Photos Disappeared from Your SD Card? Here’s How to Recover Them or/and Fix the Issue

So, you just got back from a trip or finished a photo shoot and decided to transfer your photos to your PC, only to find that all your pictures have disappeared from your SD card without a trace.

Well, this can happen for a number of reasons—your SD card might have become corrupted due to improper ejection, a virus infection, or file system errors. You might have also accidentally clicked the wrong button on your camera and erased all your photos. No matter the cause, we’re happy to tell you that in most cases, your photos can still be saved since they are usually still present on the SD card despite being invisible.

Continue reading as we explain in detail how you can restore the photos that disappeared from your SD card.

Originally, we had a section detailing possible reasons for missing photos at the beginning of the article. However, to help you find a solution to your problem more quickly, we decided to move that section to the second half of the article. If you’re interested in reading about those reasons, you can find them at this link.

How to Recover Photos Missing From Memory Card

For as long as your SD card’s missing photos haven’t been overwritten by new files, you can still extract them using special tools called data recovery software. These utilities can pull data from the file system, and some can even rebuild files that got corrupted. If you’ve never used one before, we’ll demonstrate the process below.

Option A: Disk Drill

Here is how you can recover pictures that have disappeared from an SD card using Disk Drill:

1. Make sure your SD card is securely connected to your computer.
2. Download and install Disk Drill. Then, launch it.
3. Select your SD card from the drive list. It may appear as a “Generic USB” if you’re using a USB-type card reader. Then, click “Search for lost data”.
4. Disk Drill will now scan your SD card. Wait until the app notifies you that the scan is complete, then click “Review found items”.
5. You’ll now be able to review the files Disk Drill found. On the top-right corner of the screen, you can use the search bar to filter results to show only the files you want. For example, type “.cr2” to display only Canon RAW image version 2 files. You can also use the left sidebar to show only lost images on your SD card.
6. Our favorite Disk Drill feature is the ability to preview files in the app. This is also useful since data recovery software might not always be able to retrieve exact file names. Hover your mouse pointer to the right of the file and click the eye button that appears.
7. Use the checkbox column to select the files you want to restore. Then, click “Recover”.
8. After clicking “Recover”, a window will appear displaying a list of suggested disks and folders for recovery. Alternatively, you can select ‘”Choose Destination” to pick a location yourself. The program will warn about the importance of not restoring data to the same device from which it is being recovered. After selecting the destination, click “Next” to complete the recovery process.

Option B: PhotoRec

Due to its nature, PhotoRec recovers data in bulk, without preserving the original file names and folder structure. It also doesn’t have a graphical user interface – you’ll be recovering your data primarily through the Command Prompt.

At some point, qphotorec_win.exe (included in the archive file) was added to the TestDisk/PhotoRec build, which allows the use of PhotoRec with a graphical user interface.

Here is how you can retrieve lost pictures from an SD card using PhotoRec:

1. Make sure your SD card is securely connected to your computer.
2. Download and install PhotoRec (it comes downloaded with TestDisk, its sister software).
3. Launch PhotoRec.
4. Use your arrow keys to select your SD card from the list, then highlight “Proceed” and hit enter.
5. Use arrow keys up and down to highlight the partition you want to scan, then use your right arrow key to highlight “File Opt” and hit enter.
6. Browse the list to make sure the file type you want to recover is selected. Make sure to select JPEG and PNG files, as well as manufacturer-specfic RAW files (for ex. CRW for Canon cameras). Hit enter to return to the last screen.
7. This time, highlight “Search” and hit enter.
8. Use your arrow keys to highlight “Other” and hit enter.
9. If you only want to recover files you deleted, go ahead with the “Free” option. Otherwise, use your down arrow key to highlight “Whole” and hit enter (this works better if you want to recover files from a corrupted SD card).
10. Use the arrow keys (up and down to select a folder, left and right to enter and exit highlighted folders) to select a destination for your recovered files. Then, hit C. Please remember to select a location on your computer and not on your SD card to avoid overwriting files.
11. After the previous step, the scan will begin and display the number of files found as it progresses. Once it is finished, the program will alert you, and you will find all the recovered files in the folder you specified earlier.

