Recover deleted photos

See if the deleted photos are in the computer's Recycle Bin

Windows Recycle Bin is a special folder where Windows saves any files you delete in Windows Explorer and many other programs that deal with files.

When you delete a photo or folder in either Windows Explorer or Picasa, it goes into the Recycle Bin if it isn't too large to fit.

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. On your desktop, double click the Recycle Bin icon to launch it.

  2. In the Recycle Bin menu, click View > Details to show all details about the files in the bin.

  3. You will see a column that says "Date Deleted". Click once or twice on the column title until the arrow points down. This sorts the items in the recycle bin so the most recent items are an top.

  4. Look at the Names in the left column and find any folders or photos you deleted that you want to restore.

  5. If you deleted folders, you will see only the folder name, but when restored, the photos inside will be restored too.

  6. Right-click on any folders you want to restore and select Restore. The folder will move out of the recycle bin and back to where it was stored before deletion. Picasa will again display the folder.

  7. You can also right-click and Restore on any photos you want to restore.

  8. You can view the photos as thumbnails to help select which photos to restore. Go to the View menu in the Recycle Bin and select "Large icons" to see them as thumbnails. In Windows XP click View > Thumbnails.

If import failed, check to see if the photos are in the import cache

Check for a hidden folder of photos in your normal import area.

If Picasa import failed during Import and deleted the photos from the memory card, or just froze during import try recovering those photos: Importing erased the memory card

Restore the photos from your backup

If you have a backup of your photos that includes the deleted photos, restoring them from the backup is the best bet if they are not in the recycle bin. If you don't have a backup, consider doing a backup before you lose more photos!

  • Here is a link the using the Picasa Backup tool: Picasa Backup Tool

  • There are also many good and even free backup tools available.

Recover deleted photos using a file recovery program

If the files are still lost: Do not do any operations on the last medium on which the picture were located! Doing any type of operation such as installing programs, moving files, taking pictures, etc., may cause data to be overwritten, making recovery impossible.

  • On a memory card: don't take any more photos using the memory card until you've recovered the photos.

  • On the internal memory of your smartphone: don't take any more photo on it, don't install any extra apps, don't browse the internet until you've recovered the photos

  • On your hard disk: don't install any programs (except a file recovery program), don't move files, don't add files to the hard disk until you've recovered the photos

  • To recover the file from a memory card: you first need to attach it to your computer, and it needs to be accessible with a drive letter as "Removable storage" in Windows File Explorer on your computer (such as the F:\ drive). Most recent cameras work like that, but if you have an older camera that doesn't, you will need a memory card reader. Look for a memory card reader slot in your computer case or laptop. Some printers also have memory card reader slots. If you don't have a memory card reader slot, you'll have to buy a USB memory card reader - you can often find them for about $10. They plug right in to a USB slot and you put your memory card right in there.

  • To recover from the internal memory of an Android phone, you first need to enable USB debugging on your Android device so that the program can access your Android storage system:

    • For Android 2.3 or earlier: Enter "Settings" > Click "Applications" > Click "Development" > Check "USB debugging"

    • For Android 3.0 to 4.1: Enter "Settings" > Click "Developer options" > Check "USB debugging"

    • For Android 4.2: Enter "Settings" > Click "About Phone" > Tap "Build number" for several times until getting a note "You are under developer mode" > Back to "Settings" > Click "Developer options" > Check "USB debugging"

    • For Android 4.4 or newer: this option was removed, and in this case this tutorial cannot help you

Try one or more free undelete programs. The results vary depending on where, when, and what else has happened. No guarantees other than that these programs have been used by other Picasa users and have helped save photos.

    • Recuva: just follow the steps of the wizard when it starts.

  • Glary

    • Start Glary Undelete

    • Select the drive you want to recover pictures from in the Glary dropdown

    • Click "Search". Certainly on a (large) hard disk this can take quite some time!!!

    • Glary finds a BUNCH of deleted jpegs

    • Click the "Check All" option at the bottom of the Glary screen

    • Click the "Restore" button

    • Choose some folder that you want Glary to put the recovered photos in.

  • Photorec

  • NTFS Undelete

  • ZAR: there are good instructions for ZAR on this: Digital Photography School Article about ZAR.

Even more applications can be found here:

http://www.freewaregenius.com/the-best-free-data-recovery-tool-13-undelete-tools-compared/