We can suggest the best workflow or confirm whether File Extractor is the right tool.

Contact support Tips welcome: Bitcoin 1MbwUFSbQvMrd826DTpup7PpTTNrrJjaJ8