Recovering damaged images from CF card

[IndyDan]

I need some help. I just got back from Rome and I can't retrieve most of my images from a new 2 G SanDisk Extreme III CF card. I've tried using the SanDisk software RescuePro, PhotoRescue PC, and a couple of others. The best I get is 27 out of about 250 Canon RAW images. When I review the images in the camera (Canon 20D), many show the image apparently OK, but there are many that show Corrupted Data (some with a small thumbnail, others with a ?). I would guess that about half of the images display OK.

What is the best way for me to proceed?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice and help.

[GaryK]

Dan

I was going to recommend the stuff you have tried.:(

One thing ..if your camera sees them can you get them via the camera or is that how you normally download to your computer?
If you do normally use your camera have you tried a card reader.

I'm hoping that you can at least recover the ones that you can see on your camera.

so sorry.

[RonH]

You might PM LeeOtsubo I believe he has discussed this some before.

[IndyDan]

Gary,
I normally download with a card reader. With this problem, I have tried both ways. The recovery software won't work with the camera connected directly because the software needs a diskdrive letter that can be addressed.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[GaryK]

Dan

Any Canon software that came with the camera that might help you at least get the files off of the CF card.

I have a Rebel and I know it came with some software, but I have never bothered to look at it.:confused:

[LeeOtsubo]

I need some help. I just got back from Rome and I can't retrieve most of my images from a new 2 G SanDisk Extreme III CF card. I've tried using the SanDisk software RescuePro, PhotoRescue PC, and a couple of others. The best I get is 27 out of about 250 Canon RAW images. When I review the images in the camera (Canon 20D), many show the image apparently OK, but there are many that show Corrupted Data (some with a small thumbnail, others with a ?). I would guess that about half of the images display OK.

What is the best way for me to proceed?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice and help.

Dan ,
I'm posting my reply to your PM here because it's something that's applicable to many people.

First and foremost, as your mother told you, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." I've hammered that into all my students since I started teaching digital photography. As a professional photographer, I shoot on 2GB, 1GB and 512MB cards when I could easily justify 4GB and 8GB cards. If a card fails, you don't want everything on that one card. [/lecture mode=OFF]

Second, the reason PhotoRescue is so good is that it never touches your data. The first thing it does is copy your data to your HD where it can safely muck with it (that's a technical term) and it can always get back to the original files. I don't know about RescuePro but, if it mucked with the data, you're probably "up the creek" (another technical phrase). The worst thing you can do with a corrupted memory card is run Windows SCANDISK or CHKDISK on it. That will definitely muck with the data and your chances of recovery are zilch.

Third, since you've already tried PhotoRescue, run PR again to make sure none of your other programs have mucked with the data on the card. If the same files are still recoverable with PR, you can make the assumption it hasn't changed since the last time you ran it. Then, run Zero Assumption Recovery (http://www.z-a-recovery.com/). ZAR is for HD recovery but their free trial version has a free memory card recovery mode. IOW, the SW to recover HDs is $79 but the tool for recovering memory cards is free.

Fourth, if ZAR doesn't work, use PhotoRescue to create a copy of your CF card on your HD and point the trial version of ZAR HD recovery tools at that.

Finally, if you still can't recover the images, it's time to consider a data recovery service. These will typically charge between $100-$500 with no guarantee of recovery. If they recover your images, the charges can jump up to $1000 or more.

A shameless plug: For past students, I offer low cost data recovery services. If you experience a corrupted memory card, send it to me and I'll run it through all my tools and, most importantly, I'll apply 35 years of experience designing and engineering HDs. Your chances of recovery increase if you have not mucked with it before sending it to me. Also, some cameras perform a destructive format. If your camera does this, there's nothing to recover.

[IndyDan]

Lee,
Thanks (again) for your response. FYI, I had considered buying a 4G card for simplicity, but decided against it for the very reason you give. In the future, I will restrict my images per card to about 150 or so. I'm certainly no pro, but I shoot a lot of pics when I 'm traveling.

I will follow your suggestions on the software and see whether I can improve my results. I will report back.

Dan

[pixlbandit]

I read a newsletter sent out by a local professional photographer who also teaches. He had a tail of woe similar to yours that he posted as a sort of cautionary tale, though not what you might expect. What he discovered, in the end, was that it was the card reader that was bad, not the memory card. I didn't notice anything in your posts that said that you had checked for this possibility.

