I left my MacBookPro on an airplane. I presume it has been lost. How can I recover data from it on my older MacBookPro?

Question

I left my MacBookPro on an airplane. I presume it has been lost. How can I recover data from it on my older MacBookPro?

I stupidly left my MacBookPro on a late flight. Rushing to exit, I got my backpack and a box of gifts that were in the overhead bin, but left my expensive 16 inch laptop on the airplane. Because the flight was late, I also had to forget about the luggage which was coming on the carousel in 25 minutes but the connection was in 10 minutes. Preoccupied by that matter, I had not noticed that I did not put the laptop back into the backpack that had been in the overhead bin. I have subsequently locked the laptop (and it is not listed on find my mac, alas). My question is: to what extent are downloaded files (and other files) on the icloud, so that I can recover them on my older MacBookPro? When I go to the Cloud, I see nothing from 2023.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 13.1

Posted on Oct 14, 2023 10:00 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

BobTheFisherman

Level 10

84,181 points

Oct 14, 2023 10:23 AM in response to PanosKakaviatos

PanosKakaviatos wrote:

Thank you for taking the time. Honestly, I do not know if the files are synchronized. And forgive my technical limits, but do you mean that I could do a backup on my old Mac, and that would bring files from the new Mac back? Assuming that files are synchronized? Thanks again.

Computer users need to keep backups of their data. These backups are typically kept on external drives. Apple provides Time Machine to perform these backups. If you did not perform data backups then you do not have any backups from which to resore your data.

If you were using iCloud to synchronize your data, you can log into your iCloud account with your old computer and the synchronized files will be available to you.

Reply

Answer 2

Oct 14, 2023 10:16 AM in response to BobTheFisherman

Thank you for taking the time. Honestly, I do not know if the files are synchronized. And forgive my technical limits, but do you mean that I could do a backup on my old Mac, and that would bring files from the new Mac back? Assuming that files are synchronized? Thanks again.

Reply

Answer 3

Oct 15, 2023 02:05 AM in response to PanosKakaviatos

Good news! I was mistaken in the belief that I had left the MacBook Pro on the airplane because I had forgotten having put it somewhere else so in the end, it doesn’t matter, but I think you all for replying, because now I’ve been reminded of (a) the importance of backing up, and (b) synchronizing data on it with my older model.

Reply

Answer 4

Oct 14, 2023 10:09 AM in response to PanosKakaviatos

You will have to recover your data from your backup. If you did not keep your files synchronized on iCloud they will not be on iCloud.

Reply

Answer 5

Oct 14, 2023 10:27 AM in response to BobTheFisherman

Very helpful reply, thanks. Reminds of importance to regularly back up files. Which I have not. That’s life! Hope the laptop gets to the airline lost and found.

Reply

Answer 6

chdsl

Level 2

404 points

Oct 14, 2023 10:35 AM in response to PanosKakaviatos

I suppose airlines are trustworthy, so why don't you contact the airline? They might have your MMBP in lost luggage.

Reply

Answer 7

Oct 14, 2023 10:49 AM in response to chdsl

I have contacted the airline, which referred me to post the item as left on the airplane after landing, indicating seat number etc. so it may turn up, but who knows?

Reply

I left my MacBookPro on an airplane. I presume it has been lost. How can I recover data from it on my older MacBookPro?

Similar questions