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I forgot to stop the recording, Where can i find the recording file?

Hi All,


I've done a screen recording, but I forgot to stop the recording and I have turned off the macbook air. When I turn on my macbook air, I don't see the recorded files on the desktop. Where can i find the recording file? Please help me guys. Thanks

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Jun 7, 2022 9:00 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 7, 2022 10:09 PM

Hey again! Thanks for that.


It sounds like the default save location is the Desktop, but it’s not showing there?


Its possible the file never saved if the process was stopped unexpectedly.


However there are a few exceptions:


One would be if the file just happened to be backed up in That exact time by a Time Machine backup, in which just might be saved in your user library:

~/Library/SavedApplicationState.


Another possible solution:

Do you have iCloud Drive on? And if so, does your Desktop and Documents sync with iCloud?


If so you’d see in Finder, Desktop and Documents under the iCloud section of the Finder Sidebar and not under “Favorites”.


If this is the case, you can check to see if there maybe an iCloud Archive available, and again, these are unlikely as the file hadn’t been properly saved:


Go to iCloud.com > Account Settings > Advanced > Restore Files, see if the name (If named) of the document appears, if so you can restore the file.


Let me know if you do have a Time machine backup and if it is automatically backing up and connected all the time, or at the time this occurred.


Otherwise, I don’t think you’d be able to recover this file, but hope it works out!

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 7, 2022 10:09 PM in response to D-GUARA

Hey again! Thanks for that.


It sounds like the default save location is the Desktop, but it’s not showing there?


Its possible the file never saved if the process was stopped unexpectedly.


However there are a few exceptions:


One would be if the file just happened to be backed up in That exact time by a Time Machine backup, in which just might be saved in your user library:

~/Library/SavedApplicationState.


Another possible solution:

Do you have iCloud Drive on? And if so, does your Desktop and Documents sync with iCloud?


If so you’d see in Finder, Desktop and Documents under the iCloud section of the Finder Sidebar and not under “Favorites”.


If this is the case, you can check to see if there maybe an iCloud Archive available, and again, these are unlikely as the file hadn’t been properly saved:


Go to iCloud.com > Account Settings > Advanced > Restore Files, see if the name (If named) of the document appears, if so you can restore the file.


Let me know if you do have a Time machine backup and if it is automatically backing up and connected all the time, or at the time this occurred.


Otherwise, I don’t think you’d be able to recover this file, but hope it works out!

Jun 7, 2022 9:40 PM in response to D-GUARA

Hey there!


Can you say I’m which app you did the screen recording? (Such as the Screen Shot app or QuickTime Player)?


If it was done with a third party app, they maybe stored in your user Library:


Open Finder, while holding the Option key, click > Go > Library > Screen Recordings.


The recording might also be in there, (If the Screen Recordings folder isn’t there, then it’s somewhere else).


Can you also say if you completed the recording? Or if you just shut down while recording? Thanks!

I forgot to stop the recording, Where can i find the recording file?

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