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Looking for photo recovery software and want to hear real experiences
Quote from gobbp on March 3, 2026, 1:55 amHi everyone who comes across this thread. I recently started photography, and someone advised me to keep some image and video recovery software in mind, just in case I mess up and delete something by accident, or my SD cards start to behave strangely. I know I can easily find lists of the best photo recovery software online. But I’m a total beginner, and those articles don’t help me much. So I would rather hear opinions from people who actually used photo recovery software before (good or bad experiences, both are welcome).
A few things matter to me: 1) the software works on both PC and Mac, 2) it handles different situations (deleted files, formatted cards, corrupted storage devices), 3) it can restore RAW photo files. In a perfect world the photo recovery software would be free, but I’m open to paid tools too if they are really worth it.
Thanks in advance to anyone who decides to share their experience. I would appreciate the help.
Hi everyone who comes across this thread. I recently started photography, and someone advised me to keep some image and video recovery software in mind, just in case I mess up and delete something by accident, or my SD cards start to behave strangely. I know I can easily find lists of the best photo recovery software online. But I’m a total beginner, and those articles don’t help me much. So I would rather hear opinions from people who actually used photo recovery software before (good or bad experiences, both are welcome).
A few things matter to me: 1) the software works on both PC and Mac, 2) it handles different situations (deleted files, formatted cards, corrupted storage devices), 3) it can restore RAW photo files. In a perfect world the photo recovery software would be free, but I’m open to paid tools too if they are really worth it.
Thanks in advance to anyone who decides to share their experience. I would appreciate the help.
Quote from DataNerd on March 3, 2026, 2:12 amI’m not a photographer myself, but I work with a constant flow of files from different storage devices and because of that I tried quite a few tools that claim to be photo recovery software or data recovery software for media files, and so far I haven’t found anything that works better than Disk Drill.
Just to be clear from the start that it’s not fully free (On Windows you get about 100 MB of recovery, and on Mac you can preview files before recovery), still, that is usually enough to test it and see if it suits you. If you want to recover more, you need to pay. One nice thing is that the license works for both Mac and Windows. It should also meet your other requirements. Besides basic data recovery software for media files functions, it also has some useful extras like disk imaging (good if your SD card becomes corrupted) and a feature that can recover fragmented videos. I found a detailed review of Disk Drill, so if you have time you may want to check that out.
I’m not a photographer myself, but I work with a constant flow of files from different storage devices and because of that I tried quite a few tools that claim to be photo recovery software or data recovery software for media files, and so far I haven’t found anything that works better than Disk Drill.
Just to be clear from the start that it’s not fully free (On Windows you get about 100 MB of recovery, and on Mac you can preview files before recovery), still, that is usually enough to test it and see if it suits you. If you want to recover more, you need to pay. One nice thing is that the license works for both Mac and Windows. It should also meet your other requirements. Besides basic data recovery software for media files functions, it also has some useful extras like disk imaging (good if your SD card becomes corrupted) and a feature that can recover fragmented videos. I found a detailed review of Disk Drill, so if you have time you may want to check that out.
Quote from AlexR on March 3, 2026, 2:48 amIf you really don’t want to pay for Disk Drill, you can look at PhotoRec. It’s a free option, and many people still use it. Just keep in mind that it works through a terminal interface, so it may feel a bit confusing at first, especially since you’re new to this, but the official website has a lot of documentation that explains what you need to press and how to restore lost images and videos step by step (https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec_Step_By_Step ). It doesn’t have extra features, so I don’t have much to say about the tool or the interface. Still, it helped me many times when I needed to recover my files for free. In any case, since you’re not in a situation where you must recover deleted photos and videos right now, you actually have time to test different tools and see what works best for you.
If you really don’t want to pay for Disk Drill, you can look at PhotoRec. It’s a free option, and many people still use it. Just keep in mind that it works through a terminal interface, so it may feel a bit confusing at first, especially since you’re new to this, but the official website has a lot of documentation that explains what you need to press and how to restore lost images and videos step by step (https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec_Step_By_Step ). It doesn’t have extra features, so I don’t have much to say about the tool or the interface. Still, it helped me many times when I needed to recover my files for free. In any case, since you’re not in a situation where you must recover deleted photos and videos right now, you actually have time to test different tools and see what works best for you.
