How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos on Windows 10 – All Methods

"I've accidentally erased some pictures on my PC. How do I recover permanently deleted photos in Windows 10?"

We get this question in our inbox all the time. Many computer users hit Shift + Delete when cleaning their PCs or empty the Recycle Bin without double-checking the files. They often regret that decision, wondering how to get photos that were permanently deleted back in their rightful place.

Can you relate? Let's see how to get permanently deleted photos back on a laptop or desktop PC with Windows 10.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos in Windows 10

How do I recover permanently deleted photos on Windows 10?" The answer to your burning question lies below. Here's a brief overview of all the methods.

Scenario	Method
Accidental deletion using the Delete option or drag-and-drop functionality	Restore Photos From the Recycle Bin
Permanent deletion by emptying the Recycle Bin or using Shift + Delete (a File History backup or restore point requirement)	Restore Folders to Previous Versions
Permanent deletion from the PC (a File History backup prerequisite)	Restore Permanently Deleted Photos Using File History
Missing folders after a virus infection that changed their attributes	Uncover Hidden Folders in the CMD
Permanent deletion, formatting, disk corruption, malware, a system crash, etc.	Get Permanently Deleted Photos With Data Recovery Software
Corruption, formatting, and permanent deletion	Recover Photos Using Windows File Recovery
Permanent deletion from a computer (a system backup requirement)	Get Permanently Deleted Photos From a System Backup
Permanent deletion from a PC (a cloud backup prerequisite)	Restore Images From a Cloud Backup

Check if They're Permanently Deleted (Restore From the Recycle Bin)

Have you checked the Recycle Bin for lost photos? You may have accidentally deleted them when moving documents to the trash. They may still be there if you didn't use the Shift + Delete shortcut to bypass the Recycle Bin.

Here's how to check and restore your photos:

1. Open the Recycle Bin. If your lost pictures are there, select them and click Restore the selected items under Manage. You can also click Restore all items to recover everything.

   

2. Alternatively, right-click a file and hit Restore.

   

"How do I recover permanently deleted photos from the trash?" you may ask. Unfortunately, Windows doesn't offer that option. That's where data recovery software, backups, and one Microsoft Store's command-line software utility come into play.

Here's how to recover permanently deleted photos on Windows 10 using all those options.

Restore Folders to Previous Versions

Restoring folders to previous versions means returning them to an earlier state. Reverting one to a former version that contained your lost pictures will restore those files, pulling them from a File History backup or restore point. That means you can retrieve them even after overwriting.

Here's how to restore permanently deleted photos on Windows 10 by restoring their folders to previous versions:

1. Open File Explorer and locate the folder with your lost pictures. Right-click it and select Properties or Restore previous versions.

   

2. Choose the desired version in the Previous Versions tab and click Restore > Apply > OK.

   

We can almost hear you asking: "Can I recover permanently deleted photos from my computer using previous versions if I haven't created a File History backup or restore point?" Unfortunately, you can't, but you have other options, including data recovery software.

Restore Permanently Deleted Photos Using File History

If you've created a File History backup, follow these steps to restore deleted photos on your Windows 10 PC:

1. Connect your backup drive to your PC, go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup, and click More options under Back up using File History.

   

2. Click Restore files from a current backup.

   

3. Browse for the backup containing your lost photos, select them or their folder, and click the green Restore button. You can also click Settings > Restore to and pick another location.

   

Uncover Hidden Folders in the CMD

We know what you're thinking: "My files aren't hidden. How do I restore permanently deleted photos?" Well, maybe they are hidden.

Perhaps they've "disappeared" because a computer virus has changed their attributes. It may have even moved them to another location, making you think you've deleted them at some point. You can check that using the Command Prompt (CMD).

Here's how to uncover hidden folders in the CMD and restore your photos:

1. Search for the Command Prompt and click Run as administrator.

   

2. Run this command: attrib -h -r -s /s /d C:*.* (replace C with the corresponding drive letter).

   

The -h, -r, and -s flags will remove the hidden, read-only, and system attributes (respectively), and the /s and /d switches will execute the changes in all the subfolders and directories on the specified drive. The *.* wildcard will apply the change to all files, regardless of extensions.

Get Photos That Were Permanently Deleted With Data Recovery Software

Data recovery software is your go-to solution in various scenarios, including malware, accidental deletion, formatting, and disk corruption. It's perfect if you find command-line interpreters like the CMD intimidating.

Wondershare Recoverit is your best bet because it can handle 500+ data loss situations, including recovering permanently deleted photos from the computer. The software has a 98% success rate and supports 2,000+ storage devices and 1,000+ file formats. Download it to your PC to explore all its features.

Here's how to recover permanently deleted photos from Windows 10 with Wondershare Recoverit:

1. Launch the software and log into your account (or create a new one).

   

2. Choose an internal disk, external device, disk image, folder, desktop, or the Recycle Bin under Hard Drives and Locations. That will initiate an automatic scan.

