How do I Get Back Photos I Deleted? Easy Recovery Solutions

Photo loss can unexpectedly occur during everyday tasks. How do I get back photos I deleted? This post will explore four practical solutions to get deleted photos back on Windows. Feel free to choose the one that best suits your needs.

Posted by @Gia December 17, 2024 Updated By @Gia November 14, 2024

Can I Get Back Deleted Photos?

With the rapid development of digital products, photos have become deeply integrated into our everyday lives, recording treasured memories or meaningful moments. However, photo loss is inevitable at times, leaving us frustrated and upset. Is it possible to get back deleted photos on Windows PCs?

Fortunately, there are several methods available to recover deleted photos. When your photos are accidentally deleted, they still remain on your device until they are overwritten by new data. So, how do I get back photos I deleted?

In this article, we’ll explore various methods for retrieving deleted photos and help you get deleted photos back. If you've accidentally wiped away your valuable pictures, don’t lose hope just yet—read on to find out how you can potentially get them back!

Professional Software to Get Back Deleted Photos

A simple and effective way to recover deleted photos is by using professional recovery software. We’d like to recommend AOMEI FastRecovery, a user-friendly yet powerful tool for recovering lost data. It can recover various file types, including documents, photos, videos, emails, and more, from different devices. Whether your photos were accidentally deleted or lost due to another issue, AOMEI FastRecovery can help you quickly locate and restore them to a location of your choice.

Let’s use AOMEI FastRecovery to recover deleted photos on Windows PCs:

Step 1: After launching AOMEI FastRecovery, choose the exact partition or disk where your photos are located.

Step 2: Scan your drive to find the deleted photos. It offers two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan, aiming to find lost content comprehensively.

Step 3: Upon scanning completion, missing files will be displayed. Select Images under the Other Missing Files, choose the photos you want to restore, then click Recover

Step 4: Specify a path for the photos, and wait for the process to complete.

How do I Get Back Photos I Deleted Manually?

Is there anyway to get back deleted photos without using third-party software? Sure! This section lists four practical methods to restore photos that are accidentally deleted. Feel free to choose the one that best suits your needs.

Method 1. Check the Recycle Bin

When your photos are deleted, go to check the Recycle Bin first. Usually, they are temporarily moved to the Recycle Bin, allowing you to restore them in just a few clicks. Before diving into more complex recovery methods, it's worth taking a quick look in the Recycle Bin to see if your photos are still there. Follow these steps to recover deleted photos from the Recycle Bin:

Step 1: Open the Recycle Bin.

Step 2: Select the photos you want to recover. 

Step 3: Right-click on the photos and click the Restore option. Just wait until the desired files are restored to their original locations.

Tips: If you can’t find the desired photos with this method, it means that your photos have been permanently deleted. Move to the next methods to get them back.

Method 2. Restore from Google Photos

How can I get back deleted photos that are not in the Recycle Bin? The permanently deleted files will bypass the Recycle Bin and cannot be accessed directly. But if you have backed them up on clouds, the recovery process can be very easy.

Google Photos is a widely used cloud-based service that allows you to recover photos that were accidentally deleted, as long as they are still within the 30-day recovery window. Whether you're using a smartphone or a computer, you can quickly and easily restore your valuable photos without any third-party software. Here’s how to recover deleted photos from Google Photos:

Step 1: Go to the Google Photos website, and then click the Main menu.

Step 2: Select Bin on the left pane.

Step 3: Select the desired photos and click the Restore icon to get them back.

Method 3. Get Back Deleted Photos from File History

How do I get back photos I deleted without using a cloud service? In addition to cloud backups, Windows provides several built-in recovery options. One of the most commonly used features is File History, which automatically backs up your files and keeps previous versions. If you had enabled File History before the photos were deleted, you can recover them with ease. Follow these steps to recover deleted photos from File History:

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel by pressing Win +R and typing control.

Step 2: Select File History in the System and Security section.

Step 3: Click Restore personal files to view all versions of files.

Step 4: Choose the photos you want to recover, and then click the Recover button.

Method 4. Recover from Backup and Restore

If you've been regularly backing up your data with Backup and Restore, you can effortlessly get back deleted photos from backups. This feature allows users to create backups of the entire system or individual folders. Here are the specific steps to recover deleted photos using Backup and Restore:

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel, and select System and Security > Backup and Restore in turn.

Step 2: Click Restore my files.

Step 3: Click Browse for files to choose the file you want to recover, and then click Next.

Step 4: Specify the saving path for your recovered file, and click Restore.

When Is the Best Time to Restore Deleted Photos?

When it comes to getting back deleted photos, time is of the essence. As mentioned earlier, deleted photos remain on your device until they are overwritten by new data. The sooner you take action, the higher the chances of successfully restoring your lost photos. Here's why quick action matters:

► Overwriting Risk: Once photos are deleted, their storage space is marked as available for new data. If this space is overwritten, recovery becomes more difficult and complex.

► Temporary Storage: Many devices offer time-sensitive recovery options to store deleted files temporarily. Acting within the time limit allows you to restore your photos with ease.

► Unexpected Interference: If your device is set to perform automatic updates or install new apps, these processes can overwrite deleted files, making it harder or impossible to recover them.

FAQs

Q1: Can I get back deleted photos from an SD card? 

Yes, it is possible to recover deleted photos from an SD card, as long as the data hasn't been overwritten. You can connect the SD card to your PC and use a professional recovery tool like AOMEI FastRecovery to get back lost photos.

Q2: How long do deleted photos stay on a computer before they’re overwritten?

It depends on various factors such as the operating system, disk activity, and the type of storage. Typically, data stored on SSDs tends to be overwritten more quickly than on HDDs. It is advised to take measures as soon as possible after deletion.

Q3: Is it possible to get back deleted photos from a formatted drive?

It is possible to recover files from a formatted drive by using specialized data recovery software. But the chances of success decrease significantly if the drive has been used or overwritten.

Summary

In this post, we have explored the possibility of recovering deleted photos and the importance of taking quick action after deletion. So, how do I get back photos I deleted? There are four manual methods you can try to restore deleted photos.

However, to simplify the recovery process and enhance the user experience, using a reliable recovery tool is an excellent option. Additionally, regularly backing up essential photos can protect you from losing valuable data unexpectedly.