How to Recover Deleted/Lost Screenshots on Windows: 5 Methods

Capturing screenshots is one of the quickest methods to preserve anything visible on your computer or smartphone.

Like many others, you may have taken screen captures of video calls, game results, conversations, online items, and so on, using your phone or PC.

Do you know how to find screenshots on your device? Let’s look at the detailed information about the file location for screenshots.

Where Are Screenshots Stored on Windows?

Generally, there are many ways to take screenshots, and the paths to save them are different.

Knowing where your screenshots are saved is essential for learning how to recover deleted screenshots on Windows.

If you have difficulty locating the screenshot file location, you can check some possible locations below:

Location 1. Your specified location:

On computers running Windows 10 and earlier versions, you can store screenshots anywhere on your hard drive.

All screen capture tools for Windows, such as Snipping Tool, Snip & Sketch, and Snagit, allow you to choose the location for saving screenshots.

Location 2. The Screenshots folder:

However, in Windows 11/10, screenshots are automatically saved in the Screenshots folder within the Pictures directory. (C:\Users\Username\Pictures\Screenshots)

When you press Win + PrtScn to take a screenshot, you can find it in the Screenshots folder.

Location 3. The clipboard:

If you use the solutions below to capture a screenshot, the screenshot gets saved to the clipboard, and you need to save it manually:

1. Use the Snipping Tool app.
2. Use the Win + Shift + S shortcut.
3. Use the PrtScn key.

Sometimes, some software’s screen capture feature will also save the screenshot to the clipboard.

Location 4. The software’s library:

Another method for capturing screenshots is by using a third-party software or application, which typically saves the images in that software’s cache folder or library.

Like using the Xbox Game Bar, your screenshots might be saved to the C:\Users\user\Videos\Captures folder by default.

However, screenshots, which are saved as image files in formats like JPEG, PNG, or GIF, can be easily lost or deleted just like any other file on your device.

“So I deleted my screenshot folder and didn't think anything bad would happen, but my screenshots just go nowhere now. I already tried making a folder with the same name and a couple of other things I saw people tell me to do, but nothing worked. Does anybody know what I can do to bring it back?”www.reddit.com

What is causing the screenshot loss? Let’s look at some possible reasons why your screenshots are lost on Windows.

Why Are Screenshots Lost or Deleted on Windows?

If you find that you are losing screenshots and additional data, consider the reasons below to understand why it’s happening.

• Accidental Deletion: Human mistakes are the main cause of unintentionally deleting files, including screenshots.
• Corrupted Disk: A disk may become corrupted due to unexpected power loss, interruptions during the formatting process, or simply because it has an excessive number of bad sectors. When these situations arise, the files stored on the disk can become unreachable and disappeared from your computer.
• Virus or Malware Attack: Malware and viruses are crafted to target files, rendering them useless or even more damaged.
• System Formatting: When a drive undergoes formatting, all its stored information is removed. If the screenshots were kept on the formatted drive, they were likely deleted during this process.
• Etc.

No matter what kind of data loss scenarios you lost your screenshots in, the first thing you may want to know is: Can I recover deleted/lost screenshots? Keep reading to get more details.

Can I Recover Deleted Screenshots on PC?

Yes! It is possible to recover deleted screenshots on a PC.

However, whether you can recover the screenshots or not depends on how you capture them.

Situation 1. The screenshots are saved on your device.

If you had saved the screenshots on your computer and lost them due to user error, such as accidental deletion, formatting the storage device, system corruption, or other unforeseen issues, it is possible to successfully recover the deleted screenshots.

Situation 2. The screenshot is saved in the clipboard.

As we mentioned above, pressing Print Screen allows your computer to temporarily save screenshots to the Windows clipboard.

If you don’t paste and save the image promptly, the clipboard will be overwritten with new data when something else is copied or cut.

In this case, recovering the screenshot is not feasible.

Situation 3. The screenshots are saved in the folder created by the software.

If you use third-party screenshot tools, such as Monosnap, Lightshot, or Greenshot, the location of your screenshots may be saved in a folder created by the software.

In this case, you can also recover lost screenshots.

How to Recover Deleted Screenshots on Windows

On Windows, you can look in the Recycle Bin or utilize File History to find backups.

If your screenshots aren’t found in these temporary storage locations, consider using a third-party data recovery application on your device to search for and recover them.

Now, let’s check the breakdown of these methods.

Method 1. Show Hidden Screenshots

The screenshot files may be hidden on your system for various reasons, such as a Windows upgrade or a virus infection. You simply need to unhide them to see.

Here are the steps to unhide screenshots on Windows 10/11:

Step 1. Open the Control Panel. Select File Explorer Options.

Step 2. Navigate to the View tab.

Step 3. Under Advanced settings, look for Hidden files and folders.

Step 4. Select Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

Step 5. Click Apply > OK.

Step 6. Go to This PC, type screenshot in the search bar, and look for your screenshots.

Method 2. Check the Recycle Bin

It is well-known that the Recycle Bin on a Windows system retains deleted files. Therefore, the first place to look for your deleted screenshots is this folder.

Let’s see how to recover deleted screenshots from the Recycle Bin.

