Did you accidentally delete pictures from your computer? What if those are important for your business or have some sentimental value? This situation can become devastating if you don’t know how to restore pictures from a computer.
Read this blog to know how to recover accidentally deleted photos from your Mac or Windows computer. Moreover, also learn how advanced photo recovery tool can help you to recover lost/deleted photos.
Restore Deleted Images from Windows Computer

Whether you lose photo files due to intentional or accidental deletion, corruption, or virus attack from your Windows PC, you may try the following methods to recover those photos. Moreover, stop using the drive from which you lost your photos in the Mac/Windows system, to prevent overwriting of data, which can reduce the chances of recovery.
How to Recover Deleted Images from a Computer via Recycle Bin?
The very first place to look for deleted photo files is the Recycle Bin of your Windows system. If the file was recently deleted, you can find it in Recycle bin; however, the file stays in the Recycle Bin for approx. 30 days after which, it is permanently removed from your system. Here’s how to restore deleted photos using Recycle Bin:
- Click on Recycle Bin icon to launch it.
- Look for the file you want to recover, right-click on it, and then choose Restore. The file will be restored to its original location.
Note – Pictures deleted using Shift + Delete key will not go to Recycle Bin as they are permanently erased from the system. To recover these permanently deleted files, you can use back up folder or a reliable photo recovery software.
How to Recover Deleted Files from a Computer Via File History?
If you are someone who takes backup of their data, you can easily recover your deleted photo files. The File History feature of Windows 10/11 takes an automatic backup of your system data like photos, videos, audio, documents, etc.
However, File History needs to be enabled beforehand to create a backup of your files. Here’s how to recover deleted photo files from File History:
- In the Windows Search bar at the bottom-left, type “File History.” Next, click Open Present under Restore your files with the File History option in the search result.
- From the File history records, choose the deleted photos you want to recover and click the Restore icon.
- The deleted photo will be restored to its original location.
How to Recover Deleted Files from a Computer Using Previous Version?
Previous Versions are also called shadow copies that are actually the copies of the files or folders that Windows automatically save as a part of the backup restore point. These copies will be created only when you have enabled the File History feature on your Windows computer.
It means you can utilize Previous Versions to recover deleted photo files from your computer. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to the folder in your Windows PC from where you deleted your photos. Right-click on it and select ‘Restore Previous Versions’.
- If there is any restorable version available, select the version you wish to recover. Click Open to view it and Restore to save it.
Restore Pictures deleted from Mac
There are several methods to recover deleted photos from a Mac. You may restore your image from the Trash bin or if you have a backup, then recover it using Time Machine or iCloud.
How to Recover Deleted Pictures from a Mac using Trash?
When you delete a file on Mac, it is moved to Trash and it stays there for approx. 30 days. After that period, it is automatically removed from Trash. You can restore these deleted photos from your Mac if you have not emptied the Trash. Here’s how to recover deleted photos from the Trash:
- Click on the Trash icon on your Mac system to launch it.
- Search for the photo file you want to recover, right-click on it, and select Put Back to restore the file to its original location.
How to Recover Deleted Images from a Mac Using a Time Machine?
If you are taking a backup of your Mac using Time Machine, you can easily restore your files. Moreover, if you have emptied the Trash bin, check the Time Machine to recover deleted photos. Here’s how to do it:
- Click on the Time Machine icon present at the top of your Mac Home screen and select Enter Time Machine.
- Go back in time to search for the photos you wish to recover.
- Click on the photo and select Restore. Your photos will be returned to their original location.
How to Recover Deleted Photos from Apple iCloud?
If you have enabled iCloud service to sync and save the backup of your Mac, use this backup to restore deleted photos. Here’s how to restore deleted images from iCloud Photos:
- Go to Safari or any other browser and open icloud.com.
- Login to your account using your Apple ID and password.
- Click on Photos and then select the Recently Deleted option from the sidebar.
- Select the photo you wish to restore and click the Recover option on the top-right. You can even browse the location to save the restored image on your Mac.
How to Restore Deleted Images from a Computer Via Photo Recovery Software?
If you are without backup or have emptied your Recycle Bin or Trash folder, there is only one way to recover your deleted photos i.e., a deleted photo recovery software like Stellar Photo Recovery. This tool can easily recover permanently deleted photos, videos, and audio from Mac or Windows systems, memory cards, cameras, etc.
Stellar Photo Recovery can even recover deleted images in almost all data loss scenarios, such as accidental deletion, virus attack, formatting, corruption & human errors, etc.
Here’s how to use Stellar Photo Recovery software to restore deleted photos:
- Download and install Stellar Photo Recovery software on your Mac or Windows computer.
- Launch the software and select the location from where you deleted the photo. Click Scan.
- The scan process will begin and once it is completed, you can see the list of recoverable photos and can preview them.
- Select the photo you want to restore and click Recover. Browse and select the location to save the recovered photos.
Conclusion
Restoring deleted photos can be troublesome if your images are not there in Recycle Bin or Trash or when there’s no backup. In such a situation, the safest way to recover deleted photos from computer is by using professional photo recovery software, such as Stellar Photo Recovery. This is the best photo recovery tool to recover deleted or lost photos, audio, videos of all popular file formats from any device PC, laptop, smartphone, hard drive, and SD card, etc.
FAQs
- Can permanently deleted photos be recovered?
Yes, you can recover permanently deleted photos from your PC using robust photo recovery software such as Stellar Photo Recovery.
- Can I recover deleted photos after overwriting?
There is no guarantee that you can recover overwritten photos because overwriting permanently deletes the existing data in most cases. However, Stellar Photo Recovery can help you recover overwritten Photos from your computer.
- How to repair corrupt photos?
To repair corrupt or damaged pictures, use a reliable image repair tool such as Stellar Repair for Photo.
Photo: Jakub Zerdzicki via Pexels
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