Hoping for the best,
Vicki

[IndyDan]

Vicki,
Thanks for the suggestion and the kind thoughts. I have reviewed the card in the camera, and some of the images come up as corrupted. This leads me to think that it is not the card reader. Nevertheless, I'm thinking of buying a new/another reader. One of the sites I've looked at pretty strongly recommended only 2 or 3 particular readers.

Thanks,
Dan

[IndyDan]

Lee (or anyone else)

ZAR has been running on my computer using the CF card (SanDisk Extreme III) in my card reader (USB 2). It has been running for 41+ hrs. (I'll describe the screen since I don't know how to include a screen shot.)

The "Volume analysis in progress" screen shows:
Raw scan: Identifying data (11%)
Located 0 files in 0 directories
Read timeout is set at 2,000 ms

The grid at the top of the screen shows in the first row 2 red dots next to each other followed by 13 blue dots evenly spaced across the row. The 2d row shows 4 blue dots, a red dot, 8 blue dots (all evenly spaced across the row), ending with 4 red dots next to each other. Row 3 shows a string of red dots side by side extends from the left about a 3d of the way across the grid.

My computer has a 3gig Pentium 4 chip & 1 gig of memory. I have 540 gigs of HD with 268 free. Question: is this taking longer than it shoulc? If not, what should I expect?

Thanks,
Dan

[LeeOtsubo]

...ZAR has been running on my computer using the CF card (SanDisk Extreme III) in my card reader (USB 2). It has been running for 41+ hrs. (I'll describe the screen since I don't know how to include a screen shot.)



I've never had a card go that long but I can see how a 2GB card might take a long time. Two questions: 1) When's the last time you saw the progress bar move? 2) Have you tried sending an e-mail to ZAR? They're usually pretty good about replying within a day.

Sorry I can't be of more assistance but rest assured that your data hasn't been mucked with any more than when you started so you can always try something else. BTW, if you need to go the data recovery route, On-Track is one of the oldest companies out there.

[msbrad]

Dan, I feel for you, and wish you the best. Oh, I can't imagine, and so sorry.

Lee, great information as always, and thank you for responding out loud for all of us on this thread.
I do think you will inherit me as a student.(bless your heart) I think I would like to try yours rather than return where I was.(apologies in advance).
Just need figure out the eclectic academy class I am on before I take on something else.
m

[LeeOtsubo]

Thanks for the "atta boy", Michelle but, as you can see, I don't always have an answer.

I took several of Sara Froehlich's classes at EA and thought they were excellent. I contacted EA about teaching digital photography for them but I guess they didn't want to offer interactive sessions where the instructor is on-line with the students. It's probably hard for schools like EA to make money with the small class sizes and personalized attention I offer.

[IndyDan]

Lee,
1. The green progress bar isn't showing any discerable progress, but the top grid shows some movement. Since my message this morning (about 6 hrs ago), the grid has added 6 or 7 more red dots. And of course the elapsed time count is now up to almost 48 hrs.

2. No, I have not contacted ZAR, but I will sent them an email.

Thanks,
Dan

[LeeOtsubo]

Lee,
1. The green progress bar isn't showing any discerable progress, but the top grid shows some movement. Since my message this morning (about 6 hrs ago), the grid has added 6 or 7 more red dots. And of course the elapsed time count is now up to almost 48 hrs.

2. No, I have not contacted ZAR, but I will sent them an email.

Thanks,
Dan

If the screen is changing, that's signs of life. I'd let it go unless ZAR says it's dead. Good luck.

[tim f]

IndyDan,

I had a similar problem with a 1gb Sandisk where there were 60 or 70 jpeg images that were corrupted. I went out and purchased the Lexar 1gb card and noticed it came with a image recovery app. called Image Rescue 2. This app said it was intended to work on any manufacturers cards so I tried it on the Sandisk and it worked. As I recall this app recovered all but 4 or 5 images.

Later I figured out that I was causing this problem by letting the battery on my 20D run all the way down. Since I watch this more closely, I haven't had any more problems like this on any of my cards.

Take a look at the Lexar website for more info.

Good luck.