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How to Recover Deleted Photo Files from a SD Card or Recycle bin?

Wondershare Recoverit Authors

Dec 16, 2024 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions

In the world today, digital photos form a big part of many people's lives, whether young or old, it's a source of memorable moments. Unfortunately, making just one mistake of clicking the 'Delete' button could lead to the loss of hundreds of photos to those unforgettable minutes within seconds.

Anyone in such a situation would surely be heartbroken to make such a big mistake.

However, there are still easy ways you can recover those lost photos from your SD card and recycle bin. Hence, apply the solutions explained on this page to recover your lost crucial photos within the blink of an eye.

Part 1. Is There an SD Card Recycle Bin to Restore Photos?

Absolutely No! There's no recycle bin on an SD memory card, even if you connect it to your PC/Mac. However, you can retrieve deleted files from an SD card by using an effective SD card data recovery software. You can also recover the photos by inserting your SD card into your Windows or Mac operating system and using the system's recycle bin to reclaim the deleted photos.

Can I Recover Deleted Photos from the SD Card?

A big YES! You can recover your deleted photos from the SD card. There are different methods to do this, which will be explained in this article. But there are certain things you could have done that caused your photos to get deleted from the SD card, and you need to know them to avoid another loss in the future.

Can You Restore Deleted Photos from the Recycle Bin?

Yes, you can. Most times, deleted photos are stored in the recycle bin of your PC, making them accessible anytime needed. Thus you can easily restore them to where they were deleted from.

However, if you intentionally or unintentionally erase the photos from the recycle bin, they'll become permanently deleted. And you'll need data recovery software to reclaim the photos back. Let's take a look at a list of scenarios that may cause your photo to be deleted from your PC.


Part 2. How to Recover Deleted Photo Files from SD Card or Recycle Bin?

There are several means of reclaiming deleted photos, but the best and on-stop way to recover them is using data recovery software like Recoverit Data Recovery.

Recoverit Data Recovery - The Best SD Card Recovery Software

  • Recover corrupted/deleted/unsaved files from the computer, USB hard drive, or SD card effectively, safely, and completely.
  • Supports restoring corrupted files and loss due to virus attacks, the program crashes, or the computer loses power.
  • Recover 1000+ types of file data with a high success rate and without any quality loss.
  • Supported OS: Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista and Mac OS X 10.10 or later.
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It is an effective data recovery software against data loss, due to deletion or formatting from any kind of memory card. This memory card data recovery software can recover photos, audio, and videos from your memory card very quickly.

If you've shift-deleted photos, accidentally delete your photos from the recycle bin, or deleted them from your SD card, this section covers the whole process of reclaiming them effortlessly. Here are the easy steps on how to recover deleted files from SD card using Recoverit.

Step 1 Select storage of your deleted photos

In the first step, you've got to download and install the app to your Windows PC or macOS.

On launching the Recoverit app, you'll see lots of options for your system's storage device and other connected external storage devices. Select 'Recycle Bin' or the inserted SD card and click on 'Start'.

Select storage of your deleted photos

Step 2 Scan the location of your deleted photos

This time, Recoverit would do an All-Around scan to search out all your deleted photos.

Scan the location of your deleted photos

Extra: One great benefit of the Recoverit data recovery software is, that it comes with two scanning modes which are, 'Deep-Scan and All-Around Scan'.

So, if you're not satisfied with the result of the efficient All-Around Scan, you can choose to do another effective Deep-Scan.

Furthermore, Recoverit also enables you to select the file type or folder for scanning, which increases efficacy and gives you a nicer and clearer result.

Step 3 Preview and recover lost photos

In the final step after completion of the scanning process, your deleted photo will be displayed on the screen of your PC/Mac for preview. Then click on 'Recover' to access the deleted photo.

Preview and recover deleted photos

The process of recovering deleted photos from a memory card or recycle bin with Recoverit is very concise and similar. However, let's take a look at another quick step you can utilize, but remember that these steps I'm about to mention can't recover all photos like Recoverit would do.

Tips for SD Card or Recycle Bin Photo Recovery


Part 3. Different Methods of Restoring Photos from Recycle Bin

If you have just deleted your photos, it is most likely that they have been moved to the Recycle Bin of your computer. But sometimes, you might empty the Recycle Bin and find your photos nowhere. In this case, you might need some tips to help you recover those photos. Let us explain these to you in easy steps.

Method 1: Restore photos from a non-emptied recycle bin

Step 1: If you have accidentally deleted the photos before you do anything, find the icon for Recycle Bin on the desktop (as seen on the extreme top right of this screenshot).

Step 2: Once you have found it, take the cursor to the Recycle Bin icon and click to open it. You should now see the images that you have deleted here in the Recycle Bin folder.

Step 3: To restore all the files in the Recycle Bin, press the button that says "Restore all items" on the top as shown in the screenshot. If you want to restore only a particular set of photos, then you can right-click on those photos individually and then click on the option "Restore".

click restore


Method 2: Restore deleted photos from 'previous versions'

Step 1: Open Windows File Explorer and right-click on the folder from which you deleted your photos

Step 2: In the drop-down list that comes up after you right-click on the folder, select 'Restore previous versions'.

