Deleted Photo Recovery: A Step by Step Guide with Google Photos

See how to recover your photos with Google Photos.

Recuva is free software for Windows developed by Piriform, a company known for creating data optimization and recovery tools.

Recuva is widely used to recover accidentally deleted files, including photos, documents, videos, music and other types of files.

Here are some basic steps for using Recuva to recover deleted photos:

1. Download and install Recuva: Visit the official Recuva website at https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva and click the “Download FREE” button to download the installer. Run the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install Recuva on your computer.
2. Run Recuva: After installation, launch Recuva from the Start menu or desktop icon.
3. Select the type of file to be recovered: On Recuva's home screen, you will see a list of file types. Select the “Pictures” file type. If you know the specific format of the photos (eg JPG, PNG, etc.), you can choose the corresponding format.
4. Choose recovery location: Recuva will ask you to select the location where the photos were originally stored before they were deleted. Select the drive or folder where the photos were located. If you are not sure, select the “I'm not sure” option.
5. Start Scanning: Click the “Scan” button to start the scanning process. Recuva will scan the selected drive or folder for deleted photos.
6. Wait for the scan to complete: Recuva will take some time to complete the scan depending on the size of the drive or folder and the amount of data to be scanned.
7. Preview and recover photos: After the scan is complete, you will see a list of recoverable photos. Recuva will sort photos by their recovery condition, with a green bar indicating a high probability of successful recovery. Click the desired photos and click the “Recover” button to save them in a safe place on your computer.

Remember that the sooner you run Recuva after deleting photos, the better the chances of successful recovery, as deleted data can be overwritten over time.

It is recommended to save recovered photos in a location other than the original one to avoid overwriting the data and increase the chance of complete recovery.

Disk Drill

Disk Drill is a data recovery software available for Windows and Mac. It is designed to help recover accidentally deleted files including photos, documents, videos, audios and other file types.

Here are the basic steps to use Disk Drill to recover deleted photos:

1. Download and install Disk Drill: Go to Disk Drill official website at https://www.cleverfiles.com/disk-drill-windows.html (for Windows) or https://www.cleverfiles.com/disk-drill-mac.html (for Mac). Click the “Download” button to download the installer and follow the instructions to install Disk Drill on your computer.
2. Run Disk Drill: After installation, launch Disk Drill from the Start menu (on Windows) or the Applications folder (on Mac).
3. Select drive or storage device: In Disk Drill's interface, you will see a list of drives and storage devices available on your computer. Select the drive or storage device where the photos were located before they were deleted.
4. Start the analysis: Click the “Recover” or “Search for lost data” button to start the analysis process. Disk Drill will start scanning the selected drive or storage device for deleted data.
5. Wait for the scan to complete: Disk Drill will perform a deep scan of the drive or storage device. This process can take some time, depending on the size of the drive and the amount of data to be scanned.
6. Preview and recover photos: Upon completion of the analysis, Disk Drill will present you with a list of recoverable files, including photos. You can preview the found photos and select the ones you want to recover. Click “Recover” button to start the recovery process and choose a safe place to save the recovered photos.

Disk Drill also has additional features such as the option to pause and resume analysis, preview file preview before recovery, and the ability to create a backup image to prevent further data damage.

Remember that it is essential to save the recovered photos in a different location from the original drive or storage device to avoid overwriting your data and increase the chances of successful recovery.

PhotoRec

PhotoRec is a free and open source tool designed to help recover deleted or lost files from different storage devices such as hard disks, memory cards, pendrives and others.

Here are the basic steps to use PhotoRec to recover deleted photos:

1. Download and install PhotoRec: PhotoRec is part of a software package called TestDisk. You can download it from the official TestDisk website: https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download. Choose the appropriate version for your operating system (Windows, Mac or Linux).
2. Run PhotoRec: After installing TestDisk, you will find the PhotoRec executable in the package. On Windows, it is the “photorec_win.exe” file. On Mac, it is the “photorec” file in the “testdisk-xxx.dmg” folder. On Linux, you can run PhotoRec from the terminal.
3. Select storage device: After running PhotoRec, it will show you a list of storage devices connected to your computer. Select the device on which the photos were stored before being deleted. Make sure you choose the correct device to avoid recovering data from the wrong device.
4. Choose partition and file system: Next, you will be asked to select the storage device partition and the type of file system used. If you're not sure, the default option usually works fine. Press Enter to proceed.
5. Choose destination location for recovered photos: PhotoRec will ask you to choose a location where you want to save recovered files. It is recommended to choose a location other than the original storage device to avoid overwriting data.
6. Select file type for recovery: On the next screen, you will see a list of supported file types. Select the image formats you want to recover, such as JPG, PNG, TIFF, etc. If you want to recover all file types, you can select “File Opt” option and choose “All” to recover all files.
7. Start the recovery process: After making all selections, press Enter to start the recovery process. PhotoRec will start scanning the storage device for deleted files. This process may take some time, depending on the size of the device and the amount of data to be recovered.
8. Save recovered photos: When the analysis is complete, PhotoRec will show you the found files. You will be able to preview the recovered file names and save them to the chosen destination location.

It is important to note that PhotoRec will not recover files with their original names, but will assign generic names to recovered files based on their characteristics.

Keep in mind that it is advised to save recovered photos in a safe location other than the original storage device to avoid overwriting data and maximize chances of successful recovery.

Keep your photos safe whenever you need them

Recovering deleted photos may seem like a challenging task, but with today's technology, there are several effective tools available to help with this process. Data recovery programs offer a second chance to recover precious memories that might otherwise be lost forever. Using specialized software, it is possible to restore accidentally deleted photos, even after formatting or device failures.

When choosing a photo recovery program, it is essential to consider factors such as compatibility with your device, ease of use, and success rates reported by other users. Many programs offer free or trial versions, allowing you to evaluate their effectiveness before making a financial investment.

Additionally, it is important to adopt preventive practices to avoid data loss in the future. Maintaining regular backups, using cloud storage services, and being careful when deleting files are essential measures to protect your photos and other important data.

Ultimately, photo recovery programs are valuable tools that can save irreplaceable moments from your digital life. With the right approach and the right software, you can significantly increase your chances of recovering deleted photos and ensuring that your memories remain safe and accessible.