How to find my photos on this computer

Search using File Explorer

File Explorer 📁 (the built-in tool for browsing files and folders) lets you find my photos on this computer by scanning your whole hard drive at once. You can type specific file types like JPG or PNG into the search 🔍 bar to track down every missing picture stored on your machine.

1. Press the Win+E on your keyboard to open File Explorer 📁.

   

2. Click on This PC in the left-hand sidebar to ensure you search all connected drives.
3. Click into the search 🔍 box in the top-right corner of the File Explorer 📁 window.
4. Type *.jpg or kind:=picture into the search 🔍 box and press Enter.
5. Wait for the search 🔍 results to populate, then scan the list for your missing files.

Check the Pictures folder and default libraries

Windows automatically saves most images inside the built-in Pictures folder linked to your user account. Checking this default location is the fastest way to track down my photos on this computer if they were imported or downloaded recently without a custom save path.

1. Open File Explorer 📁 and click on This PC.
2. Double-click your main operating system drive (usually OS (C:)).
3. Open the Users folder, then open the folder matching your account username (e.g., USERNAME).
4. Locate and open the Pictures folder.
5. Check any subfolders inside the Pictures directory, such as Camera Roll or Saved Pictures.

Recover deleted photos from the Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin 🗑️ (a temporary holding area for deleted files) keeps deleted pictures safe until you empty it manually. You can open this desktop folder to restore my photos on this computer back to their original folders if you removed them by mistake.

1. Minimize all open windows to reveal your desktop.
2. Double-click the Recycle Bin 🗑️ icon.
3. Scan the list of deleted items for your photo files or folders.
4. Right-click the items you want to recover and select Restore to send them back to their original locations.

Locate photos transferred from smartphones and cameras

You need to unlock your phone and grant file transfer permissions so Windows can display my photos on this computer and let you copy them over.

1. Plug your phone or camera into your computer using a data-capable USB cable.
2. Unlock your phone screen and tap the prompt to allow file transfers or access to photos (MTP mode).
3. Open Settings ⚙️, navigate to Bluetooth 🔷 & devices, and check that your device appears in the connected list.
4. Open File Explorer 📁, click This PC, and look for your device listed as an external drive or portable device.
5. Double-click the device name and navigate through the internal storage folders (typically labeled DCIM) to access your photos.

Stop backup sync loops and duplicate uploads

Cloud backup apps (software that saves your files to online storage) sometimes get stuck uploading the same pictures over and over again. You can stop these sync loops by opening your backup tool’s settings from the taskbar 🖥️ and pausing the upload process.

1. Click the system tray 🔔 arrow in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar 🖥️ to view running background apps.
2. Open your cloud backup client (such as Google Drive or OneDrive) and access its settings menu.
3. Pause the synchronization process temporarily while you verify your local folder paths.
4. Review the backup folder selections to ensure the application is not scanning temporary or system directories.
5. Restart the 🔄 synchronization client and select the option to verify existing files instead of re-uploading them.

What to do next

You should now see your image files and have your storage devices connected. Move on to setting up automated backups to prevent future data loss.