[julea field]

Hi There

Sorry to ask, but have now searched the net for a week on how to get our pictures back. I already downloaded about 6 different programs and none of them have worked.

Whilst on a holiday of a life time we took apprx 400 pictures, when our new Cannon 450d came up with card error, the last 2 pictures we had taken were small in the LCD screen, the other 300 odd still showed full size. We took the card out and then back in again, didn't fix the error, it actualy got worse, wouldn't read the card at all now.
Bought the card home and tried it in the card reader we have, but PC says no disk inserted. Put it in another camera, and that does not see the card either. Tried our TV as that has an SD slot, no luck.

Card is 4gb A Data Class 6 SDHC. Have used the card before back in May , took about 300 pictures then no problem, but not sure that we formatted the card before this holiday, only deleted pictures from the card via the camera option. I have read this could have been the cause of the problem.

What package is recomemded please, to download that will actually see the card, we really need these photo's, impossible to get them again, as you can imagine.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Julea

[Biscuit761]

PC Inspector Smart Recovery is something I have had great service from before

PC Inspector Smart Recovery download and review - recover digital camera files from SnapFiles

Hope it works for you

Bill

[Garf]

Second vote for the above - I used the same application a few days ago to recover some photos I has accidently deleted, and it worked a treat.

[julea field]

Hi Guys

Thanks for that, I agree too, used this program back in 2005, it sort of recovered pic's from a corrupt smart media card.
I still have the program on my PC but it doesn't see any photo's on the card to recover. This is the main problem with all these recovery programs, the card needs to be detected first before it can recover anything.
When putting the card back in the camera, it says card needs formatting, I'm afraid to do this because the pictures will be gone forvever, maybe ?.

Any other ideas !!!!

Thanks again for replies

Julea

[geoffz]

I was going to suggest MJM Data recovery
But if windows isn't seeing the card it won't help.
Have you tried the card on another computer ?
Now this one is just an idea, so don't know if it will work but you could run a linux live CD and see if that can see the card.

[Squirrel44]

This happened to me a few months ago, I used Active@ File Recovery to get my pictures back Active@ File Recovery

The QuickScan option didn't find all the pictures I had lost but the SuperScan found most of them plus loads of pictures I'd previously deleted.

You probably won't get every single picture back. I got about 95% of mine off the card OK, the others showed up but must have been corrupted as nothing would open the files.

[julea field]

Hi Again

Still no luck, active @recovery doesn't work. The card has been tried in several items, other camera, TV, card reader.

Can you tell me what Linux Live CD will do and what it is please. ( see previous replies )

It seems i need some software that will download some files to the removable drive that as that card in, no files can be recovered until we can get the card to be seen by the reader.

Have been advised if we formatt the card, we'll just make it even harder to recover the photo's!!!!!!.

Does anyone agree with the last comment, or should we just format it and then hope that some recovering package will be able to get back the pic's.

Thanks again
Julea

[tontoshorse]

Dont format !!

don't know if there is a UK version

http://card-recovery.biz/us/service.php

[iGiDK]

My folks had a problem like this a while back and I used the bundled Sandisk Rescue software to great effect (on a non-Sandisk SD card)

If you're stuck I might still have a disk lying around (or another AVF member may be able to help, the software comes free with new cards...)

Recommend you try and fix this with your card connected to your pc via a usb card reader, rather than connecting to the camera direct

[Squirrel44]

Sorry about that thought it might work

Originally Posted by julea field

Have been advised if we formatt the card, we'll just make it even harder to recover the photo's!!!!!!.

Does anyone agree with the last comment, or should we just format it and then hope that some recovering package will be able to get back the pic's.

I would say definitely not format it! Leave it as it is for now.

As for Linux Live CD, it's basically another operating system that boots off a CD or DVD so that you don't have to install it - Live CD - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The idea would be to see if Linux would recognise the card instead of Windows.

[bstonehouse]

You could try this service - but not cheap.

recover fix repair corrupt micro CF xD SD Memory Card error-software

[bstonehouse]

Originally Posted by bstonehouse

You could try this service - but not cheap.

recover fix repair corrupt micro CF xD SD Memory Card error-software

Sorry, did not notice Tontoshorse had already suggested this.

[sbowler]

Try this.

[ryanyboy]

Have you tried Image Rescue 3 from Lexar. It's worked for me before.

I can send you the disc if you need it.

Ryan

[TonyH]

If windows can't see the card, no software is going to work.
Have a look at the contacts on the card. Are they dirty, or damaged? try to clean them with isopropanol (not a lot) see if it helps

[julea field]

Hi There

Thanks for all the great replies. I will work my way through all the suggestions and let you know which one worked, fingers crossed.

Cheers Guys

Julea

[julea field]

Latest news

Very excited, have done some testing, here are the results:

When our 4gb card went ..it's up, I gave my husband my spare 1gb card.
He put that in is camera ( Canon 450 ) formatted it and took 300 odd photo's.
When we returned home we downloaded them all to our PC.
I then put the 1gb card in my camera ( panasonic Lumix TZ3 ) and fromatted it, took 1 photo to test all was OK.

As our 4gb card says " card not fromatted" when you put
it in the Cannon and our card reader will not see the card at all, thought I'd try this.

I formatted once again the 1gb card in my Panasonic camera.
Used the recommended by you great members the software called " Recuva" and it recovered every single photo that my husband had taken on his Cannon , 300 odd, and the 1 test shot I had taken with my panasonic.

SO the BIG question is , do I now format the broken 4gb card in the Canon camera,and see if "Recuva" will work. Of maybe format it in my Panasonic .

