Can Lightroom recover RAW files that were permanently deleted from disk?
Asked 8/14/2021
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2 answers
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I imported some .NEF files into Lightroom, then accidentally permanently deleted the originals from the import folder in Windows Explorer. Lightroom still shows the images in the filmstrip, but I can’t edit them normally. Exporting the original is unavailable, and JPEG export reports that the originals are missing. Is there any way to restore or save the original RAW files back to disk from Lightroom?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
1
LR just saves the previews of those files. The actual NEF files have been deleted.
So, your chances are the same as with any other deleted computer file. If file recovery tool is unable to recover them, then they are gone for good.
Originally by user99572. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user99572
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Probably not. Lightroom’s catalog normally stores previews, metadata, and edit instructions—not the original RAW files themselves. If the .NEF files were permanently deleted in Windows, Lightroom may still show cached previews in the filmstrip, but those previews are not the full RAW files.
That means Lightroom usually cannot write the original .NEF files back to disk unless the originals still exist somewhere accessible. If Smart Previews had been created, you might be able to export a reduced-resolution file, but not recover the original RAW. Since original export is unavailable and recovery software produced corrupted files, your chances are the same as with any deleted file: if file recovery can’t restore them, they are likely gone.
In short: Lightroom can show previews of missing images, but it generally cannot recover the deleted RAW originals.
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