Recovering photos that have been permanently deleted from a computer can sometimes be possible, but not always. There are a few factors that determine whether or not permanently deleted photos can be recovered.
What happens when you permanently delete photos?
When you permanently delete photos from your computer, the operating system does not immediately remove the photo data from your hard drive. Instead, it marks the space occupied by the deleted photos as available for new data. The actual photo data remains on the hard drive until it is overwritten by new files.
This means there is a window of opportunity to use data recovery software to restore deleted photos, before they are overwritten. However, the longer you wait, the greater the risk that the deleted photo data will be overwritten by new data.
Factors that affect recovery of permanently deleted photos
Time since deletion
As mentioned above, the sooner you attempt to recover deleted photos, the greater your chance of success. This is because there is less likelihood of the deleted data being overwritten by new files. Ideally, you would use data recovery software immediately after permanent deletion.
Disk space usage
If your hard drive is close to full, the deleted photo data has a higher chance of being overwritten quickly by new files. With lots of free space, it takes longer to overwrite the deleted photo data. So more free space improves the odds of successful recovery.
Continued PC usage
Using the computer normally after deleting photos results in more new data being written to the hard drive, increasing the potential for deleted data to be overwritten. Avoiding unnecessary disk writes by not installing/uninstalling programs or creating new files will help avoid overwriting.
Disk fragmentation
When files are written and deleted frequently, disk space can become fragmented. This causes deleted files to be dispersed over the hard drive in pieces, making complete recovery more difficult. Defragmenting your hard drive periodically can improve recovery chances.
Can you recover photos after emptying the Recycle Bin?
When you send photos to the Windows Recycle Bin and then empty it, the photos are permanently deleted. However, the actual photo data remains on the hard drive, until it gets overwritten by new files. So it is possible to recover photos using data recovery software, even after emptying the Recycle Bin.
Best practices after emptying the Recycle Bin:
- Avoid any further disk writes by not installing programs or creating new files.
- Use data recovery software immediately to restore the deleted photos.
- The longer you wait, the lower your chances due to potential data overwriting.
Can you recover photos after a factory reset?
Performing a factory reset on a computer or device erases all data, including photos. However, the photo data is not immediately deleted from the storage device. So it is possible to recover deleted photos using data recovery software after a factory reset.
The caveat is that a factory reset often triggers an automatic repartition of the storage device. This restructures the disk layout, making it much harder to recover the original deleted photo data. The sooner data recovery is attempted after a reset, the better the chances.
Best practices after a factory reset:
- Avoid reinstalling the operating system or apps after the reset, to prevent data overwrites.
- Use data recovery software immediately to restore the deleted photos.
- Do not reset the device again if recovery software does not work initially.
Can you recover permanently deleted photos from an SSD?
Recovering deleted photos from solid state drives (SSDs) is more difficult than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) for a few reasons:
- SSDs use wear-leveling algorithms that frequently relocate data sectors, dispersing deleted files.
- TRIM commands on SSDs immediately mark deleted sectors as available for overwrite.
- SSDs allocate over-provisioned space already available for reallocation of files.
However, data recovery from SSDs is still possible in many cases. The same rules apply regarding time since deletion, disk space usage, etc. The chances of recovery are just lower compared to HDDs.
Tips for recovering deleted photos from an SSD:
- Recover data as soon as possible, before TRIM and wear-leveling disperse it.
- Use recovery software designed for SSD devices.
- Chill the SSD briefly before recovery to reduce data dispersion.
- Be prepared for a lower success rate than HDD recovery.
Can you recover permanently deleted photos from the cloud?
If you have deleted photos from cloud storage like Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox or OneDrive, recovery can be difficult but may be possible in some cases.
Most cloud services save multiple versions of files and have trash folders where deleted data is temporarily stored. This gives a window where photo recovery software may be able to restore deleted cloud-based photos:
- Google Photos: photos saved up to 60 days in trash folder
- iCloud: photos saved for 40 days in Recently Deleted folder
- Dropbox: files saved up to 180 days in trash folder
- OneDrive: files saved up to 93 days in Recycle Bin
If the retention period has expired, third party cloud recovery services may be able to help recover deleted photos by working directly with the cloud storage companies, but success is not guaranteed.
What is the best free data recovery software?
Here are some top options to consider for free deleted photo recovery software for Windows and Mac:
| Software | Platform | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Recuva | Windows | Recovery from hard drives, memory cards, USB drives |
| PhotoRec | Windows, Mac, Linux | Specifically for photos, video and documents |
| Disk Drill | Mac OS | Easy to use interface, recovers 500MB data free |
| iBoysoft Mac Data Recovery | Mac OS | Full disk recovery capabilities |
These free software options provide an easy way to restore accidentally deleted photos. However, for more advanced recovery capabilities, commercial data recovery software tools are worth the investment.
