How to Recover Unsaved Photoshop File on Windows PCs

How to Recover Unsaved Photoshop Files on Windows?

Photoshop is widely used by many graphic designers, photographers, and other digital artists for photo processing. However, one potential issue while using it is losing unsaved editing files. Fortunately, all hope is not lost. This article outlines three practical ways to recover unsaved Photoshop files on Windows PCs. Select the one that best suits your needs.

Fix 1. Recover Unsaved Photoshop Files Using AutoSave

How to use Photoshop to recover unsaved files? Actually, Photoshop includes some features to protect your data against unexpected loss. One of the built-in tools you can use is AutoSave, which saves your project from time to time while you are handling it. 

Here’s how to enable the AutoSave feature in Photoshop:

Step 1. Launch Photoshop first.

Step 2. Navigate to the Edit > Preferences > File Handling interface.

Step 3. Select the "Automatic save recovery information every * minutes" box and set the time interval as needed.

Step 4. Click OK on the right to save your changes.

If this feature was turned on before losing the file, you can easily recover unsaved Photoshop files from the path: C:/Users/UserName/AppData/Roaming/Adobe Photoshop/AutoRecover.

Fix 2. Recover Unsaved Photoshop Files from Recent Files

In addition to the AutoSave feature, you can also find your unsaved files from recent items on Photoshop. For convenience, Photoshop lists recently opened files to help you quickly access them. So, if the application suddenly closed or you forgot to save your files, go to check the recent files.

Follow these steps to recover unsaved Photoshop files from recent items:

Step 1. Restart the application if you closed it improperly. 

Step 2. Click File on the top menu and select Open Recent.

Step 3. From the drop-down menu, click the file you want to restore. Then you can access the file that hasn’t been saved before.

Fix 3. Restore Unsaved Photoshop Files from Temp Files

Aside from using Photoshop’s built-in tools, recovering unsaved files from temporary files is a great option. In Windows, temporary files are generated by the operating system or applications to store short-term data. They are usually stored in the Temp folder on the C: drive. Check here if your Photoshop files were unsaved before losing.

Here’s how to recover unsaved Photoshop files from the Windows temp folder:

Step 1. Open File Explorer and go to the path: C:/Users/UserName/AppData/Local/Temp. Here you can find all the temporary files.

Step 2. Locate the files with names beginning with Photoshop. It might be time-consuming, but you can narrow down the search scope according to their modified dates.

Step 3. When you find the file you want to restore, open it and save it in a safe location.

What If Photoshop Files Are Deleted?

The methods mentioned above can help you recover unsaved Photoshop files on Windows PCs. What about deleted files? Sometimes, you may accidentally remove important files and want to get them back. Don’t worry; here are also three methods to recover deleted Photoshop files.

Fix 1. Recover Deleted Photoshop Files from Recycle Bin

When your files are deleted, they are usually sent to the Recycle Bin. If you change your mind, you can go to the Recycle Bin to restore them in just a few clicks.

Step 1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.

Step 2. Find the file you want to restore.

Step 3. Right-click it and select the Restore option. Then it will be moved to its original location.

Fix 2. Recover Deleted Photoshop Files Using Software

While recovering files from the Recycle Bin is direct, it doesn’t always work. For permanently deleted files, professional recovery software is a better choice for recovery.

We highly recommend you to try AOMEI FastRecovery which is an efficient data recovery tool to restore lost and deleted files. This handy tool supports all Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7 and Windows Server systems, helping you effortlessly retrieve data from many complex data loss scenarios. Feel free to download from the link below and give it a try:

Free Download
Windows PCs & Servers

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Follow these steps to use AOMEI FastRecovery to recover Photoshop files: 

Step 1: Launch AOMEI FastRecovery on your computer first, and then choose the exact partition or disk where your Photoshop files are stored.

Step 2: Scan the specific disk with Quick Scan and Deep Scan to find the deleted files. 

Step 3: Once scanning is complete, all missing files will be displayed on the interface. Kindly choose the files you want to restore and click Recover. 

Step 4: Specify a saving path for the recovered files and then wait for the process to complete.

Highlights of AOMEI FastRecovery:
◆ User-Friendly Design: The intuitive interface guides you to effortlessly recover what they want, step by step.
◆ Wide File Coverage: Recovers more than 1000 file types, including documents, pictures, videos, audio files, zip files, and emails.
◆ Advanced Scanning Methods: Supports both Quick Scan and Deep Scan to comprehensively find the desired files.
◆ Preview-Supported Recovery: Allows you to check the files before recovery, ensuring that they are restoring the right ones.
◆ High Recovery Rate: Ensures a high success rate that nearly reaches 99% and a fast data recovery process.

Fix 3. Recover Deleted Photoshop Files from File History

In addition to using third-party software, you can recover deleted Photoshop files from File History. This feature backs up multiple versions of your personal files, allowing you to restore an older version that may have been deleted or overwritten some time ago.

If you have a good habit of backup, follow these steps to restore your files:

Step 1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security and click File History.

Step 2. Select Restore personal files to open the file history window.

Step 3. Click the left arrow to locate your deleted files, and click the Restore to recover them.

Photoshop File Recovery FAQs 

Q1: Can I retrieve a Photoshop file after a crash on Windows?

Yes, of course! Photoshop has an auto-save feature that automatically saves your work at regular intervals. Even if the application closes incorrectly, your work might have been saved. But you need to ensure this feature is enabled during the whole process.

Q2: Can I clear Photoshop recent files?

Sure! If you’re using a shared computer and don’t want others to see your recent projects, go to Files > Open Recent and select Clear Recent File List. This will remove files you recently handled.

Q3: How to recover permanently deleted Photoshop files?

If you have a good habit of backing up, the recovery becomes very easy. If not, consider using professional recovery tools like AOMEI FastRecovery to get them back. These tools can comprehensively scan your device and restore the lost or deleted data.

Final Words  

Long story short, Photoshop file recovery is possible whether you have saved your files or not. This article outlines three effective methods to recover unsaved Photoshop files on Windows PCs. If your files have been removed, proceed to the next section to learn how to recover them. By comparison, using AOMEI FastRecovery would provide you with a more advanced recovery experience. Hope you can restore your work successfully!