Skip to main content
J
johnj84
Participating Frequently
February 24, 2018
Answered

How to recover deleted photos from Lightroom?

  • February 24, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 63429 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.

          Laura Shoe
          Laura Shoe
          Inspiring
          July 24, 2018

          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


          I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your anniversary photos, Anne Marie. I would recommend reading my article, Urgent: Don't Use Lightroom CC Until You Read This - not only does it warn cloud-based Lightroom CC users about deleted photos not going into Trash, but more importantly for you, it also explains why it is so easy to accidentally delete photos - understanding this should help you going forward.

          Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
          Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices