Want to achieve SD card photo recovery? This tutorial with detailed info and steps to recover deleted photos from SD cards is worth reading.
Tiny and portable SD card storage device is prevailing and widely used to store pictures, videos, etc. It is designed for a bunch of digital devices, for instance, cameras, video recorders, music players, PCs, etc.
Being loaded with a large number of essential files, especially photos, SD cards are delicate, vulnerable, and prone to losing data. Many users have encountered SD card photo loss and were eager to figure out how to achieve SD card photo recovery.
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
Here comes to question, is it possible to recover SD card photos? Well, it depends on how your photos on SD cards are lost.
Photos usually are lost for a variety of causes.
It will be an easy task to recover photos from SD cards using professional data recovery tools when you just deleted or permanently deleted them.
But if data in it is corrupted due to misoperation, virus, or physical damage, it is gone for good. And you might have to perform SD card recovery to fix it and bring it back to normal.
To recover deleted photos from SD card, therefore, you could follow this guide in the next section.
To perform SD card photo recovery, you can read and try some file/data recovery utilities introduced in this part. To get back your photos in the fastest way, you can try the second method directly.
Prior to the solutions to recover SD card photos, some quick fixes are ready here to assist you if you cannot specify the situation of your SD card.
>> Fix 1. Check if you have properly/correctly connected the SD card to your computer with a card reader.
>> Fix 2. Try to connect to another interface/port or use another card reader.
>> Fix 3. Try to unhide the SD card files. Select the SD card in This PC > click View in the toolbar > Options > View > toggle Show hidden files, folders, and drives in Advanced settings.
If all these fast fixes cannot solve your problem, then you may have to perform SD card photo recovery via some professional Windows data rescue tools.
Windows File Recovery, an official file recovery application designed by Microsoft, can help recover deleted files from healthy/corrupted/formatted hard drives in Windows 10 2004 and above.
As a command-line app, it is not designed for ordinary users who are not equipped with related knowledge, expertise, and experience; therefore, this tool will be quite difficult to handle for users who are not tech-savvy.
To get a more detailed guide on how to use Windows File Recovery, check the tutorial.
It only applies to Windows 10, version 2004 (Build 19041), or later.
The target drive cannot be the same as the source drive.
Since SD cards usually use FAT/FAT32/exFAT, Regular mode is not available. Please choose Extensive mode.
If Windows File Recovery failed to create destination folder, please seek help.
Step 1. 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 2. According to the file system and data loss situation, choose a recovery 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 3. Select one/more switches to filter the scanning range.
| Switches | Meaning | Supported mode(s) |
| /n | Filter the scan range: scans for a specific file with its file name/path/type, etc. | All |
| /y: | Recovers specific extension groups. | Signature |
| /k | Recovers system files. | NTFS Segment |
| /segment | Segment mode; recovers files under NTFS drives using file record segments. | Segment |
| /signature | Signature mode; recovers files under all file system types using file headers. | Signature |
| /u | Recovers undeleted files, for example, from the Recycle Bin. | NTFS Segment |
Step 4. Get Windows File Recovery from Microsoft Store > run the app.
Step 5. Input the command to get deleted/lost image files from SD card.
Command format:
winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
For instance,
winfr F: D: /extensive /n *.jpg /n *.png
Using this command, you could recover jpg and png files from your F: drive (SD card) to another drive. Don’t forget that the source drive could not be the same as the target drive.
If you see errors like “There was an error parsing your command”, please seek help from the tutorial the fix it.
Then, press y continue and wait for the processing. You might meet the error “Windows File Recovery stuck at 99%” and cannot have the process ended. If so, get some help and get it fixed.
A folder named “Recovery_date and time” will be generated automatically in the destination drive.
For green hands, how to recover SD card photos without being bothered by the complex commands? A professional and trustworthy Windows data recovery utility – MyRecover will free you from trouble.
No matter how you have lost/deleted images, be it from normal deletion, permanent deletion, or even you have formatted the SD card, you could restore them using this efficient tool.
Now follow the steps to restore deleted or lost pictures from SD card.
Step 1. 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. It will automatically scan the SD card with Quick Scan & Deep scan to separately search for deleted files and missing files. Preview the scanning result or wait for the complete result.
At this time, you can use the filter feature to find your photos quickly, such as Size, Path, Type, Date modified, etc. If you remember the filename, you can type it in the search box to locate it faster.
Step 3. Go to Other missing files/Deleted files > Images > select the pictures you want to restore > click Recover x files. Not only photos, you could also use it to perform SD card video recovery.
In this way, you could retrieve deleted photos from SD card and keep the original formats/names/paths. Also, this tool can help users to recover items permanently deleted from Recycle Bin.
Two feasible methods to achieve SD card photo recovery have been given with detailed info and steps. Users who are familiar with commands and Windows syntax can utilize the free Windows File Recovery.
If you are a beginner and don’t know much about commands, to get rid of any trouble and save your time, why not choose an easy tool – MyRecover?
What’s more, photos are of vital importance because they recorded and seized precious moments in people’s life. Losing any images will be frustrating.
To help users decrease the risk of losing photos in the future, therefore, some suggestions are offered.