It's all a bit scary , so don't want to loose the photo's on the 4gb card. About 350 in all and they are photo's of me and Hubby at the Great Wall of China, which we won't be going to again in the near future.

So many of you have said "Do not Format " but it seems Recuva works , considering I formatted that 1gb card 3 times in 2 different cameras, I was well impressed when all the photo's were displayed by Recuva and I was able to select them all the be recovered.

Should I go for it guys ????????

Thanks

Julea

[Spod]

The thing is with the card that you can read after formatting is it was never broke you just formatted it, all formatting does is wipe out the FAT file allocation table of where the files are held on the card not the actual files. This doesn't apply if you do a low level format which generally writes a whole bunch of nothing to your card wiping it clean totally.

As has been said if Windows doesn't recognise the card no matter what software is going to help so lets clear this up, we can assume windows can't recognise it for reading of files as it stands but when you plug it in does it atleast acknowledge it's been plugged in just not recognised.

If it sees nothing it could just be a dirty contact or loose wire inside. You're kind of half way there with the camera wanting to format but the error checking on that may be very simplistic in that it recognises something in the card slot but can't read it so therefore asks to format it assuming it will read it after that.

[bstonehouse]

I would ask the advice of a recovery service before I did anything such as formatting.

This is one company but there are others - they are expensive but if you really want your photos they are worth it - and it is no recovery no fee.

recover fix repair corrupt micro CF xD SD Memory Card error-software

[bstonehouse]

Here's another service

PhotoGenerate - Digital Camera Data Recovery

[julea field]

OK.

Got all you hopes up for any one else out there with the same problem.

I was too impatient to wait for replies , so popped the broken 4gb card into the Canon camera which had taken the photo's in the first place. Decided not to do a low level format because of the results from my 1gb card.
Turned camera on, instant messge in screen saying " Card not formatted, would you like to format with this camera. I went to Menu found format and selected a standard format, upon pressing the OK button got an error message saying " Can not Format , use another card". So that was the end of that idea.

Looks like we will have to send the card off to one of the companies you have just recommend, and pay up.

In answer to another reply, windows only sees the card reader as the removeable F: drive when plugged in , it does not see the card inserted in it, just says " insert disk" when you click the F: drive in My computer.

Would still appreciate any other companies out there that anybody has already used, that will recover these photo's for a fee.

Thanks again
Will keep you all updated.

Cheers Julea

[Spod]

It sounds like it might just be a loose contact, trying cleaning as was previously mentioned or give the card a gentle 'wiggle' about which might connect it back up. If all else fails you might need to send it off but try and find a company that could fix a hardware issue if needed. Good luck.

[julea field]

Thanks Spod for quick reply. Did do the cleaning thing with the chemical suggested, I had some of that already, as my Smart Media card in my old digital camera 6 years ago played up on me and someone suggested using that chemical to clean that card, it worked then , but not on the contacts of this SD card. Have given it a good wiggle, still nothing. So posting off to Photogenerate as per last suggestion, no photos, no fee and only £34.99.

I left you all know if they get them back.

cheers Julea

[spyder viewer]

I'm holding my breath for you!

[julea field]

THE RESULTS:


Sent card yesterday to the following company PhotoGenerate - Digital Camera Data Recovery.

They got the card this morning and were unable to recover any data.

So back to the drawing board. Just can't imagine what an earth went so badly wrong with this card.

Very sad about this, will never buy an A-Data 4gb SDHC card again. I did send an email to A-Data , and all they said was find a company to recover photo's first then send card back to them, they do not offer a recovery service, only sell bad quailty cards, we have only used this card twice.

Julea

[Spod]

Well with nothing to loose are you able to prise it apart to see if all he connections inside are good? Careful though as you'll need to keep it in some order to put it back into the reader.

[julea field]

Hi Spod

Card not yet back in our hands yet. Thought I would now send a reply email back to A-Data, asking them what company is more likely to understand their chips to recover these photo's.

Or just try another company with no data no fee option.

Cheers Julea

[bstonehouse]

May be worth trying these as there is no fee to pay unless they retreive the photos - may be worth talking to them first before sending the card.

Pro Duo Memory Stick CF xD mini SD card-PC access-fix digital camera

[julea field]

Hi Guys

Well it's been a while but thought I must post this message.

I sent the card off to Germany as a last resort, the Guys over there were unable to get much off the card, but said if I wait a month they were getting some smarter equipment in.
Well they emailed after a month and sent a preview of some of the pictures, unfortunately the major ones I wanted were no recoverable, so I decided not to bother. I sent them an email explaining we had taken 2 camera's so did have some of the lost pictures on the other camera's card.
I was amazed they had even kept my card after having it for a month or so. Any way today nearly a year later I get an Email from them, they still kept the card from then, they were obviously determinded get all my photo's recovered ,so hung on to the card until they had the software, or what ever the used.

Well the email linked me to their site which previewed all 426 photo's in perfect condition, talk about service. As we had totally given up on the photo's we were only to glad to pay the 89 euros, using Paypal, even with the poor exchange rate right now. So if all else fails these guys will get your pictures back.

Click below to go to their website

Pro Duo Memory Stick CF xD micro SD card-PC access-fix digital camera

card-recovery.biz

These were listed above by TORNTOSHORSE..

Hope this helps someone else

Cheers Julea

[OrbitalPete]

There is most likely some kind of hardware problem on the card; your best bet is to contact a pro data recovery company. no software will rectify the problem. You should also contact the card manufacturer with the part number of the card and see if there are any known issues with that batch.