Quote from OhioTom on March 3, 2026, 3:28 amIf your main goal is just to recover JPEG and PNG images or other basic stuff, and you’re okay with tools that work only on PC, I can suggest two free options - Recuva and R-Photo. Since both are free tools, there isn’t much to say about features, as developers usually put more effort into their commercial products, but for simple cases they still work fine. I used them a few times to recover deleted photos and videos, and they managed to bring the files back without much trouble. So if you just want something simple and free to try, these two may be worth a look.
If your main goal is just to recover JPEG and PNG images or other basic stuff, and you’re okay with tools that work only on PC, I can suggest two free options - Recuva and R-Photo. Since both are free tools, there isn’t much to say about features, as developers usually put more effort into their commercial products, but for simple cases they still work fine. I used them a few times to recover deleted photos and videos, and they managed to bring the files back without much trouble. So if you just want something simple and free to try, these two may be worth a look.
Quote from chris_89 on March 3, 2026, 4:10 amAbout four years ago SanDisk RescuePRO Deluxe helped me retrieve accidentally deleted files from an SD card. As far as I know, this photo recovery software works on both Mac and Windows. It’s a paid tool, but sometimes SanDisk includes a one-year activation key in the package with their SD cards. So if you use their cards, it’s worth checking the box, you may already have access to it.
About four years ago SanDisk RescuePRO Deluxe helped me retrieve accidentally deleted files from an SD card. As far as I know, this photo recovery software works on both Mac and Windows. It’s a paid tool, but sometimes SanDisk includes a one-year activation key in the package with their SD cards. So if you use their cards, it’s worth checking the box, you may already have access to it.
Quote from DataNerd on March 3, 2026, 4:33 amQuote from chris_89 on March 3, 2026, 4:10 amAbout four years ago SanDisk RescuePRO Deluxe helped me retrieve accidentally deleted files from an SD card. As far as I know, this photo recovery software works on both Mac and Windows. It’s a paid tool, but sometimes SanDisk includes a one-year activation key in the package with their SD cards. So if you use their cards, it’s worth checking the box, you may already have access to it.
That one is a pretty basic program with a very rough interface. Also, if I remember correctly, their website was last updated around 2022, so about four years ago and the software itself is probably even older. I wouldn’t recommend something like that today, there are many newer options. @gobbp I’d keep this in mind when you choose the best photo recovery software.
Quote from chris_89 on March 3, 2026, 4:10 amAbout four years ago SanDisk RescuePRO Deluxe helped me retrieve accidentally deleted files from an SD card. As far as I know, this photo recovery software works on both Mac and Windows. It’s a paid tool, but sometimes SanDisk includes a one-year activation key in the package with their SD cards. So if you use their cards, it’s worth checking the box, you may already have access to it.
That one is a pretty basic program with a very rough interface. Also, if I remember correctly, their website was last updated around 2022, so about four years ago and the software itself is probably even older. I wouldn’t recommend something like that today, there are many newer options. @gobbp I’d keep this in mind when you choose the best photo recovery software.
Quote from phillyjohn on March 3, 2026, 12:05 pm@gobbp hi there, young colleague. I run a small photo and video studio, so I also have plenty of experience when it comes to bring back lost photos and media files. Because of that, I’ll also vote for Disk Drill.
During my work I used it in many different cases. I managed photo recovery for DSLR cameras, recovered GoPro footage, recovered Insta360 files, and even recovered RED camera footage with it. That should give you an idea of how universal this image and video recovery software can be. Since you’re just starting out, you probably won’t deal with those types of files yet, but whatever format you use, Disk Drill should handle it without much trouble.
Just remember that recovery tools are not a magic wand. You can restore lost images and videos ONLY as long as the data has not been overwritten by new files.
@gobbp hi there, young colleague. I run a small photo and video studio, so I also have plenty of experience when it comes to bring back lost photos and media files. Because of that, I’ll also vote for Disk Drill.
During my work I used it in many different cases. I managed photo recovery for DSLR cameras, recovered GoPro footage, recovered Insta360 files, and even recovered RED camera footage with it. That should give you an idea of how universal this image and video recovery software can be. Since you’re just starting out, you probably won’t deal with those types of files yet, but whatever format you use, Disk Drill should handle it without much trouble.
Just remember that recovery tools are not a magic wand. You can restore lost images and videos ONLY as long as the data has not been overwritten by new files.
