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johnj84
Participating Frequently
February 24, 2018
Answered

How to recover deleted photos from Lightroom?

  • February 24, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 63425 views

I accidentally deleted photos from lightroom. Unfortunately, I did a delete from disk and don't have a copy of the photos on my computer as well. Is there a way to recover the deleted photos?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Just Shoot Me

    Look in the Recycle Bin, Windows, or the Trash, Mac. Restore the images to there original folders and then reimport them into LR.

    2 replies

    S
    smp1940
    Participant
    October 30, 2018

    I have had a problem with deleted images not going to Trash after upgrading to Mojave. A terrific woman with Adobe fixed it.

    For whatever reason my external drive was not communicating with "Trash" so she opened the drive, added a new folder "unnamed folder" and deleted it to Trash. Voila !! Images from that drive now deleted with Lightroom go to Trash as they should.

    The external drive now talks to Trash - so the problem is not with Lightroom but with Mojave.

      24Pictures
      24Pictures
      Participant
      May 23, 2019

      So thankful for this "problem."  I am running High Sierra and I followed your instructions, adding a folder to my external drive, trashing it, and voilà, the deleted imaged showed up in the trash can. Amazing!

      Just Shoot Me
      Just Shoot MeCorrect answer
      Legend
      February 24, 2018

      Look in the Recycle Bin, Windows, or the Trash, Mac. Restore the images to there original folders and then reimport them into LR.

        M
        Mary Rose Petrozola
        Participant
        July 23, 2018

        Mine are not in the trash! I have a MAC, and they are not in the trash in my doc. Is there another trash particular to Lightroom, and if so where is it? Thanks so much! I accidentally deleted the only photos from my 25th wedding anniversary.

          M
          Mary Rose Petrozola
          Participant
          July 24, 2018

          Anne Marie, are you using the new cloud-based Lightroom CC, or Lightroom Classic? I ask only because Lightroom CC doesn't send files to the trash (and they aren't recoverable from the cloud) - once you delete them, they really are gone.

          Regardless, do you still have the photos on memory cards?

          @Just Shoot Me, true that the XMP files would go to the trash also - but they can be restored along with the photo files, so some work would be recoverable.


          Yes I am using CC. I did another “sample delete” of a photo I didn’t care about, and then read more carefully that they were permanently deleted.

          Thanks so much for your reply. I guess there’s always our 26th anniversary.

          Anne-Marie

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