Your Complete Guide to
PhotoRestore Pro

⚡ How It Works

Three simple steps. That's all it takes to transform your photos — no technical skills, no complicated settings, no cloud uploads.

🚀 Quick Start

1. Download PhotoRestore Pro from the Microsoft Store.
2. Launch the app — no account, no sign-up, no internet required.
3. Choose a feature from the home screen. Each card describes what it does.
4. Import a photo by clicking the Import button in the toolbar. Supported formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP, TIFF.
5. Process your image — click Start Processing for AI tools, or Generate Preview for non-AI tools.
6. Save your result by clicking the Save button in the top-right corner.

📷 Photo Restoration

Three restoration approaches — from millisecond-fast touch-ups to full AI pipelines — so you always have the right tool for your photo's condition.

1. On the home screen, click Old Photo Restoration (marked with the AI badge).
2. Click Import and select your photo.
3. (Optional) Check the AI Denoise box if your photo has heavy film grain or digital noise. Leave it off for cleaner photos — it saves processing time.
4. Click Start Processing. The AI pipeline automatically runs five stages: smoothing, denoising (if enabled), color enhancement, 4× upscaling, and final sharpening.
5. Review the side-by-side comparison. Click Save to export as a high-quality PNG.

1. On the home screen, click Fast Old Photo Restoration.
2. Click Import and select your photo.
3. Click Start — results appear instantly.
4. Compare the before-and-after panels. Click Save to export.

1. On the home screen, click Classic Photo Restoration.
2. Click Import and select your high-resolution scan.
3. (Optional) Toggle Scratch Repair on if your scan has physical scratches or fold lines.
4. Click Start. The pipeline automatically detects halftone patterns, analyzes image quality, and applies targeted corrections — no manual adjustments needed.
5. Click Save to export at the original resolution.

🤖 AI Enhancement

Two dedicated AI features that push your photos beyond what traditional editing can achieve — 4× super-resolution upscaling and intelligent black-and-white colorization.

1. On the home screen, click Photo Upscale 4× (marked with the AI badge).
2. Click Import and select your image.
3. Click Start Processing. The AI model enlarges your image to 4× its original dimensions while recovering sharp, natural-looking details.
4. Compare the before-and-after panels. Click Save to export.

1. On the home screen, click AI Colorization (marked with the AI badge).
2. Click Import and select your black-and-white photo.
3. (Optional) Select a Subject Type — Portrait, Landscape, Architecture, or General — to help the AI pick the best colors.
4. (Optional) Adjust the Color Strength and Warmth sliders to fine-tune the result.
5. Click Start Colorization. The app first enhances contrast (~50ms), then runs the AI color model. You'll see the enhanced black-and-white preview immediately.
6. Review the before-and-after panels. Click Save to export.

🛠️ Smart Tools

Six lightweight, ultra-fast utilities for everyday photo tasks — no AI, no waiting, just instant results.

1. Click Color Enhancement on the home screen, then Import your photo.
2. Click Generate Preview — all 8 presets render simultaneously.
3. Browse the thumbnail strip. Click any thumbnail or use ← / → arrow keys to cycle through: Natural & Crisp, Bright & Lively, Warm Glow, Rich & Vivid, Cool & Crisp, Soft & Dreamy, Vintage Film, Ultra Saturated.
4. Click Export Selected to save your favorite at full resolution.

1. Click Scratch & Crease Repair on the home screen, then Import your scanned photo.
2. Click Start Repair. The app detects scratches via morphological analysis, fills damaged areas with intelligent inpainting, and restores contrast across repaired regions.
3. Review and click Save. Time: 1–3 seconds.

1. Click 9-Style Filter Grid, then Import your photo.
2. Click Generate Preview — all 9 filters render simultaneously.
3. Browse thumbnails or use arrow keys to switch: Black & White, Vintage Warm, Cool Teal, Film Grain, High Contrast, Soft Glow, Japan Fresh, Matte Fade, Cyberpunk.
4. Click Export Selected to save at full resolution.

1. Click Crop & Convert, then Import your photo.
2. Choose a mode: Drag Select (freehand), Specified Size (exact pixels), or Scale (percentage reduce).
3. Select an output format: PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP, or TIFF. Adjust quality for JPEG/WebP.
4. Click Apply Preview, then Export.

