Can Deleted Pictures Be Recovered From Hard Disk on A Windows PC?

Can deleted pictures be recovered?

Many users need to quickly recover accidentally deleted pictures or lost data files caused by system crashes or other unexpected errors on computer. If you just want to recover deleted pictures from Recycle Bin, that’d be very simple, you only need to right-click the pictures in the Recycle Bin, and choose Restore.

If you have emptied the Recycle Bin or the file has been automatically removed due to expiration, although you cannot see or access the data, it can be recovered as long as newly written data is not overwritten. As a result, you should cease using your computer immediately until you have retrieved the desktop files or Recycle Bin data.

4 ways to recover deleted pictures

In this part, we’ll show 4 methods to recover lost or deleted pictures via system built-in tools and professional data recovery tool.

Way 1. Recover deleted photo using File History

If you did empty the Recycle Bin, you can try another approach. You can also recover deleted images if you backed them up using File History, a system backup program, or Backup and Restore.

Step 1. To restore your files with File History, type "Restore files" into the Search icon and then click "Open".

Step 2. Find the deleted pictures or the folders which contain the pictures

Step 3. Select the green refresh button to recover deleted pictures to their original places.

Way 2. Use Command Prompt to restore deleted photos.

To deal with the problem of losing images, Command Prompt is a useful way to determine how to recover deleted photos. However, utilizing CMD cannot guarantee a complete recovery. In addition, you must pay close attention to each subsequent step in case of errors that could result in data loss.

Step 1. Type Command Prompt in Search icon or Start and Run as administrator.

Step 2. Input chkdsk [drive letter]:/f and tap Enter key. Then, type Y and hit Enter to confirm and proceed to examine.

Step 3. Type in [drive letter] and hit Enter again. And then, enter attrib -h -r -s /s /d [drive letter]:\*.* to start recovering files on this disk.

Way 3. Retrieve deleted pictures from Previous Versions

Suppose a system restore point has been created to save the previous system version. In that case, you can recover mistakenly lost photos using the copies that Windows automatically stores as part of the restore point.

Step 1. Right-click the folder that you save the original photos before deleting, and select "Restore Previous Versions".

Step 2. Select the version you want to retrieve, and click "Restore" button.

Way 4. Try professional data recovery tool to retrieve permanently deleted pictures

To solve this problem efficiently, the secure and user-friendly software AOMEI FastRecovery may be the finest option for recovering your erased images. It may also be used to restore other types of items, including as photographs, documents, movies, audio, HTML, and so on. If you clear the Recycle Bin or do not backup. As a strong assistant, it can also recover files from a formatted hard disk, an external hard drive, or an SD card.

It is well-known among the general public for its clear guidance and practical functions that may successfully handle everyday computer issues. Windows operating platforms including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 are supported. It also supports Windows Servers.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. The recovery tool will then start to scan and search. It will execute the “Quickly Scan" first to quickly find your deleted data and then the “Deep Scan" to search for other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

Further reading: How can you avoid picture lost on your computer?

In Windows, users have several options to recover deleted pictures, especially if they act quickly. Checking the Recycle Bin is usually the first step since deleted files often remain there until the Bin is emptied, at which point they are permanently removed from the system.

If the Recycle Bin doesn’t have the deleted photos, restoring from a backup, such as Windows File History or an external drive, may help, as these backup solutions often save previous versions of files. Cloud backups, like OneDrive, Google Photos, or Dropbox, can also be useful, as they often retain deleted files for a set period, allowing for easy restoration.

If none of these methods work, file recovery software can scan the hard drive for deleted photos, even those lost from accidental formatting. Quick formats erase the file directory but keep data recoverable, while full formats permanently remove everything.

Additionally, malware or viruses can also delete photos and other data on a PC, making regular backups essential. If the pictures are especially valuable and recovery software doesn’t work, consulting a data recovery specialist may be worthwhile, though this can be costly.

Conclusion

Can you recover deleted pictures? Now you have the answer; all you have to do now is choose your preferred solution.

Most solutions for recovering permanently deleted images on Windows involve previous backups. The Recycle Bin does not store permanently removed things. Furthermore, using the attribute command to reveal hidden directories in CMD only works for virus-affected files that have not been erased.

You also have Windows File Recovery, which can only restore files that have been corrupted, deleted, or formatted. As a result, data recovery software such as AOMEI FastRecovery is your best option because it addresses practically all data loss scenarios.