How to Recover Deleted NRW Files from Nikon | Full Guide

In this article, we explain what the NRW file format is and guide you through the best software to recover deleted NRW files from Nikon cameras.

By Ivy    Last Updated March 6, 2026

SD cards are widely used in portable devices such as digital cameras due to their small size and large capacity. A Nikon camera does the same thing. Let's discuss the NRW file, a Nikon camera's RAW image, and how to recover deleted NRW files. 

What is the NRW file format?

Modern Nikon cameras use the NEF file format to store RAW image data. Older Nikon cameras used the NRW file format for this. Saving RAW data instead of processed images allows for much finer adjustments later using image processing software such as Lightroom or Photoshop.

Because images are written to the memory card in uncompressed form, they provide much better tonal range than their compressed counterparts. The biggest disadvantage of using the NRW file format is its large file size. Fortunately, modern memory cards are large and relatively affordable, so this isn't as big an issue as it used to be.

How to Recover Deleted NRW Image Files

It's easy to see that complicated command lines can discourage non-professionals from using them. Are you looking for a more convenient photo recovery software with a GUI (graphical user interface)? You may be more inclined to choose AOMEI FastRecovery and put it into practice after learning more about it.

AOMEI FastRecovery
Best Photo Recovery Software for Windows
  • Recover any data type, including 90+ images, such as JPG, PNG, TIF, HEIC, GIF, PSD, SVG, ARW, X3F, NEF, etc.
  • Provide Quick Scan and Deep Scan to detect all deleted and lost files. 
  • Organize and display all recoverable files by Type or Path, allowing you to sort, search, filter, and preview files.
  • Apply to broader data loss scenarios, such as permanent deletion, disk formatting, system crash, etc.
  • Compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and Windows Server, and NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems.

Try this powerful, easy-to-use software to recover deleted pictures from a Nikon camera.

⚠️Notes:
  • Stop using your SD card after recognizing data loss, as any new data may overwrite the free space where the deleted NRW files are stored.

  • Please install AOMEI FastRecovery and store the retrieved NRW images in a new location.

  • You can recover deleted or lost NRW images for free, up to 500MB.

Step 1. Connect your SD card to the computer and run AOMEI FastRecovery. Hover the mouse over the SD card and then click Scan.

Step 2. You will see all deleted files and other lost files after running Quick Scan automatically. Under the Type section, check Images and select NRW files

Step 3. Check the scan results and click the "Recover" button. Then, save these recovered image files to a new location.

⚠️Notes:
  • Click the Deep Scan button to find more data if Quick Scan fails. It scans every sector of the disk and thus takes longer.

  • You can perform NRW file recovery for free, up to 500MB. Once exceeded, please upgrade to the advanced editions.

How to open NRW files

Another disadvantage of RAW images is the fact that you cannot open them with regular image viewers as easily as JPEG or GIF images. You often have to download and install a special codec or image viewer. Nikon offers the latest version of its NRW codec on its website. Nikon also sells its RAW editing software, Capture NX 2.

The software supports almost all recent Nikon cameras, and its features include color control points, softproof color management, noise reduction, color enhancement, color balance, photo enhancement filters, unsharp mask, black and white conversion, smoothing and cropping tools, custom workspaces, image resolution adjustments, and more.

Of course, you can still export RAW image files with the NRW file extension to standard image file formats, such as JPEG, PNG, GIF, or TIFF. For this, you can use Capture NX 2 or one of the many online image converters. The former option allows you to fine-tune all settings, while the latter is more useful if you only want to send images to friends and family from a computer that doesn't have Capture NX 2 or other RAW image processing software installed.

Data loss prevention for Nikon camera SD card

An SD card is similar to a Micro SD card. Therefore, the following suggestions also apply to the Micro SD card to prevent data loss. If you are interested, you can learn more about data recovery from Micro SD card.

  • Store the card reader properly and keep it away from liquids and heat.
  • Connect the SD card and carefully remove it using a card reader.
  • Create regular backups using a reliable backup software. Try the best free backup software, AOMEI Backupper Standard.

To sum up

This post may help you better understand NRW files. Are you working on recovering deleted NEF files? AOMEI FastRecovery is one of the best data recovery software that can directly retrieve deleted or lost files from the selected drive for recovery. 

With it, you can choose to recover all or specific files or folders based on your needs. It allows you to sort, search, or filter files to locate what you want quickly. For safety, you can double-click the files to preview them.

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Ivy · Editor
Ivy, our dedicated editor at AOMEI Technology, is committed to providing valuable insights and guidance in data protection. Her mission is to empower everyone with her knowledge of computer backup and recovery, disk cloning, file synchronization, and more. Ivy's goal is to do her best to ensure your digital world remains safe and secure.