How to Use Asoftech Photo Recovery to Restore Deleted PhotosLosing precious photos—vacation shots, family moments, or important work images—can be upsetting. Asoftech Photo Recovery is a Windows-based tool designed to scan drives and media for deleted or formatted image files and restore them where possible. This guide walks through when to use the software, how it works, step-by-step recovery instructions, tips to improve success rates, and how to troubleshoot common issues.
When to use Asoftech Photo Recovery
Use Asoftech Photo Recovery when:
- You accidentally deleted photos from a PC, memory card, USB drive, or external HDD.
- You formatted a storage device and need to recover images.
- You cannot access images due to file system errors or accidental partitioning.
Note: If new data has been written to the device after deletion, recovery chances decrease. Stop using the device immediately to maximize recovery success.
How Asoftech Photo Recovery works (overview)
Asoftech Photo Recovery scans storage media at the file-system level and at the low-level (signature-based). It looks for known file headers and structures for photo formats (JPEG, PNG, GIF, RAW formats from various cameras, etc.). There are typically two scanning modes:
- Quick Scan: fast, checks file system index and recently deleted entries.
- Deep Scan (or Full Scan): slower but thorough; searches for file signatures and can recover files after formatting or when the file table is damaged.
Preparation: what to do before recovery
- Stop using the affected storage device immediately to avoid overwriting deleted files.
- If possible, remove the memory card or drive and connect it to your PC with a USB adapter to avoid writing to the source device.
- Download Asoftech Photo Recovery from the official vendor page and install it on a different drive than the one you want to recover from. Installing on the same device may overwrite lost files.
- Have an external drive or a different partition ready to save recovered files—do not save recovered files back to the source device.
Step-by-step: restoring deleted photos with Asoftech Photo Recovery
- Launch Asoftech Photo Recovery.
- On the main screen, select the drive or removable device that contained the deleted photos (e.g., SD card, USB stick, internal drive partition).
- Choose the scan mode:
- Start with Quick Scan for a fast check.
- If Quick Scan doesn’t find the images, run Deep Scan/Full Scan.
- Click the Scan (or Start) button and wait while the software analyzes the selected device. Scan time depends on device size and scan mode.
- When the scan completes, a list or preview of found files will appear. Use the file-type filters (e.g., JPG, PNG, RAW) or search function to narrow results.
- Preview files where possible to confirm they’re intact (Asoftech typically offers a thumbnail/preview).
- Select the files you want to recover. Check file sizes and previewed content to avoid restoring corrupt files.
- Click Recover (or Save) and choose a destination folder on a different drive or external storage.
- After recovery completes, open a few restored photos to verify integrity.
Tips to improve recovery success
- Act quickly and avoid writing new files to the storage device.
- Use Deep/Full Scan if the initial Quick Scan finds nothing.
- Recover photos to a different physical drive.
- If a recovered photo is partially corrupted, try opening it with different image viewers or repair tools—some applications can salvage partially damaged JPEGs.
- If the device has physical damage, stop software attempts and consult a professional data-recovery service.
Common problems and fixes
- Software can’t detect the device: ensure the card/drive is properly connected and recognized by Windows Explorer. Try a different card reader or USB port.
- Scan stalls or crashes: close other apps, temporarily disable antivirus that might interfere, or try reinstalling the software. Large drives may need more time—be patient.
- Files found but corrupted: try another scan mode, or use specialized photo repair tools for JPEG/RAW repair.
- License limits: free/trial versions may limit how many files or total data you can recover. Purchase the full license if you need unrestricted recovery.
Alternatives and when to use them
If Asoftech doesn’t find your photos, consider:
- Recuva (free/premium) — good for general file recovery on Windows.
- PhotoRec/testdisk — free, powerful, signature-based recovery (CLI or GUI via third-party front-ends).
- Stellar Photo Recovery or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard — commercial tools with strong deep-scan capabilities and camera RAW support.
- Professional data recovery labs — when media is physically damaged.
Comparison (high level):
| Tool | Strengths | When to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Asoftech Photo Recovery | Simple UI, photo-focused | Quick recoveries, beginner-friendly |
| Recuva | Free option, easy to use | Casual users, small recoveries |
| PhotoRec | Powerful signature-based recovery, free | Advanced users, deep recovery needs |
| Stellar/EaseUS | Robust, polished UI, support | Commercial-grade recovery, RAW files |
| Professional lab | Physical repairs, highest success | Physically damaged devices |
Final notes
Photo recovery is never guaranteed. The single most important factor is avoiding any writes to the affected device after deletion. Follow the steps above, run thorough scans, and keep recovered files on a separate drive. If the software doesn’t recover critical images or files are heavily corrupted, consider specialized repair tools or professional recovery services.
If you want, I can provide a short checklist you can print and keep for future incidents.
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