Data Recovery

How to Recover Deleted Photos from Years Ago

Has it ever happened to you that you deleted a picture a few years ago and felt the need to recover old photos? Although, there is no sure way to recover lost or deleted photos. However, with the help of recovery tools like Photos Recovery, photos, videos, and audio files that were permanently deleted years ago, can be restored.

Note – If the old data is overwritten, the chances of recovery are thin. In such cases, we suggest performing Deep Scan using Photos Recovery, which will help in data recovery.

Can you Recover Photo Deleted Years Ago?

You can restore old data if you keep a backup of your pictures. However, suppose you don’t have a backup. In that case, you can use an old photo recovery tool like Photos Recovery to retrieve photos, video, and audio deleted a year ago unless the data is not overwritten.

Now that you have got the answer, what are you waiting for? Let us see how to recover old deleted photos.

The solutions explained in this article will not only help recover deleted images but will also answer the following questions:

  1. How do I recover deleted files from a long time ago?
  2. How can I restore photos deleted 2 or 3 years ago?
  3. How do you retrieve permanently deleted photos?

How To Recover Permanently Deleted Photos?

Below we enlist the best methods to restore permanently deleted photos.

Method 1. Recover Deleted Photos From Recycle Bin

One of the easiest ways to restore deleted photos, audio, video, documents, and other files are from the Recycle Bin. This is because when a file is deleted, it goes to the Recycle Bin. So, before going into technicalities, you should check the Recycle Bin for deleted images.

To use this method, the following requirements must be met:

1. The file size must be smaller than the Recycle Bin can keep. This is because Recycle Bin cannot keep files larger than the size it is set to keep.
2. Never enable the option to delete files without shifting them to the Recycle Bin.
3. Avoid emptying the Recycle Bin without cross-checking.

If the above conditions are true, restoring long-term deleted pictures is impossible. However, if the abovementioned requirements are fulfilled, follow these steps to recover deleted photos.

Step 1. On your desktop, look for the Recycle Bin icon. Double-click to open it.
Step 2. Search for images you want to restore.
Step 3. Select them  > right-click > Restore.

Read Also:- How to Recover Deleted PSD Files

This will restore selected pictures to the original location. 

Tip : iOS & Android users also have a feature similar to the Recycle Bin & it is called the “Deleted Items.” You can find it under Gallery App and can use it to search for deleted images.

Method 2. Use Photos Recovery – The Best File Recovery Software to Retrieve Years Ago Deleted Pictures

Unfortunately, if you don’t have a backup & the Recycle Bin is also empty, don’t get disheartened.

Before you plan on giving up, try using Photos Recovery. The tool helps recover videos and music files.

This recovery tool is simple; anyone from a beginner to an advanced user can use it.

Why use Photos Recovery?

You don’t need a backup of your pictures to use the Photos Recovery tool. The image recovery program works without a backup and lets you restore all media files. Moreover, you can retrieve as many pictures as possible from your PC by performing a Deep Scan.

Here’s how to use Photos Recovery to restore deleted photos.

Step 1. Download and Install Photos Recovery

Double-click the prsetup_systweak-default.exe file > click Yes and follow the on-screen instructions to install the image recovery tool for your PC.

Step 2. Scan the Drive for the Years Ago Deleted Pictures

Once installed, launch Photos Recovery. You will now see a welcome screen divided into two tabs – Hard Drive & Removable Drive.

To scan Hard Drive, select the Hard Drive tab > select the driver to scan.

Note : If you want to scan a USB flash drive, ensure it is connected and readable. Next, click the Removable Drive tab, select the drive, and scan. If the system does not detect the USB drive, the Removable Drive section will be greyed.

Step 3. Select the Scan Type

After selecting the drive to scan, you need to select the scan type. Photos Recovery offers Quick Scan and Deep Scan options. Since we are looking for pictures deleted years ago, we suggest using Deep Scan.

Step 4. Wait for the Scan to Finish

Once the drive to scan is selected, hit the Start Scan button to start the process and wait for the program to find the recoverable photos. You can minimize Photos Recovery and let the scan run in the background.

Step 5 – Recover Permanently Deleted Images

Find your pictures deleted years ago in the scan results, select them, and click “Recover” to restore your pictures to your device.

Step 6 – Select the location to Recover.

Select the location where you would want to restore permanently deleted pictures. Remember not to pick the same location you are scanning to save the images. This reduces the chances of photograph recovery.

Step 7 – Summary

Once the process is done, you will get a summary of the files recovered. This is how you can get old picutres back.

Must Read:- How to Recover Deleted DNG Files

Method 3. Recover Photos via Backups

If you have a backup of your images, music, and videos, you can restore them all on your device. You may use an internal backup tool on Windows to restore data or third-party software such as Photos Recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you recover deleted photos from years ago?

Using a recovery tool like Systweak Photos Recovery, you can easily restore deleted photos, videos, and audio on your PC. The tool is easy to use, and you don't need any training. Download Photos Recovery software > select the drive and scanning mode > run the scan > select photos to recover and restore them to the location of your choice. Remember, it should be different from the one you are scanning.

How can I recover my 7-year-old photos?

