This a free SD card photo recovery tutorial to help you recover deleted or lost photos from SD card step by step. The most effective method is using software like MyRecover.
Tiny and portable SD card storage devices, designed for a bunch of digital devices, for instance, cameras, video recorders, music players, PCs, etc., are prevailing and widely used to store pictures, videos, etc. However, like other devices, SD cards are prone to data loss.
You may experience a similar situation as below.
“How to recover photos from a deleted SD card? I accidentally deleted all files from my SD card. All pictures I took this month are there and I can’t afford to lose them. Any suggestions will be appreciated.” – Question from DPREVIEW
The question arises, is it possible to recover SD card photos? Why do I lose SD card photos? How to recover deleted or lost SD card photos?
Well, it is possible to perform SD card data recovery, but it depends on how your photos on SD cards are lost and whether the data is overwritten. Then, let's get a close look at the possible causes:
It will be an easy task to recover deleted photos from SD cards, even permanently deleted files, as long as you find a reliable data recovery tool. But if there is physical damage or the data is corrupted, it's gone for good. To avoid data overwriting, please be sure:
Photo recovery software like MyRecover is designed to recover deleted photos from an SD card, USB drive, external disk, HDD/SSD, etc. It will perform a complete and in-depth scanning process to find all recoverable data on the SD card and save them in the Recently Deleted/Recycle Bin/Other Missing Files folder.
You can search & filter the desired data through the scanned result, even during the scanning process. Also, it allows you to preview and selectively recover photos you want by ticking the checkbox or leaving them blank. In addition, it can recover data in any disaster, such as accidental deletion, permanent deletion, virus infection, lost partition, system crash, etc.
Although there are many data recovery software, only professional and trustworthy software will free you from trouble. MyRecover will be a good choice. No matter how you lost/deleted images, from normal deletion, permanent deletion, or even format the SD card, you can use it.
Now follow the steps to restore deleted or lost pictures from SD card.
Step 1. Select the SD card to scan
Install and run the software > connect the SD card to your computer with a card reader > hover the mouse over the SD card drive saved deleted files before, and click Scan.
Step 2. Locate the desired data
It will automatically scan the SD card with Quick Scan & Deep Scan to separately search for deleted files and missing files. Here are two ways to locate the photos quickly:
#1: Search & Filter.If you remember the file name or extension, you can type it in the search box. If not, try to use the filter feature, such as size, Path, Type, Date modified, etc.
#2: Sidebar directories. Go to Deleted files/Other missing files> find deleted or lost photos in their original location.
Step 3. Start SD card photo recovery
Preview the scanning result or wait for the complete result. Then, select the pictures you want to restore > click Recover x files. In this way, you can retrieve deleted photos from SD card with the original names, formats, path, and quality.
MyRecover allows you to recover deleted photos from SD cards over 500MB in the Free edition. For larger photo recovery, please upgrade to advanced editions. The lifetime edition is recommended, i.e. one-time payment for all features with no time limit. So you can always recover data at the first time.
In addition, you can also attempt to recover deleted photos from SD card in the following methods.
Here is a collection of some simple solutions to recover SD card photos.
Sometimes, your photos on an SD card may be hidden instead of deleted. Try to show hidden files in the File Explore.
Step 1. In This PC, select the SD card. Then, click View in the toolbar and Options.
Step 3. In the Folder Options window, click View > Advanced settings, and toggle Show hidden files, folders, and drives.
Windows File Recovery, a free command-line data recovery app designed by Microsoft, can help recover deleted files from healthy/corrupted/formatted SD cards, external disks, hard drives, etc., in Windows 10 2004 (build 19041)and above. You are required to learn the syntax and necessary parameters below. It won't be easy to handle for users who are not tech-savvy.
The syntax: winfr source-drive: destination-folder /mode /switches
The target drive cannot be the same as the source drive.
Since SD cards usually use FAT/FAT32/exFAT, Regular mode is not available on SD cards. Please choose Extensive mode.
You need to check the file system of the SD card first, which helps decide the recovery mode.
The switch narrows the search. Just type winfr /? to get details.
To get more details on how to use Windows File Recovery.
Prepare for SD card photo recovery:
Connect the SD card properly to your computer > go to This PC > right-click on the SD card > Properties. See what type of file system you are using.
Step to recover deleted photos from SD card:
Step 1. Search and download Windows File Recovery from Microsoft Store. Then, open this software after installing.
Step 2. To recover deleted jpg and png files from F: to D:, type the following command. Replace the source drive and destination drive to yours.
winfr F: D: /extensive /n *.jpg /n *.png
Then, press y continue and wait for the processing. Finally, a folder named “Recovery_date and time” will be generated automatically in the destination drive.
While using Windows File Recovery, you may encounter different errors, for example,
Fortunately, there are some helpful methods to fix it. Click the corresponding tutorial above to get them.
Here are some useful suggestions you can follow to avoid data loss.
AOMEI Backupper Standard would be of great help with multiple backup features. So you can use it to backup any items on the SD card you want. Scheduled tasks will greatly save time and space. It allows you to backup daily, weekly, monthly, and only changed files every time.
MyRecover is a free and easy-to-use data recovery software, suitable for all users to perform SD card photo recovery, with fast scanning and high success rate. You don't need to learn any knowledge before using it. Why not give it a try?
Users who are familiar with commands can utilize another recovery tool - Windows File Recovery from Microsoft. Or you can try other feasible methods described in the above. At last, don't forget to backup photos containing your precious moments.