1. Click Batch Watermark, then Import up to 50 photos.
2. Choose watermark type: Text (enter text, pick font/size/color/opacity) or Image (select a PNG logo).
3. Set position — pick a 9-grid spot (Top-Left, Center, Bottom-Right, etc.) and fine-tune with X/Y offset.
4. Review the live preview. Adjust parameters — preview updates automatically.
5. Click Start Processing. All photos are watermarked concurrently.
6. Click Package & Download to get a ZIP file with everything.

1. Click Batch Image Resize, then Add Images — up to 50 photos.
2. Set scale percentage (10%–200%) or pick a preset: 25%, 33%, 50%, or 75%.
3. (Optional) Select output format (PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP, TIFF) and adjust quality for JPEG/WebP.
4. Review the live preview — dimensions update as you change settings.
5. Click Process All. Images resize concurrently.
6. Click Package & Download for a ZIP file.

⚙️ Settings & Preferences

Access settings by clicking the gear icon in the navigation sidebar.

🎨 Theme

Choose from 6 visual themes: Pearl Luxury (warm cream), Aura (clean modern light), Lavender Dream (soft purple), Mint Breeze (fresh green), Nordic Slate (cool dark), Sunrise Glow (warm gold). Changes apply instantly.

🌐 Language

Switch between 7 languages at any time — English, 日本語, Deutsch, Français, Español, Português, Русский. No restart needed.

🔑 License

Your license status is displayed in Settings. Available as a one-time purchase or subscription through the Microsoft Store. A free trial lets you explore all features before buying.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

💡 Tips for Best Results

General Tips

• Start with the highest quality source available. Even AI restoration works best with good data.
• Chain features for complex restorations. For example: Scratch Repair → Old Photo Restoration → Color Enhancement.
• Save intermediate results. Save after each feature so you can backtrack if needed.
• Lightly faded photos often look great with Fast Old Photo Restoration in under a second.

For Old Family Photos

• Scan at 300–600 DPI for best results from physical prints.
• For photos with both scratches and aging: Scratch Repair first, then Old Photo Restoration.
• Avoid AI Denoise for clean scans — it adds time with minimal benefit on noise-free photos.

For Black-and-White Colorization

• Choose the right Subject Type — Portrait for people, Landscape for nature, Architecture for buildings.
• Start with default settings, then fine-tune if needed.
• Grayscale photos with good contrast colorize better — use Fast Old Photo Restoration first if the image is flat.

For Batch Operations

• Test on 2–3 images first before processing all 50.
• Keep backups of originals in a separate folder as a safety net.

🔧 Troubleshooting

Quick fixes for common issues — most problems can be resolved in under a minute.

AI processing is very slow

• Make sure your GPU drivers are up to date (NVIDIA Game Ready / AMD Adrenalin / Intel Arc).
• Check that DirectML is available — the app logs the inference backend on startup.
• Close other GPU-intensive applications (video editors, games, browsers with WebGL).
• Reduce input image size — processing a 12MP photo on CPU takes longer than a 3MP one.

App crashes or won't start

• Verify your system meets the minimum requirements (Windows 10 64-bit, 4 GB RAM).
• Reinstall from the Microsoft Store — this ensures all dependencies are correctly packaged.
• If using an antivirus, temporarily add PhotoRestore Pro to the exclusion list.

Colorization results look unnatural

• Try a different Subject Type — Portrait mode handles skin tones better than Landscape.
• Reduce Color Strength for a subtler effect, then increase gradually.
• Ensure the input photo has good contrast — run Fast Old Photo Restoration first if the image is flat or washed out.

Scratch Repair missed some scratches

• For deep or wide scratches, run Scratch Repair twice — each pass fills remaining gaps.
• Scan at 300+ DPI — low-resolution scans make scratch detection harder.
• Combine with Old Photo Restoration (AI) after scratch repair for the best final result.

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your workflow with these handy shortcuts — no mouse required.

💻 System Requirements

A DirectML-compatible GPU (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel Arc) significantly speeds up AI features. On systems without one, the app automatically falls back to CPU — all features remain fully functional, just slower for AI tasks.

🔒 Privacy & Security

✉️ Contact Us