How To Recover An Accidently Deleted Macrium Image?

An interesting thread.

As others have noted, a lot (perhaps most) of the freeware recover programs are limited in the file size they are able to recover. 2Gb seems to be the general limit.

Recuva (freeware version 1.54.120, 64 bit) states that it has no file size limiting recovery, although its' website does state that successful revovery ranges from 30% - 60%, with the paid Pro version at 80%. In answer to on of SIW2' question, the 1.54.120 version, the most recent so it says, does have an "All Files" menu option.

So I decided to test the claimed "no file size limit" - 2 Gb is pretty anaemic for full-throated macrium backup files.

I copied a mrimg file of about 22 Gb from one external USB drive where the backups are stored to another external USB drive that had not been previously used to store mrimg files. I deleted this 22 GTb file and found no residual bits or pieces after scan. I added nor deleted any other data - completely untouched after the initial delete. Then I asked Recuva to recover it.

I told Recuva which disk, which folder, and the name of the deleted 22 Gb file. Recuva found it on SCAN in a few seconds, listing the correct parameters of name plus extension, size and date. Most correctly, and also listed it as an mrimg file.

So I pressed the recover button. Within 0.1 seconds (Recuva boasted), it proudly announced that 0 bytes of 0 files were recovered because file contents could not be found. I may try again later, but that result is not all that encouraging.

Not sure why it isnt working for some. Maybe it varies depending on the type of disk. My tests were done with a sata connected mechanical disk.

Just in case the version matters
530.2096.zip

Crisis over!

A few minutes ago, using the 'search' on my taskbar, I searched for a word I know is in a document folder name. When I looked through the results, I noticed a .JPG with that word in its name. It was a folder named Crystals Hair (a Granddaughter), in a folder named Telltale Games, on the D:\ drive.

Long story short: All the missing photos are on the D:\ drive, inside a folder named Telltale Games. That folder has a couple of PC games I tried out years ago. I have never been in the folder since as I now play on a PS4 Pro & Xbox Series X.

When I upgraded from Win 10 to Win 11, my Photos folder somehow got moved from C:\ to D:\
The C & D are two separate drives. The D drive has 2 partitions, D & E.

Some readers may think I had moved it there previously & forgot I had done so. If I had moved it, I would have put it on the root of D:\, not in the Telltale Games folder!

I just now Googled 'missing/moved folders when upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11' and found stories of folders going missing or being found in other places. Do any readers know of this?

I doubt I will ever find out how my photos folder got to where it did.
I will now keep two copies of both my Macrium backups & my Docs, Photos & Videos, on two separate drives.

Thanks to all who have helped me. I won't mark this thread as solved, as it would give the wrong impression, as my .mrimg has not been recovered.
I don't need to recover it now but this thread will certainly help others, with all the testing results that have been posted.

I hope 2025 will be good for all of you :)

SIW2 said:

Not sure why it isnt working for some. Maybe it varies depending on the type of disk. My tests were done with a sata connected mechanical disk.

Click to expand...

My image file was on a USB-attached 4TB mechanical disk.

@jumanji
have you got anything to work in your tests

@SIW2

I just finished testing Disk Drill. After a one and half hour scan It showed the mrimg file and and the mp3 file under Deleted or lost files with Excellent recovery rate. But know what? The mrimg file is a zero byte file. Screenshots below
What can one do with an empty file ?






I could preview and play the mp3 file''



Referring to your EaseUS Data Recovery screenshot is your *.mrimg file just 24MB????

Yes it is 24 mb and recovered successfully.

For test purposes can easily image only the esp partition with macrium.

Double clicking on the recovered .mrimg file



It mounts fine and is all there in perfect condition.

SIW2 said:

Yes it is 24 mb and recovered successfully.

It mounts fine and is all there in perfect condition.

Click to expand...

I tried EaseUs Data Recovery wizard Free. It showed the correct file name and size (78.16 GB) of the mrimg file but could not be copied since free version is limited to 2GB data. I could preview, play and recover the Dangerous.mp3.