Resolve 'DCIM Folder Appears Empty But Actually Isn't' Issue on PC/Android/iPhone

The DCIM folder appears empty.

"Does anyone know how to make the DCIM folder display photos and videos again on a Windows PC, Android, or iPhone? I'm facing an issue where the DCIM folder on my Android phone is not showing any photos or videos. I connected my phone to my computer, but the DCIM folder still appears empty. Is there a possibility to recover the saved photos and videos from the DCIM folder that is currently showing as empty?"

Deleting the DCIM folder or the issue of DCIM folder recovery is no longer a novel problem for most regular users. Does anyone have knowledge of how to restore DCIM folder files when they appear empty on both the phone and computer? If you're facing such a dilemma, fret not and follow the methods outlined below to retrieve your emptied DCIM folder photos and videos.

Part 1: Resolve the Issue of Camera/SD/Memory Card DCIM Folder Appearing Empty on PC

If the DCIM folder appears empty on your camera memory card or cell phone SD card, and your computer still fails to detect any content, don't worry. You can directly attempt the following two methods to locate and recover files from the empty DCIM folder:

Method 1: Display Hidden Files in the Camera/SD Card DCIM Folder on PC

Sometimes, when the DCIM folder appears empty, you can attempt to use a command prompt command to display any hidden files within it. Follow these steps: 1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator: - Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" from the menu. 2. Navigate to the DCIM folder location. For example, if your DCIM folder is in the internal storage, type: ``` cd \DCIM ``` Replace "\DCIM" with the actual path to the folder if it's located elsewhere. 3. Run the following command to show hidden files and folders: ``` attrib -h -s -r /s /d ``` This command removes the hidden, system, and read-only attributes from files and folders in the current directory and its subdirectories. 4. After executing the command, check the DCIM folder again to see if any hidden files are now visible. If the issue persists, there might be other underlying problems, such as missing or corrupted files, which might require further troubleshooting.

1. Insert your memory card into your computer. 2. In the search bar, type "cmd," press Enter, and you'll see an item named "cmd.exe" in the list of programs. 3. Right-click on "cmd.exe" to open the Command Prompt window, which enables you to recover hidden files. 4. Type "attrib -h -r -s /s /d drive letter:\*.*" in the command prompt, for instance, "attrib -h -r -s /s /d G:\*.*" (Replace 'G:' with the actual drive letter of your SD card.)

Then you should be able to view and access files in the DCIM folder.

Method 2: Recover missing photos/videos from an empty DCIM folder on the SD/memory card

If you prefer a more straightforward approach, Data Recovery Wizard Pro can come to your rescue. This professional data recovery tool enables you to do the following:

• Recover deleted, formatted, and inaccessible data in various data loss scenarios.
• Effectively, safely, and completely restore photos, audio, music, and emails from any storage device.
• Retrieve data from the recycle bin, hard drive, memory card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorder.

You can directly use this tool to restore photos, videos, and other files from your DCIM folder on the camera or Android phone memory card in just three simple steps:

Part 2: Resolve the issue of an empty DCIM folder on your iPhone

Generally, you can connect your iPhone to a computer and copy the DCIM folder once the iPhone's storage is recognized by the computer. However, if your iPhone screen is locked when you connect it to the computer, the DCIM folder, which usually contains all the photos in your camera roll, may appear empty. Here's how to reveal the hidden image files in the empty DCIM folder: 1. Ensure your iPhone is unlocked and connected to your computer via USB. 2. Open the File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). 3. Locate your iPhone in the list of connected devices. 4. Navigate to the "Internal Storage" or "iPhone" > "DCIM" folder. 5. If the DCIM folder appears empty, it's likely that the photos are hidden due to the locked screen issue. 6. On Windows, press "Ctrl + A" to select all files and folders within the DCIM folder, or on Mac, press "Cmd + A." 7. Press "Ctrl + Shift + H" on Windows or "Cmd + Shift + ." on Mac to reveal hidden files and folders. 8. The hidden image files should now be visible in the DCIM folder. You can copy them to your computer as needed. Remember that hiding files is a temporary state, and the files will become visible again once the iPhone is unlocked and connected to the computer.

Step 1: Make the DCIM Folder Visible

1. Connect your iPhone to your PC to check if the computer recognizes the iPhone's storage.
2. If it doesn't, disconnect your iPhone and unlock the iPhone screen.
3. Reconnect the iPhone to your PC using a different USB port to potentially make the DCIM folder detectable.

Step 2. Recover the empty DCIM folder on your iPhone with all saved photos, images, and videos.

Upon making DCIM recognizable by your computer, you can now retrieve the empty DCIM folder along with all its data.

How? Professional iOS data recovery software - MobiSaver will help you out of DCIM folder empty issue and guide you to recover DCIM photos and video with just a few easy clicks.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your PC

Download and launch the MobiSaver tool. Click "Recover from iOS Device" on the left and then click "Start".

Step 2. Scan for Lost iPhone/iPad/iPod Data

Upon activation, MobiSaver will automatically scan your devices and locate all lost data for you. Simply wait for the scanning process to finish.

Step 3. Recover Lost iPhone/iPad/iPod Data

You can select the lost data you wish to retrieve, such as photos, videos, contacts, SMS, notes, voicemails, and other files, then save that data to a different location.

Part 3. Restore Empty DCIM Folder on Android Phone

Restore the DCIM folder that appears empty on the Android phone

If the DCIM folder appears empty on your Android phone and is saved on the Android internal storage, the best way to restore the DCIM folder along with all its files on your Android phone is to use the best Android data recovery software for assistance.

Step 1. Connect your Android phone to the computer

Install and run the MobiSaver for Android tool on your computer, and then connect your Android phone to the computer using a USB cable. Click the "Start" button to allow the software to recognize and establish a connection with your device.

Step 2. Scan the Android phone to find the lost data

Upon connecting your Android phone, the software will swiftly scan the device to detect all existing and lost data. You can effortlessly locate the lost files you desire by selecting the appropriate file categories.

Step 3. Preview and recover data from Android phone

Preview all recoverable files and swiftly select the items you wish to retrieve. Finally, click the "Recover" button to instantly restore the chosen files.

It enables you to read and access all saved, deleted, and even hidden files on an Android phone. You can directly access the DCIM folder and retrieve all lost photos, images, and videos, among other files, from your Android device.