Restore previous versions

Step 3: A pop-up Windows page will show on the screen of your PC, click on the version of the date when your photos were still present in the folder and select 'Open' to be sure it's the version you need.

Select version when photos are on the folder

Step 4: All you just have to do is click the 'Restore' button to complete the process.


Method 3: Restore deleted photos from file history

All Windows system comes with a backup and Restore feature that enables you to lose files or folders easily. But, It's recommended you always set up Windows backup whenever you start using a computer. Doing this allows you to recover deleted photos when it's needed.

Step 1: You'll see a search box at the bottom left corner of your PC, type 'file history', and select 'Restore your files from history'.

Type and open file history

Step 2: Next, search for the photos you want to recover. You can also view all the folder backup versions. If you've seen the photo you want to recover, click on it and tap the 'Green' restore button at the bottom of the Windows page. 

earch for photos and restore them

Step 3: Afterwards, a dialog box will appear on the screen of your PC, select 'Replace the file in the destination' to recover your deleted photos.

Select Replace the file


Part 4. Extra Methods of Recovering Deleted SD Card Photos

Apart from using SD card recovery software, you can also recover your files from the SD card by using the CMD command or restoring from backups. Thus, this section covers the basic steps on how you can easily recover deleted photos from your SD card using these methods.

Where Do Deleted Files Go?

The photos deleted from your SD card are not wiped immediately. Instead, they still exist in the storage device but are invisible to users and the file system since the index and table have been deleted. As long as there is no new data saved to the same partition, the process of which is called overwriting won't occur and it is still possible to restore the files.

See the extra method of recovering a deleted SD card photo below.

Use CMD Command to Recover Deleted SD Card Photos

Sometimes, we may think our files have been completely deleted from our SD card, but they're not. So it's possible to recover the deleted files using the CMD command.

Step 1: Simultaneously click on Windows +R to launch the Run box, then type cmd and click on enter.

Step 2: In the Command Prompt windows page, type 'chkdsk D:/f and click on enter

Step 3: Type Y and click on enter to continue if the command lines did not start

Step 4: Type the drive letter once again and click on enter

Step 5: Input attrib -h -r -s /s /d drive letter:\*.* and click on enter. This command will reclaim your deleted photos.


Part 5. How to Enable or Add Recycle Bin on SD Card

Windows cannot add a recycle bin on the SD card. Also, an SD card doesn't have a recycle bin, it only functions as a local drive where you can store your data and files. Thus, to recover deleted photos from an SD card, use Recoverit data recovery software, or apply the method explained above.

Mount SD card as a local drive in Windows 10

All Windows PC always comes with an SD card slot that can be used to add more space to the card. But you can't put the SD card directly, as all computers would only recognize the local hard drive available in it. You can mount your SD card by using the following steps.

Step 1: Ensure the SD card is in NTFS format

In the first phase, you'll have to format your SD card to be the same as the PC's primary storage file system. Windows 10 file system is NTFS and SD cards usually come with FAT32 format. Thus use the steps to format your SD card to NTFS.

Insert the SD card into your PC and launch the file explorer. Then click 'This PC' to locate the SD card. Find the SD card drive and select the properties option

Find your SD card drive

Now, check the file system to see its format. Currently, there are two possibilities. The SD card file system can be NTFS, which is the same as your device and means you don't need step 2 so you can jump to step 3. Or else, it can be in its original FAT32 format, and you have to change it in step 2.

check file system

Step 2: Format SD Card to NTFS format

The next process involves changing your SD card format to match the Windows 10 format. However, this process may result in the loss of your files. Thus it's advisable to back up your files and utilize the next steps to change the SD card format.

Format

Select NTFS

Click OK to proceed

Click on OK

Step 3: Create a folder in your main drive

Now, you'll check to see if your SD card format has changed to NTFS. So, open File Explorer and go to drive C to create a folder and label it as an SD card.

recoverit

Alt message: Create a folder in your main drive and name it SD card

Step 4: Mount your SD Card to the folder which you created in C

The next important step is to mount the SD card for the operating system to recognize the drive. Use the following steps below to complete the process.

 Type disk management

Select create and format the hard disk

Right-click on the SD card

Click on add

Select browse

Search for the folder

Installing the SD card as a local drive on Windows 10 is straightforward. The Windows 10 has a smaller space than other Windows versions. However, After reading the brief of its process, I'm sure you now acquired the knowledge of how you can easily mount an SD card in Windows 10.

No matter how you've deleted your photos from the recycle bin or the SD card, whether intentionally or unintentionally, this article has covered all fundamental processes that would help you recover deleted SD card files quickly and conveniently.

Nevertheless, convenience is everyone's priority when it comes to recovering lost files, thus utilizing Recoverit data recovery software is the best way you can reclaim your deleted photos faster and easier.

Recoverit author

Eleanor Reed

staff Editor

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