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin on your desktop.

Step 2. Find your deleted screenshot. Have difficulty locating it? Type screenshot or your screenshot’s file name in the search field.

Step 3. Right-click on the screenshot you wish to recover from the list, and select Restore to return it to its original location.

Method 3. Use the File History

File History is a built-in tool in Windows that allows you to create backups of your files, including screenshots.

If File History was enabled before your screenshots were deleted, you can retrieve earlier screenshots by following these steps:

Step 1. Press Win + S to open the Windows Search bar. Type Control Panel in the box and press Enter. Next, select System and Security.

Step 2. Click on File History.

Step 3. Select the Restore personal files option in the left panel.

Step 4. Go to your Screenshot folder (C:\Users\Username\Pictures\Screenshots) or other save location and click the Restore button.

If you want to recover some files in the Screenshots folder instead of the whole folder, you can press the Ctrl key and select the wanted files, then click Restore. They will be recovered in the original folder.

Method 4. Check the Cloud Backup

Do you utilize cloud storage services such as Dropbox or OneDrive? If so, you can locate and recover lost screenshots on your PC through these cloud services.

Simply log into your cloud account, search for the screenshots, and download them to your device. Additionally, you can check the cloud’s recycle bin and look for your deleted screenshots here.

Method 5. Use MiniTool Power Data Recovery

What is the most practical way to recover deleted or lost screenshots?

Use professional data recovery software.

One effective tool for this purpose is MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

Why can you trust this software 100%?

To be specific, below are some key features of this free data recovery software:

• Supports a variety of file formats: This comprehensive data recovery tool aids in retrieving documents, photos, videos, audio files, emails, compressed files, and more.
• Compatible with multiple storage media types: This tool is compatible with HDDs, SSDs, SD cards, USB flash drives, and even CDs/DVDs.
• Includes file preview functionality: You can preview photos, documents, videos, audio files, and other file types for free before you decide what to recover.
• Clear Interface and Simple Steps: This recovery application features a tidy and easy-to-use interface, making it accessible for beginners.
• Provides 1 GB of free data recovery limit: You can restore up to 1 GB of files at no cost.

Now, download MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free and use it to recover deleted screenshots.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 1. Select the Partition, Location, or Disk to Scan.

Open MiniTool Power Data Recovery to access its main interface.

Afterwards, you must choose the location where the deleted screenshots are likely to be found for scanning.

You will notice three sections:

• Logical Drives: You need to select the desired partition where the deleted screenshots may be located (Usually, the C drive) and click on Scan.
• Devices: You can choose to scan the whole disk for any lost files, which will take a lot of time.
• Recover From Specific Location: You can opt to scan the Desktop, Recycle Bin, or a specific folder to save time.

For instance, you can scan the Screenshots folder to look for your lost or deleted screenshots.

Click the Browse button. In the pop-up window, select the Screenshots folder and click Select Folder.

Step 2. Locate Required Screenshots.

After scanning, it is time to locate the screenshots you wish to recover.

In the Path section, you can expand the Deleted Files folder and the Lost Files folder to locate your screenshots.

There are three extra features available to help you locate your files more efficiently:

• Type: Classifies files by file type and data format. In this case, you can select Pictures to locate your screenshots.
• Filter: This feature lets you refine the search results based on file type, size, date modified, and file category.
• Search: You can simply input the file name or a portion of it in the search box and hit Enter to find your screenshots without having to manually sift through all the folders.

Step 3. Preview and Save Target Files.

Before recovery, MiniTool data recovery tool provides a preview feature. Double-click on every screenshot to view its contents.

After verifying the files you wish to recover, click on Save. In the pop-up window, select a location different from the original one to prevent data overwriting, and then click OK to start the recovery process.

Tips for Prevention: Back up Your Screenshots

MiniTool ShadowMaker is a professional backup tool for Windows that can back up photos like screenshots.

It enables you to perform full, incremental, or differential backups on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, or whenever you log on or off.

You can try MiniTool ShadowMaker free of charge for 30 days. Download and utilize it.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 1. Launch this software and select Keep Trial to proceed.

Step 2. Navigate to the Backup tab located in the left menu.

Step 3. Click on SOURCE to choose the screenshots you wish to back up. Then, click on DESTINATION to select the drive where you want to save the backup files.

Step 4. Press Options in the bottom right corner. You can then enable and configure the Backup Scheme and Schedule Settings.

Step 5. After completing the setup, click the Back Up Now button to start the backup process.

If your screenshots are lost, you can restore them from the backup: Open MiniTool ShadowMaker and go to the Restore tab. Next, click the Restore button next to the backup file. Then, select a location to save the recovered files and finish the process.

Bottom Line

Recovering deleted screenshots is possible with the right approach. Start with simple checks like the Recycle Bin or built-in recovery features, and move on to reliable recovery software like MiniTool Power Data Recovery if needed.

Acting quickly improves the chances of success, so avoid overwriting your storage device until recovery is complete.

Recommendation: Emphasize prevention by regularly backing up screenshots to cloud storage or using professional backup tools.

If you need any help using MiniTool’s products, please feel free to contact the support team at [email protected].