Windows 10 comes with a dedicated pictures folder where all your photos should be stored properly. But unfortunately, it’s very difficult to keep all your photos in one place. For example, photos you downloaded from the Internet may get stuck in “Downloads.” Other times, they will end up nested in a series of folders. So is there a way to find all the photos saved on your Windows 10 device?
You will be relieved to know that there is indeed a way. In this article, we will show you how to find all the images on your Windows 10 device in just a few clicks.
Why is it difficult to keep photos in one place in Windows 10?
Windows 10 comes with a number of features that really set it apart from the older operating systems in the Windows series. But for all its positives, it seems that Microsoft developers haven’t found a way to ensure that all images are saved in a single location. Windows 10 stores your photos in different locations depending on where they come from.
But it’s not entirely Windows’ fault. Some third-party applications and services are partly responsible for the problem. Some try to keep everything organized, but others like Dropbox, OneDrive, and some photo editing apps can save photos in their own folders. In the end, you have photos spread across different compartments on your hard drive and finding them can be an arduous task.
But it’s not all pessimism. In fact, you can find all your photos manually or even use the Windows 10 Photos app. The only caveat is that the process can take a while, especially if you have hundreds or thousands of photos.
How to find all your pictures in Windows 10
The Windows 10 Photos app may not be perfect, but it’s certainly a top-notch photo management app. For example, Photos features a facial analysis algorithm that allows you to group photos of a single person. They call it the People function. The feature comes in handy when you need to find all the photos of a specific person. Consider trying to manually locate all of the groom’s wedding photos, for example.
So can Photos really keep all your images in one place? That’s highly unlikely, but it’s certainly the most suitable photo finder on Windows 10. Here’s how you can use it to search for photos stored in multiple locations:
- Click on the windows icon in the lower left corner of the screen. You can also launch this menu by tapping the Windows key, usually located on the left side of the keyboard, next to Alt. key.
- Scroll down the Start menu until you reach Photos.
- Click on Photos. In a few moments, you should see a list of photos automatically sorted by date. Recently taken, saved, or downloaded photos should appear first, with older ones appearing lower in the list.
- If you are lucky enough to remember the file name, simply enter it in the search bar at the top and press Get into.
- To narrow your search to a specific person, you should try using the People feature. To do this, click People in the menu at the top. Click on Yeah to activate face grouping when prompted.
To scroll through your photos even faster, you can reduce the size of photo thumbnails by clicking the rectangular plus subpided icon in the top right corner.
How to find all photos stored on a Windows 10 PC
If the Photos app isn’t working for you, don’t worry. There is another trick you can use to find all the photos stored on your device:
- Click on the windows icon in the lower left corner to launch the Start menu.
- Scroll down the Start menu and click File Browser.
- Inside File Browser click on This computer in the left panel.
- Now write type:=image in the search box at the top right of the window.
- Windows will automatically search all partitions on your hard drive.
Perhaps the best thing about this approach is the fact that it searches for images saved in all formats. That includes JPEG, PNG, PDF, GIF, BMP and others. In the search results, you can find the location of a file by simply right-clicking on it and then clicking Open file location.
How to find all your photos manually in Windows 10
Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel in your search, you can do things manually:
- Click on the windows icon in the lower left corner to launch the Start menu.
- Scroll down the start menu and click File Browser. Alternatively, you can simply write “File Browser” in the search bar in the bottom left corner, right next to the Windows icon.
- Click on Photos in the left panel. At this point, you should see all the subfolders in Photos. Then open each subfolder to see all the photos stored in it.
- Click on downloads in the left panel. Again, you should see a list of all the downloaded photos.
- Repeat the process for all partitions on your computer.
Additional FAQs
How do I find hidden images on my PC?
The Windows 10 Photos app is an incredibly powerful tool when you need to find hidden images on your PC. Its algorithms display images from multiple locations in a single collection.
1. Click the windows icon in the lower left corner and then select Photos from the Start menu.
2. All photos on your computer will be available using the app.
How can I keep my photos organized in Windows 10?
• Always tag imported photos
When importing photos from your camera or some other storage device, Windows will always ask you to label your files. You should always take the opportunity and write down a few words that will help you remember what that batch of photographs were about.
• Manually separate files from different photo sessions
Don’t just throw all your photos in one folder. Instead, create a new folder for each photo session and give it a unique name.
• Always rename your photos
Instead of saving your photos with automatically generated camera names such as DG121, DG123, DG124, etc., try creating meaningful and memorable names. If you were on vacation in the Bahamas, for example, you can rename your photos to Bahamas1, Bahamas2, Bahamas, 3, etc.
A simple search
Windows 10 may not offer the perfect solution, but it is still equipped with features that, when used together, can help you recover all the pictures you have saved on your Windows 10 device. Using the Photos app works to most people, but even if it doesn’t work for you, you now know several alternative tools, all thanks to this article. And nothing prevents you from launching directly into a search.
What method do you use to find hidden or missing images on your PC? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
