Easy Steps to Recover Deleted PSB (Photoshop Big) Files

If you’ve accidentally deleted a PSB file or can't find your Photoshop project, then check out this article. It brings step-by-step guide to help you recover deleted PSB files on Windows or Mac. Learn how to retrieve your lost Photoshop files with both built-in and third-party tools, and avoid the frustration of losing valuable work.

Emma

By Emma / Updated on September 18, 2025

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About PSB Files

PSB Files (Photoshop Big Files) are a specific file format used by Adobe Photoshop to store large images. Similar to the more common PSD (Photoshop Document) format, PSB files support much larger image sizes and are ideal for high-resolution projects that require a lot of detail. Theyare typically used for creating large posters, detailed digital artwork, or images that need to retain high resolution.

PSB Files

  • 🏷️Larger Image Sizes: PSB files can support image sizes up to 300,000 × 300,000 pixels, whereas PSD files are limited to 30,000 × 30,000 pixels. This makes PSB ideal for projects that require a large canvas.
  • 🏷️High Resolution and Detail: PSB files are capable of handling more pixels and retaining greater detail, often used in commercial printing, architectural design, and other work that requires precision.
  • 🏷️Lossless Compression: Like PSD files, PSB files can retain layers, transparency, and effects without loss of quality, ensuring high-quality images.

Given that PSB files often contain important projects, losing them due to accidental deletion or a virus can be extremely frustrating. It's essential to learn how to recover deleted PSB files, whether or not you have a backup.

Methods to Recover Deleted PSB on Windows

Similar to recover other types of files on Windows, like restoring DNG, VMDK, or JPEG files, you always have more than 1 option to choose from. Now let’s check out them one by one.

1. Check the Recycle Bin

If you right-click the PSB file and select the "Delete" option on your Windows computer, the file will go to Recycle Bin. In such cases, you can easily restore the Photoshop Big files from the Recycle Bin.

Restore PSB from Recycle Bin

🌟However, you cannot recover PSB files from Windows Recycle Bin in the following situations:

Too Big to Recycle

  • The Recycle Bin was emptied once after the deleted PSB files were moved into.
  • The PSB files are deleted with Shift+Delete key combination.

2. Check the Backup (If Available)

If you have a backup of your PSB files, you can easily restore them from the backup. Whether you're using cloud storage, an external hard drive, or a system backup, checking your backup can save your files in cases where they're no longer in the Recycle Bin.

Here, we mainly demonstrate how to restore deleted PSB files from Windows File History backup, a Windows built-in backup and recovery tool.

Step 1. Press Win+S, input "Restore your files with File History" and click on "Open".

Restore Files With File History

Step 2. In the new window, check out all available backup folders.

File History Backup Folder

Step 3. Select the target files and click on the green "Restore" button.

Restore

3. Apply Windows File Recovery (No Backup Required)

If your deleted PSB files are not in the Recycle Bin and you don’t have a backup available, you can try Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery tool. It’s a free command-line utility developed by Microsoft to help recover lost files from local storage devices such as HDDs, SSDs, and USB drives even if they are permanently deleted.

Step 1. Open the Microsoft Store on your Windows computer. Search for Windows File Recovery and click "Download".

Download Winfr

Step 2. Type Windows File Recovery in Windows search, right click it and choose "Run as administrator".

Run Winfr As Administrator

Step 3. Run the Recovery Command

🌟The basic syntax is: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: /mode /switches
  • Replace source-drive: with the drive where your PSB files were deleted.
  • Replace destination-drive: with another drive (not the same one) where you want to save the recovered files.
  • Windows File Recovery provides two common modes for scanning: "/regular" – Best for recently deleted files on a healthy NTFS drive; "/extensive" – Scans more thoroughly; use this if Regular mode doesn’t work. Works for NTFS, FAT, and exFAT drives.
  • Switches help refine the recovery process. For example, "/n [filter]" – Specifies which files to recover. Example: /n *.psb only recovers PSB files.