To recover 7-year-old photos, follow these steps: Download and install Systweak Photos Recovery. Select the drive & scanning mode. Click Start Scan to run the scan. Preview photos > select the ones you want to restore and click the Recover button. Select the location to save restored photos. This is how you can restore 7-year-old-photos on your PC.

Is it possible to recover deleted photos from 2 years ago on a PC?

Yes, you can recover deleted photos from 2 years on a PC using Systweak Photos Recovery, an excellent picture, video and audio recovery tool.

Are permanently deleted photos gone forever?

Unless overwritten, permanently deleted files can be recovered using recovery software.

Can you recover old deleted pictures on Windows 11 PC using Photos Recovery?

Yes, the recovery software is compatible with Windows 11, and you can use it to recover old deleted photos, audio, and video unless overwritten.

The Bottom Line – How to recover old photos

Primarily, recovering old deleted photos may seem impossible. However, should you have an image recovery software program such as Photos Recovery, you could recover many years old photos, videos, and audio information. You can also try out the Recycle Bin to find deleted files. Using these steps, we hope you can restore all the images you’ve lost over the years.

Read This:- How to Recover Photos After a Data Loss

Do share your feedback about the post in the comments section.

Preeti Seth

A UX writer who loves explaining technical details in a clear, crisp, and concise manner. She loves writing about technical troubleshooting, How-To's, product reviews, etc. In her free time, she loves reading, meditating, and traveling.

View Comments

    • Read this article -https://www.systweak.com/blogs/how-to-recover-deleted-photos-from-windows-photo-gallery/

    • Hello Dinesh,

      Regarding your query, since it has been a long that the files have been deleted, it seems you have used the storage device. In such cases, the chances of data retrieval are decreased. However, we recommend you try Photos Recovery software as it is a powerful picture recovery tool that helps restore deleted images on Windows.

      Note - Do not install it on the same drive partition or storage device you wish to scan. Also, when restoring the images, save them in a different location.

      Hope this helps.

      Thanks and Regards

    • Hello

      Hello Sir/Mam,

      To recover pictures lost or deleted from a Windows PC, hard drive, USB, or pen drive, you can use Photos Recovery to restore them. However, if you have used the device or the storage drive, the chance of image recovery minimizes as the data is overwritten.

      We hope this helps. For any further assistance related to the product, you can send an email to the support team at support@systweak.com

    • Hello Ray,

      If you have lost pictures from a PC, hard drive, USB, or pen drive, you can use Photos Recovery to restore them. However, if you have used the device or the storage drive then the chance of image recovery minimize as the data is overwritten.

      We hope this helps. For any further assistance related to the product, you can send an email to the support team at support@systweak.com

      Thanks and Regards

  • I want to recover photos from my Google photos app permanently deleted 2 years ago. Is that possible, if yes please guide how?

    • Hello Saloni,

      Photos Recovery tool is practically helpful in recovering files from your local and external storage devices. If you saved the photos stored on Google Photos on your HDD or any other storage device you can use Systweak Photos Recovery to restore the picture.

      Download, install and run the application.
      Select the storage device
      Run deep scan
      Review scan results > select files and the location where you want to save them and click Restore.

      Ensure you do not save them on the same location that you are scanning.

      Thanks and Regards

  • Are my deleted photos on the sim or the actual phone?
    And will the photos recovery app work on my old phone with my new sim?
    Silly questions, but I don't have a clue about phone's
    Thanks K

    • Dear Karen,

      Thank you for writing to us.

      Usually the photos are save on the internal phone's storage. However, if you have changed the settings that they might be saved on connected SD card.
      If you have just changes the SIM card and have not used the phone after the pictures were deleted you can give Photos Recovery a try. The tool helps restore pictures that have not been overwritten.

      Note - If the data is deleted from the device and you perform several operations like browsing the web, downloading documents, saving or deleting pictures then the chances of data recovery reduce. Therefore, it is recommended that you stop using the device once you find out that you have deleted important data. This helps retrieve maximum data.

      Hope this answers your question.

      Thanks and Regards

  • Hi,

    I can see only past 2 years pics my Google photos. How to get back that one. In case if deleted how to retrieve that images and videos of past 5years.
    Can you suggest us.

    • Hello Mani,

      Thank you for writing to us.

      If the photos and videos were saved on any other device and were backed up you can restore the backup. However, if they were saved on the PC and were deleted from there Photos Recovery can help. But if neither is true and the photos and videos were saved on Google Photos, then I am sorry to say there is no way to restore them.

      Thanks and Regards

    • Dear Nimesh,

      Regarding your query, to restore maximum number of deleted media files we suggest you run Deep Scan using Photos Recovery.

      Note - Avoid using the device from which photos are deleted as this will minimize the chances of data recovery.

      Hope this helps.

      Thanks and Regards

    • Dear Pratibha,

      To restore 1 year ago photos deleted we suggest you run Deep Scan using Photos Recovery.

      Note – If you have been using the device, or storage drive after the media files were lost, the chances of recovering files decrease. This is because as you perform operation the data gets overwritten minimizing the chances of recovery.

      Hope this helps.

      Thanks and Regards

    • Hello Kirtan,

      Using a recovery software you can try restoring deleted photos. However, if you have uploaded them a cloud storage or have taken a backup you can restore it.

      Hope this helps.

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