How To Recover Deleted Pictures From Camera (SD Card & Internal Memory)

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Part 1. Recover Deleted Photos from Camera SD Card Free

When you accidentally deleted your photos from a camera SD card,in most cases, they can still be recovered. Once the pictures are deleted from your camera, they’re not immediately erased from the card. Instead, the space they occupied is marked as available for new data, meaning the files can often be restored. Moreover, the recovery success rate will be increasedas long as you act quickly and avoid overwriting.

★Tip:

Once you realize photos have been deleted, stop using the camera or SD card to avoid overwriting the deleted data. Don’t take more pictures or transfer new files to it.

Preparation: Insert the SD Card Into Your Computer

Remove the SD card from your camera, then use a card reader or your computer’s built-in SD slot. Make sure the card is properly connected to your computer,recognized and assigned a drive letter (e.g., D: or E:).

Recover Deleted Pictures from Camera SD Card

There are two reliable tools you can use to scan and recover deleted pictures from camera SD card for free: one is Microsoft Windows File Recovery, and another is MyRecover (a third-party Windows data recovery tool).

1. Windows File Recovery (Official Microsoft Tool)

Windows File Recovery is a command-line utility developed by Microsoft that can restore deleted files from SD cards, USB drives, and hard disks, including pictures deleted from your camera’s memory card.

Requirements:✎...

Runs on Windows 10 version 2004 and above

Requires using Command Prompt (no graphical interface)

• Download Windows File Recovery toolfrom Microsoft Store.

• Press Win+X. Select “Command Prompt (Admin)”.

• Use the following command format: winfr H: D: /regular /n *.jpg /n *.png

H: = your SD card drive

D: = recovery destination (make sure it’s a different drive)

/regular = mode (use /extensive if the SD card is damaged or formatted, or the SD card is formatted with FAT32/exFATfile systems)

/n = file type filter (e.g., JPEG, PNG)

Follow the prompts and wait for the recovery to complete. When the process reaches 100%, press “Y” on your keyboard to open the folder containing the recovered files directly.

2. MyRecover (Professional Third-party Recovery Tool)

MyRecover is a user-friendly and powerful recovery tool for Windows that allows you to retrieve deleted pictures from SD cards,no command-line knowledge required.

MyRecover 

Easy and Free Windows Data Recovery Software

• Clean interface with step-by-step guidance
• Supports SD cards, USB drives, external hard disks, and more
• Recovers images, videos, documents, and over 1000+ file types
• Compatible with FAT32, exFAT, NTFSand ReFSsystems

Download Freeware
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

100% Secure

• Download and install MyRecover on your computer.
• Launch the Program and select your SD card. Click “Scan”.

• The software will perform a “Quick Scan” to search for deleted itmes. If the deleted pictures are not found through this mode, you can switch to “Deep Scan”.

• After the scan, youcan selecttarget pictures and click on “Recover”. (To preview them before recovery, you can upgrade to Professional edition.)

• Now, choose another safe location to save the recovered pictures.

Once done, you'll receive a completion notification showing exactly how many files were recovered and the folder where you can now find them.

Part 2. Recover Deleted Photos from Camera Internal Memory

If your camera stores photos in internal memory (not on an SD card), recovering deleted pictures from the camera internal memory can be a bit more complicated — but still possible. Unlike SD cards, internal memory is often not directly accessible as a removable storage device. However, there are still several methods you can try to recover your lost images.

Method 1: Check Your Camera’s "Recently Deleted" or Trash Folder

Some modern digital cameras (especially smart or mirrorless models like Canon PowerShot or Sony ZV series) may include a "Recently Deleted" feature, similar to smartphones. Before diving into recovery tools, check the camera’s built-in menu:

• Turn on your camera.
• Go to Playback mode.
• Check for any Trash, Recycle Bin, or Recently Deleted folder.

• Restore photos if available.

Method 2: Connect the Camera to Your PC as a USB Storage Device

One of the simplest ways to recover deleted photos from a camera’s internal memory is by connecting the camera directly to your computer. If the internal storage is accessible as a drive, recovery becomes much easier.

• Connect your camera to a PC using a USB cable.

• If prompted, choose “Mass Storage” or “USB Mode” on the camera.
• If the internal memory is recognized as a drive (e.g., F:), you can try running a recovery scan on it using software like MyRecover.

If the internal memory doesn’t appear as a drive, you might need to turn to professional camera photos recovery service.

Summary

Now, you should have a basic understanding of recovering deleted pictures from your camera—whether from an SD card or internal memory. For SD card recovery, tools like Windows File Recovery and MyRecover provide effective and free solutions that anyone can use. When it comes to internal memory, recovery may be more complex, but checking for built-in trash folders or connecting your camera to a PC as a USB device can help.