For instance, if your PSB file was deleted from drive I: and you want to save the recovered files to drive D:, you can use: winfr I: D: /regular /n *.psb

Recover PSB Winfr

Step 4. Wait for recovery. Once the process is complete, check the destination drive for a recovery folder containing your restored PSB files.

Check Recovered PSB

4. Use Powerful Data Recovery Softare (Free, Easier and Faster)

If you did not recover deleted PSB files smoothly using the above methods, or you want a much easier way to finish the recovery, then it’s time to turn to some professional data recovery tool like MyRecover. The software offers three different editions to meet various needs. If the PSB files you want to restore are smaller than 500MB, the free edition of MyRecover will be sufficient.

MyRecover
Easy Data Recovery Software
  • 500+ Devices Supported | SSD, HDD, USB Flash Drive, SD Sard, etc.
  • 1000+ File Formats Supported | PNG, MP4, MP3, TXT, ZIP, MSG, etc.
  • 500+ Data Loss Scenarios | Deletion, Format, Power Outage, Virus Attack, etc.

Unlike Windows File Recovery, which requires command-line knowledge, the software provides an intuitive interface, supports more flexible recovery scenarios including accidental deletion, formatting, corruption, or partition loss and recovers 1000+ files like VMDK file recovery, EMF, ORF, DNG, and more.

Step 1. Download and install the software on your Windows PC.

Step 2. Launch the program and select the drive where your PSB files were deleted. Click "Scan".

Scan

Step 3. Browse through the scan results. You can use the search box or file filters (e.g., type .psb) to quickly locate your Photoshop Big files. Or you can find out the PSB files according to the file type in the left pane.

Search PSB Files

File Type

Step 4. Select the files you want and click "Recover".

Recover

Step 5. Choose a safe location (not the original drive) to save the restored PSB files.

Select a Folder to Save

After the recovery is finished, the program will show you how many files were retrieved and indicate where they have been saved.

Recover Success

To unlock more amazing features like previewing files before recovery, creating bootable media to recover files from crashed computer, enjoying unlimited data recovery quota, you can upgrade to Professional edition.

Methods to Recover Deleted PSB on Mac

Up to this point, we have focused on different methods to recover deleted Photoshopfiles on Windows. But what if you are working on a Mac? Don’t worry—macOS also provides several ways to bring back your lost Photoshop Big files, which work in a way similar to Windows recovery methods.

1. Check Mac Trash

When you delete a PSB file on Mac, it usually goes to the Trash instead of being removed permanently.

Step 1. Open the Trash from the Dock.

Step 2. Locate your deleted PSB file.

Step 3. Right-click and choose "Put Back" to restore it to its original location.

Put Back

2. Restore from Time Machine Backup

If you have set up Time Machine, Apple’s built-in backup tool, you can easily retrieve deleted PSB files.

Step 1. Connect your Time Machine backup disk.

Step 2. Open the folder where your PSB files were originally saved.

Step 3. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and choose Enter "Time Machine".

Open Time Machine

Step 4. Browse through backups, select the PSB file you want, and click "Restore".

Restore from Time Machine

If the file is not in Trash or Time Machine, third-party recovery tools can help. Many data recovery tools for Mac offer an easy way to restore permanently deleted PSB files on Mac.

Summary

PSB files (Photoshop Big Files) are essential for storing large, high-resolution images, making them critical for professional projects such as posters, digital artwork, and commercial printing. Losing these filescan bea nightmare, but you have multiple ways to recover deleted PSB files on either Windows or Mac computers.

If you’re a Windows user with frequent and heavy data recovery needs, MyRecover is an excellent choice. Its Techinician edition allows you to perform data recovery on unlimited computers with a single license, making it an ideal solution for offering billable recovery services.

Emma
Emma · Editor
With over 6 years of experience in the field of data recovery, I focus on creating clear, practical, and easy-to-understand articles, guides, and tutorials. My aim is to make the process of computer data recovery simple for everyone, whether you're an experienced user or a complete beginner. I strive to break down complex recovery procedures into straightforward steps, ensuring that anyone can follow along and recover their important files without stress.