   

3. Use filters to accelerate the process. For instance, you can specify the file type, status (deleted), and modification time.

   

4. Preview and select the recovered pictures and click Recover.

   

5. Choose an existing file path (not the original location) or create a new folder for the recovered photos and click Recover.

   

Recover Photos Using Windows File Recovery

Windows File Recovery is a command-line software utility for recovering lost files due to deletion, formatting, or corruption. It supports NTFS, ReFS, exFAT, and FAT formats across internal and external disks and removable storage media like USB drives and SD cards. It requires a Windows 10 build 19041 or newer.

Here's how to recover permanently deleted photos from laptop (Windows 10) or desktop devices using Windows File Recovery:

1. Go to Settings > System > About and check your OS Build under Windows specifications.

   

2. If your PC meets the minimum system requirements, find Windows File Recovery in the Microsoft Store and click Get.

   

3. Once the utility installs, search for it in applications and click Run as administrator.

   

4. The CMD will launch, displaying Windows File Recovery usage, including examples. You can use Regular and Extensive recovery modes for non-corrupted NTFS drives and other file systems (respectively).

   

5. Launch File Explorer, right-click the drive with your deleted photos, click Properties, and check the file system under General.

   

6. Here's an example command to recover deleted files using the Regular mode on an NTFS drive: winfr C: E: /regular /n Users\< username>\Downloads\. The first drive letter is the source, and the second is the destination, so replace them accordingly and type the correct file path. Don't worry about the quotation marks in the screenshot because Windows File Recovery accepts inputs without them. Once you hit Enter to run the command, type Y to continue.

   

7. Run the following command to display all supported file extensions and see what images you can recover: winfr /# .

   

8. Here's an example command for recovering all PNG images and Word documents on the specified NTFS drive: winfr C: A: /regular /n *.png /n *.docx . As you can see, you don't need to use a file path. A wildcard can help you restore all files with a specific extension.

   

9. Return to File Explorer, open the destination drive, and find your recovered files in the Recovery_[date]_[time] folder.

   

Get Permanently Deleted Photos Back From a System Backup

Have you backed up your system and files using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool? Luckily, it's also available in Windows 10.

Here's how to recover permanently deleted photos in Windows 7 with a system backup tool on your Windows 10 PC:

1. Head to Settings > Update & Security > Backup and click Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) in the "Looking for an older backup?" section.

   

2. Click Restore my files.

   

3. You'll see the date of the latest backup version, but you can change it by clicking Choose a different date. Untick the Select all files from this backup checkbox if you don't wish to restore everything.

   

4. Unchecking the checkbox uncovers more options. For instance, click Browse for files to find and select the desired photos.

   

5. Once you click Next, choose where to put the files and click Restore.

   

Restore Images From a Cloud Backup

Cloud services are perfect for storing files. If you use one, you can quickly restore the pictures you've erased from your PC, even those you've moved to the cloud trash. Most cloud-based storage platforms keep erased items for 30 days before permanently removing them from the server.

Here's how to recover permanently deleted photos from a computer using a cloud backup (we'll use Google Drive for demonstration):

1. Open the desired cloud platform and search for your lost pictures across folders.

   

2. Once you find them, select them, right-click the selection, and hit Download.

   

3. Go to the Bin folder to see if your deleted photos are there.

   

4. Right-click them and click Restore. That will return them to their original folder(s), so open it and download the pictures to your computer.

   

More Information: Common Causes of Permanently Deleted Photos

The most prevalent causes of permanently deleted photos include the following:

• 😭Emptying the Recycle Bin – The Recycle Bin keeps erased files until you empty the folder. Once you do, you permanently remove them from your PC.
• 🙁Using the Shift + Delete shortcut – The fastest way to erase photos is to bypass the Recycle Bin with this keyboard shortcut. It may save a few seconds, but it permanently deletes files.
• 👀Accidental formatting – A Quick Format rewrites the file system directory, removing all data but making recovery possible. On the other hand, a Full Format permanently deletes everything.
• 👾Malware – Computer viruses and other malware can delete data on a PC.

Regardless of the cause, you can restore permanently deleted photos with data recovery software like Wondershare Recoverit or from an existing backup.

Conclusion

"How do I recover permanently deleted pictures from my computer?" We've given you the answer; you only need to pick the preferred solution.

Most options to recover permanently deleted photos on Windows 10 require previous backups. The Recycle Bin doesn't keep permanently deleted items. Also, uncovering hidden folders in the CMD using the attribute command only works for existing (not deleted) virus-affected files.

You also have Windows File Recovery, which can only restore lost files due to corruption, deletion, or formatting. Therefore, data recovery software like Wondershare Recoverit is your best bet because it covers nearly all data loss situations.