How to Recover Deleted Pictures from SD Card

So you have accidentally deleted photos from your memory card and are now looking for a way to recover them? Rest assured, there are plenty of ways to do without having to stress out over how time-consuming this might be. Read our article on how to recover deleted pictures from SD card for simple, applicable tips on how to do get back those cherished immortalized memories.

  1. How To Recover Deleted Pictures from SD Card with Data Recovery Pro

Contrary to popular belief, even though you accidentally delete photos from an SD Card, they aren’t permanently deleted. They still exist on the lower levels of your SD drive. Unfortunately however, Windows cannot find these on its own so it needs a third-party software to locate the photos.

how to recover deleted pictures from sd card

Even if your photos are located in the lower levels of your SD drive, they can be overwritten at any time, because Windows is not protected anymore. So if you are trying to recover this data it is important to act quickly. Here’s what you should do:

  • Go the recovering-deleted-files.net.
  • Then click on the Free Download button for the software program called Data Recovery Pro.
  • After installing the software, open it and you will have a series of options to choose. Then press the Guided Scan button and if you are looking to recover deleted files from external sources such as an SD card continue by selecting the I want to recover items on an external device.
  • Afterwards you will be presented with a table containing the deleted data and by simply selecting it and pressing the Recovery button an automated folder will be made containing the deleted photos.

how to recover deleted pictures from sd card with data recovery pro

Keep in mind that this solution implies having to download a software program, yet it offers a safe and fast way to bring back lost data.

  1. How to Recover Deleted Photos from Memory Card with Recuva Professional

Another useful software for recovering deleted data files is Recuva Professional. These are the quick and simple steps to follow:

  • Simply go to Piriform.com/recuva and on the main page you will be presented with the option of downloading the program. After downloading the program make sure you install it.
  • Before opening the program you will be required to do a Quick Format on the SD card. I know it is really scary to Format the SD card, mainly because of the fear to lose all data. But by pressing Quick Format you only scrub the Table of Contents on the SD card, not erasing everything recorded on it.
  • Now you can go onto the next step by opening the Recuva program.
  • Then, in the Recuva Wizard, you will be asked what sort of files you are trying to recover. If you are looking to recover deleted photos select the Pictures button.
  • If you also have other files that need to be recovered then go ahead and select the Other option, although be wary that it takes a ridiculous amount of time to scan in this selected option.
  • After selecting Pictures you will be asked where you want your files to be recovered. Select the Specific Location option and continue by recovering the files in the Removable Disk or in other words the SD card reader.

how to recover deleted pictures from sd card with recuva

If you select the Deep Scan option you can find files which have been deleted for a long time. Keep in mind that SD cards do not know that you deleted files until new ones are rewritten on them. So you will get files that are most recent as well as old deleted files. If you select this option note that it is very time-consuming and it might take a couple of hours. However, you will be able to bring back very old deleted files, so the benefits might overshadow disadvantages.

After the scan is completed a window will appear. In it all the files that have been found on the lower layers of the SD card drive will come into sight. Because you can have a vast number of photos that have been brought up, both recent and very old, it might again be very time-consuming to select each one individually. Luckily, there is a ‘select all’ option and you can follow up by pressing the Recover button.

There you will have the option to choose where you would like your recovered files to be saved. Then the files will be copied from the card onto the folder in which you want these to be saved.

Depending on the number of files you have recovered and thus saved, this process might take a couple of minutes up to a few hours. So be prepared to clear your schedule and spend some time on it.

Hope this couple of tips on how to recover deleted pictures from SD card prove useful to you. Although it involves downloading and installing different programs the results pay off. Nevertheless, keep in mind that depending on the sheer number of photos that need to be recovered, the whole process might vary in time. In other words, expect to spend from a couple of minutes to a few hours, if the volume of deleted photos is that high. By using the Recuva program and its Deep Scan option, you can recover files lost a very long time ago. So, in this event you can rest assured that you will spend quite some time, if you wish to recover those old files.

In essence, these immortalized moments should better be recovered, as they bring us back joy while looking over them. If you are searching for more tips on how to organize your images and keep them safe, check out our post on best ways to import and store digital images on your computer, as well as on an external drive.

Thank you for reading our article on how to recover deleted photos from memory card and feel free to leave us a message in the comment section below if you have any tips or ideas to share on the topic. Cheers!

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3.

Print Friendly
About Karsten Monroe

Half Dutch and half Canadian, Karsten is an enthusiastic workaholic photographer turned blogger. Architecture graduate, he is determined to make the most of his passion for photography and takes great pride from being a self-taught individual.