Option C: Professional Data Recovery Service

If you can’t preview your files and/or you suspect that your SD card has been physically damaged, it’s time to call the pros (or risk further damage and data loss). If you’ve never used a professional SD card recovery service before, try to find one that offers at least most of the following:

• Free remote estimate: The most reputable centers have worked with thousands of cases… So they’re able to guesstimate a project based on similar cases without even diagnosing your SD card in person.
• No data-no charge guarantee: In my experience, not many services offer this guarantee. If you find one that does, it’s a good sign that they’re confident in their ability to restore their customers’ data.
• Class 100 Clean Room: This is an ultra-sterile lab where tiny dust and debris are highly controlled to avoid scratching or contaminating storage disks. This is non-negotiable. Anything less than a Class 100 Clean Room only increases the likelihood of permanent data loss and further damage to your SD card’s disk.
• Case-by-case pricing: Beware of data recovery centers that offer a fixed amount per GB recovered. Data recovery is too complex to follow this pricing structure.

Is it Possible to Recover Photos That Disappeared or Keep Disappearing From SD Card?

Most of the time, yes! SD cards follow the same behavior as most storage devices do – whenever you delete a file, the storage disk just marks its data block as “unallocated.” In other words, it gets treated as free space. So when you save a new file, the old data gets overwritten. Before that happens, you can still extract that data from the file system using special tools. However, cameras, mobile phones, and other multimedia devices all rely on the SD card and its variations… So things get a little more complicated. Since different devices interact with SD cards in their own ways, it’s important to properly diagnose the problem before attempting repair so you can avoid further data loss. Use the table below to figure out your next step and use the links to jump to the most relevant section.

Additional Methods of Recovering Disappearing SD Card Photos

Sometimes, photos can vanish from your SD card due to human error or minor corruption issues. Apart from data recovery software, there are a few simple fixes you can try. These methods address common situations where photos become hidden or inaccessible because of system glitches or errors on the SD card. If you follow the steps below, you might be able to make your missing photos reappear without the need for specialized recovery software.

Method 1: Check If the Photos Are Hidden

Sometimes, your photos might not be visible because they are hidden by the system. This can happen due to various reasons, such as system errors or incorrect settings selected by accident. You can try to adjust your folder options, and possibly reveal hidden photos on SD card. Follow the steps below to check if your photos are hidden.

1. Open File Explorer by clicking the folder icon in the taskbar.
2. Navigate to your SD card under “This PC” or “Computer.”
3. Click the “View” tab at the top of the window.
4. From the dropdown menu, select “Show”, then make sure “Hidden items” option is checked.
5. See if any photos show up.

Method 2: Try to Fix SD Card Errors

Errors on your SD card may cause photos to become inaccessible or disappear. To restore your missing files, you should check and repair these errors. You can use the built-in Windows utility called CHKDSK to scan and fix your SD card. While the method itself can be hit or miss, if it resolves the issue, it means your card is indeed corrupted, and we advise you to back up your data and avoid storing any important data on it. Therefore, it is better to use data recovery software before this method.

1. Insert your SD card into the computer’s card reader.
2. Press Windows Key + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk E: /f /r, replacing E: with the drive letter assigned to your SD card.
4. Press Enter. Allow the scanning process to complete.
5. The utility will check the SD card for errors and attempt to fix them. This may take some time, depending on the size of your SD card.

Method 3: Add or Change Your SD Card’s Disk Letter

It’s also possible that your computer failed to assign a drive letter to your SD card (or there are conflicting drive letters due to another problem), preventing it from properly recognizing the drive. Changing its disk letter manually may cause your photos to reappear.

1. Launch Disk Management (use the search function in the Windows Start menu).
2. Identify your SD card’s disk, then hit right-click > “Change Drive Letter and Paths…”
3. If your SD card already has a drive letter, click “Change…” Otherwise, click “Add…”
4. Make sure “Assign the following drive letter:” is selected, then use the dropdown button to choose a letter. Then, click “OK.”

FAQ

Conclusion

If you need to recover files that disappeared from your SD card, you need the right tools to do it. Otherwise, your SD card can suffer more damage and even permanent data loss. We also suggest that you create a regular backup routine if your files matter to you. No matter how you try to baby your memory card, something will happen down the line – it’s just the nature of technology.