How to fix the issue of photos disappeared from camera SD card? This post shares two solutions with you to recover deleted & missing files from SD card.
I used my Nikon d5100 for four days on a trip with the same memory card. I looked at the LCD screen and all seemed fine at the time. Although I didn’t download photos to my computer when I returned home, the previous day did. I put the card into my camera and the last day’s photos were gone. I didn’t delete or format the SD card. Why did my camera pictures disappeared? Is it possible for me to recover lost pictures from SD card free? Thanks.
-A user from Tom’s Guide
If you’re seeking ways to recover missing files from SD cards, you’ve come to the right place because this post is prepared for you to recover the deleted/lost pictures as long as you haven’t overwritten them.
Let’s learn why photos disappeared from camera SD card before starting photo recovery.
To avoid unnecessary steps, you can check whether your missing files are hidden or not using Windows File Explorer.
Plug the SD card into your PC and press “Win + E” to open Windows File Explorer. Then click your camera SD card and click “View” > “Options” to open Folder Options.
Then click “View” and tick the “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” option. Please remember “Apply” and reconfirm it by clicking the “OK” button.
For a better photo recovery rate, you’d better not add new data to your digital cameras or other storage devices after data loss.
Because once the deleted/lost data have been overwritten, these disappeared photos will become irrecoverable and purified.
There’re two types of data recovery software for your preferences to tackle this matter.
If there’s no sign of your pictures in the Recycle Bin, you can recover lost pictures from the SD card free with Windows File Recovery. This command-line software devotes to recovering lost files from your local storage devices (HDD, USB, and SD cards).
Windows File Recovery cannot support cloud storage and network file share recovery. Meanwhile, you will be prompted to fill your selected mode and switches in the basic command format due to a lack of a GUI (graphical user interface).
▶winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
After figuring out the file system of the SD card, let’s designate the mode and switches.
Step 1. Select the basic “Regular” or “Extensive” mode.
|
File system |
Scenarios |
mode |
|
NTFS |
Deleted recently |
Regular |
|
NTFS |
Deleted for a while |
Extensive |
|
NTFS |
Formatted disk |
Extensive |
|
NTFS |
corrupted disk |
Extensive |
|
FAT and exFAT |
Any |
Extensive |
Step 2. Select some common switches from the following switches.
|
Switch |
Description |
Supported modes |
|
/y: |
Recover specific extension groups, comma-separated |
Signature |
|
/p: |
Saves a log file of the recovery operation in a different location than the default location on the recovery drive (for example, D:\logfile). |
All |
|
/a |
Overrides user prompts, which is useful in a script file. |
All |
|
/u |
Recovers undeleted files, for example, from the Recycle Bin. |
NTFS Segment |
|
/k |
Recovers system files. |
NTFS Segment |
|
/g |
Recovers files without primary data streams. |
NTFS Segment |
|
/e |
To keep your results manageable and focus on user files, some file types are filtered by default, but this switch removes that filter. |
NTFS Segment |
|
/e: |
Specifies which file types are filtered. |
NTFS Segment |
Step 3. Download and install Windows File Recovery from Microsoft Store by clicking the “Get” button. Then “Open” it.
Step 4. The following adjusted command line depicts how to recover deleted PNG files from the C drive to the E drive.
▶winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
▶winfr C: E: /x /y :PNG
Please copy the command line in the command prompt window, and press “y” to go on. If you want to stop the recovery process, please press the “Ctrl + C” keys.
Windows File Recovery is powerful data recovery software, but it’s not a well-designed tool. Not to mention it could be seen as a top-rated data recovery software for Windows.
So why not give MyRecover a shot to recover deleted/missing files from SD card with ease? This professional photo recovery software fills the above gaps and provides a better user experience for newcomers.
For example, you don’t have to open the recovered image files to identify their contents because you can judge them based on their original path, filename, and format.
Other supportive points:
Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your PC. Then connect the SD card to the computer.
Step 2. After loading the disk, hover the mouse over the drive and click Scan to scan.
Step 3. You can search or wait to view all the deleted and other missing files from SD card after running automatically.
Step 4. Go to the Deleted files/Other missing files folder, and select your desired photos. Then click “Recover x files” and save them in your destination place.
Photos disappeared from camera SD card! How to fix it? Read the above content to find the targeted methods. If you want to prevent data loss for SD cards, please follow these tips below.