How to recover BMP files on Windows? Scroll down to get 3 useful BMP file recovery methods, including Recycle Bin, File History, and data recovery software - AOMEI FastRecovery.
The BMP file format, or bitmap, is a type of raster graphics image file format commonly used to store uncompressed image data, ensuring consistent image quality across different devices and operating systems.
The BMP format has evolved, with Windows 3.0 being the most stable version. This format serves as the foundation for subsequent versions of the BMP extension.
Initially developed by Microsoft to prevent image distortion across different systems, the BMP file format gained widespread adoption. It became the standard image format for applications like MS Paint and its alternatives on Mac.
Unlike other formats, BMP files do not require external software for compatibility since they contain all the image data. But on the other hand, BMP files are less suitable for sharing and transmitting over the Internet because of their large file size.
To maximize your chances of successful photo recovery, here are some helpful tips:
✐ Avoid adding new data to your PC after photo loss to prevent overwriting deleted & missing BMP pictures.
✐ Don't format the drive containing BMP files.
✐ Start photo recovery as soon as possible.
✐ Employ a reliable data recovery tool with a higher success rate.
In addition, it's advisable t o make multiple file backups of your BMP files, distributing them across external or cloud services to prevent data loss again.
Since deletion is the most common data loss scenario, we'll focus on recovering deleted BMP files in 3 methods.
After the first deletion, your Windows OS will automatically send the unwanted BMP files to the desktop Recycle Bin. If you never emptied your Recycle Bin or pressed the Shift + Delete keys to remove the recently deleted BMP image file from this temporary storage, you can easily restore it.
Step 1. Double-click your desktop Recycle Bin icon to open it.
Step 2. Find the needed BMP image file, right-click on it, and select Restore to bring it back to the previously saved path.
Though Windows Recycle Bin offers a quick and straightforward way, it cannot recover photos from Recycle Bin after emptying them. What’s worse, if your BMP files become corrupted/damaged because of file corruption, virus attacks, or unexpected system crashes.
Can you recover deleted/lost/damaged files? File History is a built-in backup software that can backup and restore files in Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, Desktop folders, and offline OneDrive files, whether they are deleted, lost or damaged.
Step 1. Type System and Security in the search bar to open it. Click File History and Restore your files with File History.
Step 2. Click Restore personal files.
Step 3. Locate the deleted BMP files and click Restore to recover them to its original location. To change the path, Click the Settings icon and select Restore to.
As you can see, the majority of users haven’t cultivated a good habit of making regular backups. So, how to recover permanently deleted BMP files without backups?
Consider using a professional data recovery tool - AOMEI FastRecovery, which is designed to recover deleted or missing photos from hard drives, SSDs, external disks, USB cards, etc.
Step 1. Open FastRecovery after installing. Then, click Deleted Files Recovery to get started.
Step 2. Select the drive containing deleted BMP files, and click Scan to start the quick scanning process and display all recoverable data.
Step 3. Under the Type section, specify a data type (e.g., Images) and expand it to find BMP files. You can sort them or search the name to locate them quickly.
You can also locate deleted files by Path if you remember this.
Click the Deep Scan button if the Quick Scan fails. Deep Scan searches every sector of the disk to find more files.
Step 4. Select the deleted BMP files you want and then click Recover. Please select a new location to save them as restoring to original location may cause data overwriting.
You may be asked to upgrade to the advanced edition of AOMEI FastRecovery to enjoy unlimited data recovery. The free edition supports up to 500MB.
You can enjoy the highest possible image quality displayed on different screens because one of the biggest strengths of the BMP file format is that it does not rely on a graphics adapter.
Since BMP files are compatible with Windows and MacOS, you can open BMP pictures through default options such as Microsoft Photos and Apple Preview.
For Windows users:
Locate the stored path of your BMP image, right-click on it and select Open with >Photos.
Meanwhile, File Viewer Plus, Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer, Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer, Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop 2022, and Corel PaintShop Pro 2022 can also open BMP pictures on Windows.
For Mac users:
Similarly, how to open BMP files on MacOS? Apple users can try the following editing software or manufacturer-specific programs.
Please refer to the following helpful suggestions to protect your BMP images.
Step 1. Launch AOMEI Backupper on your Windows PC. Under the Backup tab, select File Backup.
Step 2. Click Select Source > Add Folder/Add File to add files or the folder you want. Then, click the PC icon to select a destination, preferably external hard drive, NAS, cloud storage, etc.
Step 3. Click “Schedule Backup” to enable Daily, Weekly, Monthly (By Date), Event triggers, etc., which can free up your hands. At last, click Start Backup.
1. How do I recover a BMP file on Mac?
Likewise, you can restore accidentally/recently deleted BMP files from Mac Trash. For permanently deleted BMP images, you can seek help from Time Machine.
2. How do I fix a corrupted BMP file?
By running the CHKDSK command with parameters, you can scan for errors on your storage device and correct them. This process requires careful adherence to instructions, but it can prove effective in restoring corrupted or inaccessible BMP files.
3. How do I convert a BMP to JPEG?
Converting the BMP file to another format, such as PNG or JPEG, is a basic method to retrieve inaccessible BMP files that appear undamaged. You can accomplish this using free online converters or software installed on your PC.
Let’s take Windows as an example to show how it works. Open your selected BMP file using Microsoft Photos, click Save As, and choose a new file format, such as PNG, JPG, etc.