SD cards have nowadays become an integral part of our daily lives. We capture and save our memorable or precious moments as photos/videos on these SD cards. But sometimes, the SD cards get corrupted and all their stored content becomes inaccessible. However, the accidental deletion or loss of these cherished moments can be a distressful experience. Luckily, there are several recovery methods that you can apply to restore lost pictures from SD cards.
Here, in this comprehensive guide, we will discuss quick methods for SD card recovery. You can go through any of these recovery workarounds to retrieve deleted or lost photos, and ensure you restore your memories with ease.
Before You Start SD Card Recovery…
The methods to restore lost data, including your memorable pictures from SD cards, are quite easy to implement. However, it is important to apply the SD card recovery methods properly. There are certain important prerequisites that you need to consider for having a smooth and quick recovery of your lost photos. This includes:
Stop Using Your SD Card
The moment you find the data loss issue on your SD card, try to avoid using it to save new files or make any changes. It is crucial to stop using your SD card to prevent overwriting of lost data on it. Continued usage may overwrite the data and make the recovery process more difficult. It may even lead to the permanent deletion of lost files from your device.
Check for Backups
Before you dive into technical methods to recover photos from an SD card, it is important to check the available backup options. If you have created any backup of your lost files before their deletion, then it can help you a lot. Cloud services, external drives, or computer hard drive storage may contain the backups of your photos, saving you the trouble of applying complex recovery methods.
Try a Different Card Reader or Computer
Sometimes, the issue may be with your card reader which you are using to connect the SD card or your device’s card slot. In such cases, you can try using another card reader or check by connecting your SD card to another computer. If this helps you access or recognise the lost pictures, avoid using that damaged SD card reader or use a different slot to connect the card reader to your device.
How do I Recover Lost Photos from SD Cards?
Whether your pictures are deleted due to accidental deletion, corrupted storage drive, virus or malware attacks, or any other reason, there’s always a chance to restore your lost pictures. Here are some quick methods to recover photos from SD cards. Just go with any of these workarounds to get your lost photos back:
Method 01: Check Backup Options
As mentioned above, having a backup of lost files is very helpful if any data loss issue occurs. If you have a backup on the Cloud or device storage drive, you can use it to restore lost photos with ease.
You can even use Windows’ built-in File History utility to back up your important files. If the File History option is enabled on your device, a copy of photos will be stored on the drive that was designated to save backup files.
To recover lost photos using the File History option, you need to:
- Click the Start button located in the taskbar and search File History.
- Launch File History and click Restore Personal File.
- Now, go to the backed-up photos and select the files you need to restore.
- Click the Green Restore button to save selected files to their original location. Alternatively, you can select the Restore to option if you need to save your file at a custom location.
Method 02: Use the Stellar Photo Recovery Tool
Instances may occur when you don’t have any backup of your lost files. Don’t worry; you can try using the professional photo recovery software to recover your lost photos from SD cards or even any other storage drive. Stellar Photo Recovery tool is an all-in-one software that supports the recovery of lost or deleted pictures from any device, including your corrupted or damaged SD cards. It even supports the recovery of lost files from inaccessible USB/SD cards/external drives, etc.
The Stellar Photo Recovery software completely scans your storage drive and then restores lost files in the blink of an eye. Along with your photos, it also supports recovery of your lost video and audio files of multiple formats. It also offers several amazing features which make it best for your lost photo recovery. Some of the best features include:
- Support recovery of lost photos, videos, and audio files deleted due to accidental deletion, corruption, formatting, etc.
- The software is compatible with Windows and Mac devices.
- It is 100% safe and secure to download and use.
- It allows you to preview the recoverable files, so you can select and save files as per your need.
Now let’s see how to recover photos from an SD card using the Stellar Photo Recovery tool:
Step 1: Download, install, and launch the Stellar Photo Recovery software on your device. Now the app will display the storage location from where you can restore the lost data. Connect your SD card to your device and select it to scan. Click the Scan button to start the scanning process.
Step 2: Wait till the scanning process is completed. Once the scan is finished, preview the recoverable files that appear on your screen.
Step 3: Select the pictures you need to save on your device and click the Recover button to save them at the desired location.
Tips to Avoid SD Card Photo Loss Issues
Hope the above quick methods to recover photos from SD cards help you to restore your lost data. But it is important to avoid such issues on your device in future. You should take proper measures to ensure such data loss issues never occur again. These measures may include:
- Always use card readers or SD cards from trusted brands as you may easily experience such horrible data loss situations on cheap brands.
- Safely eject your SD card from the device once you are done using it.
- Avoid saving files on your SD card if it does not have enough storage space or even if your device has a low battery.
- When data loss occurs on your device, avoid saving new files on it and try using a reliable SD card recovery software for smooth recovery of your lost data.
Wrapping Up
Losing photos from SD cards can be a frustrating issue, but with the right tools and techniques, you can recover your lost photos easily. The key is to find the exact reason for such data loss issues and to act quickly. By following the above-mentioned quick methods to recover photos from an SD card, especially using the Stellar Photo recovery software, you can increase the chances of recovering your cherished moments and prevent future data loss issues.
