# Retrieving
Retrieving files from a tape is easy; you can either retrieve a full tape or cherry-pick contents to retrieve just a few files.
Select the `Retrieve` tab. If no tape is loaded, do so first:
Mount the tape:
To retrieve the tape in full select the tape icon, and a border will appear. Click Next and then select a destination, and continue.
To retrieve a specific file, folder, or a collection of files and folders, click the drive menu (three horizontal lines) and select Select Files...
By default, the full tape's contents are selected. Unselect the root of the tape to deselect everything, and then navigate to what you need to be retrieved.
Hover over the drive to see the size of your selection:
When done, click `Next` then select a Destination:
Then add the Transfer...
When done, the progress bar turns green:
Open the accompanying Transfer Log if needed:
## Independent Transfers
Canister allows multiple LTO drives to be used independently of one another. That means `Drive A` can be Archiving, whilst `Drive B` handles a Retrieve.
## Retrieve with Finder
{% hint style="info" %}
This feature requires macOS Big Sur or newer.
{% endhint %}
Canister for Mac makes it easy to retrieve files using Catalogs. First mount the relevant tape, then locate it the LTO Archive. Finally, select the file or folder you wish to retrieve, right-click and select the "Retrieve..." Finder extension.
## Retrieve with Full Path
{% hint style="info" %}
Retrieve with Full Path cannot be disabled in Canister for Windows.
{% endhint %}
When checked, files and folders selected for Retrieve will be copied to the destination, including the recreation of full paths as they exist on tape. This is useful when restoring projects that are sensitive to path changes.
Example:`LTO-42/Production X/0001.mov` is to be retrieved to `~/Desktop`
* Without `Retrieve with Full Path` enabled, `0001.mov` will be copied directly to your Desktop.
* With `Retrieve with Full Path` enabled, after retrieving `0001.mov` your Desktop will be populated with a `Production X` folder containing `0001.mov`.
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