Quote from DataNerd on March 3, 2026, 12:48 pmI just noticed someone here recommended Recuva. I wouldn’t suggest it for photographers. That tool is pretty limited and works mostly for basic stuff. If you look at this review you can see what RAW photo formats it can actually recover, the list is quite small. From what I saw, it mainly handles a few common formats like JPG and some RAW types (for example CR2 or NEF), while many other formats are either unsupported or recovered incorrectly. If you really care about photography it’s better to search for best photo recovery software that sits a level above tools like that.
I just noticed someone here recommended Recuva. I wouldn’t suggest it for photographers. That tool is pretty limited and works mostly for basic stuff. If you look at this review you can see what RAW photo formats it can actually recover, the list is quite small. From what I saw, it mainly handles a few common formats like JPG and some RAW types (for example CR2 or NEF), while many other formats are either unsupported or recovered incorrectly. If you really care about photography it’s better to search for best photo recovery software that sits a level above tools like that.
Quote from wehelper644 on March 3, 2026, 1:18 pmI’m not a photographer and definitely not a data recovery expert, but I once used EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to bring back lost photos from a USB flash drive. Overall it was fine. The interface was pretty clear and it was easy to understand where to click but I had to pay for a license to finish the recovery.
I’m not a photographer and definitely not a data recovery expert, but I once used EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to bring back lost photos from a USB flash drive. Overall it was fine. The interface was pretty clear and it was easy to understand where to click but I had to pay for a license to finish the recovery.
Quote from DataRecoverExpert on March 3, 2026, 1:39 pmHi there. We actually have detailed reviews of some of the tools already mentioned in this thread, so you may want to check them out:
We also have reviews of several other tools that haven’t been mentioned here yet but may still be interesting if you search for the best photo recovery software for PC/Mac.
Besides individual reviews with results from real tests, we also publish a list of the best data recovery software for PC and Mac. There is also a separate guide with tools that help repair corrupted SD cards before you try to recover deleted photos and videos.
@gobbp we recommend taking a look at those guides and saving them somewhere just in case. Even if you don’t need them, it’s good to know where to look when something goes wrong.
Hi there. We actually have detailed reviews of some of the tools already mentioned in this thread, so you may want to check them out:
We also have reviews of several other tools that haven’t been mentioned here yet but may still be interesting if you search for the best photo recovery software for PC/Mac.
Besides individual reviews with results from real tests, we also publish a list of the best data recovery software for PC and Mac. There is also a separate guide with tools that help repair corrupted SD cards before you try to recover deleted photos and videos.
@gobbp we recommend taking a look at those guides and saving them somewhere just in case. Even if you don’t need them, it’s good to know where to look when something goes wrong.
Quote from gobbp on March 3, 2026, 2:42 pmWow!!! I honestly didn’t expect to get so many recommendations here. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion and took the time to reply.
So far I realized that PhotoRec is probably not something I would want to use in an emergency when I need to recover deleted photos and videos quickly. The terminal interface just doesn’t look very beginner-friendly to me. As for the other tools you mentioned, it’s still hard to say which one is the best photo recovery software for me. I guess the only real way is to test a few options and see which software feels easier to use. So that’s what I’ll do.
**If I don’t forget, I’ll come back later and share my experience. Maybe another beginner will find this thread one day when they need to bring back lost photos or retrieve accidentally deleted files.
Wow!!! I honestly didn’t expect to get so many recommendations here. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion and took the time to reply.
So far I realized that PhotoRec is probably not something I would want to use in an emergency when I need to recover deleted photos and videos quickly. The terminal interface just doesn’t look very beginner-friendly to me. As for the other tools you mentioned, it’s still hard to say which one is the best photo recovery software for me. I guess the only real way is to test a few options and see which software feels easier to use. So that’s what I’ll do.
**If I don’t forget, I’ll come back later and share my experience. Maybe another beginner will find this thread one day when they need to bring back lost photos or retrieve accidentally deleted files.
Quote from gobbp on March 3, 2026, 3:50 pmAs promised, I’m back with a quick update. In the end I decided to go with Disk Drill. I tested a few options, but this one felt the most straightforward to me.
Thanks again and have a great day everyone!!!
As promised, I’m back with a quick update. In the end I decided to go with Disk Drill. I tested a few options, but this one felt the most straightforward to me.
Thanks again and have a great day everyone!!!