Can you recover permanently deleted photos without software?
It is very difficult and unlikely to recover deleted photos without using data recovery software. The direct approach would involve manually scanning the hard drive sector-by-sector, and attempting to piece together coherent photo files from the raw data.
Given the complex structure of modern file systems, without the algorithms in recovery software to reconstitute deleted data, manual photo recovery is improbable. Data recovery software is necessary to restore deleted photos in any practical sense.
Some exceptions where manual recovery may be possible:
- Recovery of photos from older, simpler FAT32 or exFAT file systems.
- Recovery of image files stored in a contiguous block.
- Recovery from older file systems with basic structures.
But in most modern deletion scenarios, including SSD drives, formatted partitions, etc – data recovery software provides the only realistic means of restoring permanently deleted photos.
Can you recover permanently deleted photos from the command prompt?
The command prompt provides access to a few native Windows tools that can sometimes recover deleted files like photos:
Methods of photo recovery from the command prompt:
- chkdsk: Scans disk for file fragments that can potentially be reassembled.
- sfc /scannow: Checks system files and can replace corrupted files.
- DISM: Can scan and restore Windows image files.
Using these commands to recover deleted photos depends heavily on the file system, disk status, time since deletion etc. The results are very inconsistent compared to data recovery software.
The advantage of the command prompt is that it avoids overwriting deleted files when installing recovery software. But overall, use of these native tools to restore deleted photos has a low success rate in most cases.
Can you recover permanently deleted photos with TestDisk?
TestDisk is an open source command line utility that can recover some deleted files. It works by:
- Scanning disk partition sectors looking for filesystem data structures.
- Rebuilding boot sectors to find recoverable files.
- Identifying lost or deleted partitions.
By rebuilding file tables and directory structures, TestDisk can sometimes restore previously deleted photos. It does not work in all cases, but can be an option for recovery without installing software.
TestDisk has some limitations when recovering deleted photos:
- Command line interface requires technical skill.
- Does not work for SSDs, only HDDs.
- Fragmented files may not be fully recoverable.
- Unintuitive workflow and reporting.
Overall, TestDisk provides an alternative way to restore deleted photos without software installation. But it is complex, and data recovery software often produces superior results more easily.
Can you recover deleted photos after a reset?
If you have reset your Windows PC or laptop, restoring deleted photos after the reset can be challenging but is sometimes possible. Here are some tips:
Recovering after a Windows reset:
- Avoid disk writes by not reinstalling apps or creating new files.
- Use recovery software before rebooting into the reset OS.
- Scan both the old Windows partition and reset partition.
- Look for photo fragments that may be retrievable.
Recovery success depends on the reset type. A soft reset preserves more old data than a clean reinstall, improving chances.
Recovering after an Android factory reset:
- Do not restore apps from the cloud after resetting.
- Avoid taking new photos before running recovery software.
- Enable USB debugging to scan the phone storage.
- Rooting the device can provide full file system access.
For both Windows and Android, the key is avoiding overwrites and running recovery software quickly after the reset occurs.
Can professionals recover permanently deleted photos?
When all else fails, turning to professional data recovery services can sometimes recover deleted photos. They use specialized tools and techniques that go beyond typical consumer software.
Methods professionals use to recover deleted photos:
- Bypassing the file system: Directly reading disk sectors and carving files.
- Repairing the partition table: Rebuilding damaged partitions where files may exist.
- Manual recovery of raw photos: Piecing together fragments of JPEG and RAW photo formats.
- Microsoldering and chip removal: Physically repairing drives and extracting storage chips.
These methods can be expensive, often costing hundreds of dollars. But for irreplaceable photos, the cost may be justified compared to permanent loss.
Can deleted photos be recovered after a format?
Formatting a storage device like a hard drive or SD card erases all data by recreating the filesystem. However, your photos may still be recoverable before they get overwritten by newly written files.
This temporary window between formatting and new data being added provides an opportunity to use recovery software and restore deleted photos. But time is critical, as new data can overwrite your deleted photos at any time.
Tips for recovering photos after formatting a device:
- Avoid saving anything new to the formatted drive.
- Use read-only recovery tools to minimize overwrites.
- Opt for quick/superficial scans over deep file system scans.
- Target recent photo file formats (JPG, ARW, CR2 etc).
If your photos were overwritten due to continued drive usage after formatting, then recovery becomes near impossible unfortunately.
Conclusion
While permanently deleted photos can technically be recovered in many cases, success ultimately depends on specific circumstances. The chances improve dramatically by avoiding further usage and overwrites, and using data recovery software quickly after deletion occurs. But recovery cannot be guaranteed – so always be sure to backup your important photos.