“I accidentally formatted my SD card and lost all my precious wedding photos. Is there any method to restore those lost pictures from the SD card?”.

Losing important photos from your SD card or USB drive due to accidental deletion, formatting, system error, or any other reason can be distressful. The good news is that there are several photo recovery methods available online that you can use to try to restore lost pictures. In this guide, we will explore various professional photo recovery workarounds that can help you recover your lost pictures, no matter how they were deleted.

Understanding the Basics of Photo Deletion

Before you proceed with workarounds to recover photos from SD card or a USB drive, it is important to understand where these deleted photos go. Technically, deleted photos are not permanently erased from your device. The space deleted files were occupying will be marked available for new files, but until it’s overwritten. After that, the recovery might become complex, and you need professional third-party photo recovery software to help you!

Moreover, identifying the exact cause of photo deletion from your SD card/USB drive can help you apply the adequate recovery workarounds. Let’s explore some common reasons why these photos get deleted:

  • Accidental Deletion: You might have accidentally deleted photos while performing other tasks or deleting any other files from your device.
  • Formatting: Formatting the SD card or USB drives and that’s too without any proper backup, deletes all its content, including the stored photos.
  • Virus or Malware Attack: Malicious programs like viruses or malware can infect the files stored on your device and sometimes lead to data loss instances.
  • Improper Ejection: Removing the SD card or USB drive without using “Safely Remove Hardware” causes unexpected issues.

How do I Recover Deleted Photos from an SD Card or USB Drive?

Now that you are familiar with the reasons for the deletion of photos from your SD card or USB drive, it’s time to apply the photo recovery methods. Before that, the first and most crucial task is to avoid using these storage devices. Continuous usage may overwrite the deleted data, making recovery impossible.

Here are some quick photo recovery methods you can try:

Method 01: Check Previously Created Backups

If you are good at maintaining regular backups of your important files, try recovering lost photos from those backups. Windows OS provides built-in File History and other backup utilities, which you can use to create backups and restore files when deleted. Follow the steps below to recover your lost data using File History backup:

  • Firstly, connect the backup drive (external hard drive or network drive) to your PC.
  • Search for File History in the search box located at the bottom and open it.

  • Go to Restore personal file from the left navigation pane.

  • Select the backup photos you need to restore and click the green Restore button to save them at the desired location.

Method 02: Restore from Cloud Backups

Another backup alternative that you can try to recover lost photos is via cloud storage backups. There are several cloud backup options, such as Google Photos, OneDrive, iCloud, etc., where your deleted photos might be stored, if the device is properly synced up. Here’s how:

Recover photos from Google Photos:

  • Visit https://photos.google.com
  • Log in to your Google account.
  • Go to the Trash folder (where the deleted photos are stored for 60 days).
  • Select the photo you want to restore and click Download or Restore.

 

 

Recover photos from OneDrive:

  • Open any website and go to https://onedrive.live.com.
  • Now, go to the Pictures folder or Recycle Bin.
  • Download the required photos back to your device.

Method 03: Use a Third-Party Photo Recovery Software

What if you don’t have a backup of the lost photos? Don’t worry, there are several third-party deleted photo recovery software available which you can try to restore lost pictures even without any backup. Stellar Photo Recovery software is one among them. It is quite a popular tool, mainly known for its versatility across multiple devices. It can help you recover photos deleted due to accidental deletion, formatting, virus attack, or any other reason without fail.

Not only photos, the Stellar Photo Recovery software can help you recover video and audio files of numerous file formats. It allows you to recover multimedia files deleted from any internal or external storage devices, such as SD cards, Hard drives, USBs, etc. It also allows you to preview the recoverable files.

Here’s how to restore deleted photos from an SD card or USB drive using the Stellar Photo Recovery software:

  • Firstly, visit the official Stellar’s website and download the Stellar Photo Recovery software on your device. Go through on-screen instructions to install the software.
  • Now, connect your SD card using a card reader or insert the USB drive directly. Make sure the device is properly recognised by your computer, and then launch the software.
  • From the home screen, select the type of file you need to restore and click Next.

  • Select your SD card or USB drive from the “Recover From” window and click on “Scan” to begin the scanning process.

  • After the scan completes, preview the recoverable photos and select the pictures you want to restore.

  • Lastly, click the Recover button to save the recovered photos at a safe location on your PC.

Some Amazing Features of Stellar Photo Recovery

  • Deep Scan Mode: Finds deeply buried or old deleted files (takes more time).
  • Supports 4K/HD camera photo formats (Canon, Nikon, Sony, GoPro, etc.).
  • Works with RAW, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and many other photo formats.
  • Supports recovery of files deleted from corrupted or formatted drives.

Final Thoughts

Hope the aforementioned methods help you restore photos lost from your SD card or USB drive. The key is to act quickly, avoid saving new files on the storage device until recovery is done, and if all fails, use third-party photo recovery software. Stellar Photo Recovery is a versatile recovery option allowing you to recover photos lost due to any reason in a few simple steps. Make sure to back up your data regularly to avoid similar issues in the future. Prevention, after all, is the best form of protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover photos deleted long ago?

If your photo was deleted quite a long time ago, you might not have any adequate backups. In such cases, you can use a third-party photo recovery software such as Stellar Photo Recovery to recover your photos.

Is Free Data Recovery reliable for restoring lost photos?

Tools like Stellar Photo Recovery and Recuva offer decent results for free. For complex recovery, premium versions may help.

What if my SD card is not detected?

Try changing the card reader or USB port. If still undetected, consult a data recovery specialist.