Ways to recover photos from external hard drives: Easy methods

13^th August 2025

The editorial unit

The editorial unit

13 August 2025

In today’s digital world, photographs play an important role in daily life. Many are stored across multiple devices, including external hard drives. However, due to factors such as accidental deletion, formatting errors or system faults, important photos on external drives can be lost. While this can be distressing, recovery is often possible.

There are several methods to retrieve photos from external hard drives. This article outlines different recovery approaches – ranging from built-in system tools to advanced recovery software – that can be used to recover your deleted photos!

Common reasons for photo loss from external hard drives

Identifying the exact cause of photo loss from external hard drives is the first step towards recovery. Common reasons include:

• Accidental Deletion:  Photos may be removed unintentionally while browsing other files and folders.
• Formatting: Formatting an external hard drive without a proper backup deletes every stored file.
• Corrupted File System: Corrupt file systems (like RAW drive errors) make files and folders inaccessible. Such corruption usually happens due to improper ejection, power loss, or software failure.
• Virus or Malware Attack: Malicious programs like viruses or malware sometimes hide, corrupt, or delete photo files.
• Bad sectors on the Hard Drive: Some sections on the drive become unusable and can cause photo corruption or loss.

Understanding the cause of photo loss can help in selecting the most effective recovery method.

Before proceeding with photo recovery

Here are some preliminary checks that can be carried out on a device to enable straightforward photo recovery:

1. Check the recycle bin folder

Before starting any recovery method, it is important to check the Recycle Bin folder on a Windows PC. Deleted photos are sent to this folder before being permanently removed.

• Open the Recycle Bin folder from the desktop.
• Search for the deleted photos.
• Select the photo and click the Restore

Note: This method works only if the photo has not been permanently deleted.

2. Reconnect the external drive

Sometimes a device fails to recognise the drive properly. This can occur due to a damaged hard drive or a faulty connection. In such cases, it is not possible to access the contents, including photographs.

• Try connecting the external hard drive to a different USB port.
• Ensure the cable is not damaged or faulty. If it is, try another USB cable.

How to recover photos from external hard drives? Quick methods

Now that the reasons for photo deletion from external hard drives are clear, it is time to begin the recovery process. The following are some common methods to try:

Method 1: Use file history (Windows)

Windows OS includes a built-in File History backup utility which, when enabled, creates automatic backups of files. To recover previous versions of deleted photos using File History:

• Connect the external drive containing the File History backup to the PC.
• Go to the folder where the deleted photos were earlier stored.
• Right-click on that folder, select Properties > Previous Versions.
• Select the version of the photos and click Restore.

Method 2: Recover photos using photo recovery software

If there is no backup of the lost photos, third-party photo recovery software such as Stellar Photo Recovery can assist. This all-in-one tool supports the recovery of images deleted from any internal or external storage device. Whatever the cause of photo loss – accidental deletion, formatting or other issues – this software can be an effective solution.

To recover deleted photos from an external hard drive using the Stellar Photo Recovery software:

Step 1: Download the Stellar Photo Recovery software on the device and follow the on-screen steps to install it. 

Step 2: Launch the software and from the What to Recover window, choose the Photos option and click Next.

Step 3: From the Recover From screen, choose the external hard drive and start the scanning process by clicking the Scan button.

Step 4: Now, once the scanning process completes, preview the recoverable files and click Recover to save them at the desired storage location.

Method 3: Use cloud backups (Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud)

Along with a device’s built-in backup utility, cloud backup options such as Google Drive, OneDrive and iCloud can be used to recover lost photos. If photos have been backed up to a cloud service, follow the steps below to restore them:

• Log in to the cloud account.
• Click the Trash or Deleted folder to find the deleted photo to restore.
• Download the recovered images back to the computer.

Tips to avoid photo loss in the future

Here are some additional tips to help prevent photo deletion from external drives:

• Regular Backups: Create multiple backups of the important photos (either on another external drive or cloud backups). Also, use built-in backup utilities such as Windows File History, Mac Time Machine, etc.
• Safely Eject External Drives: Always use “Safely Remove Hardware” before unplugging the external hard drive from the computer.
• Use Antivirus Software: As the photo might be deleted due to a virus or malware attack, avoid such instances by scanning the device using a reliable antivirus software.
• Monitor Hard Drive Health: Use tools like CrystalDiskInfo to check for bad sectors.

Wrapping up

Recovering photos from external hard drives may seem challenging, but the methods outlined above can assist in restoring lost files. With the right tools and techniques, most images can be recovered, even from formatted or corrupted drives. Begin by checking the Recycle Bin folder or built-in backup utilities such as File History. If these options do not work, use third-party photo recovery software such as Stellar Photo Recovery. The key is to act quickly, avoid further use of the drive and rely on trusted methods such as recovery software or professional services.

The editorial unit