Help recovering a flash memory card!

[tao2]

So I’ve just experienced my first flash card malfunction since getting my DSLR and after much Googling to find a way of recovering my images I’ve had no luck.

The card (8GB Transcend ,compact flash) was working fine, I put it into a (cheap) card reader to download the images but the computer didn’t acknowledged the connection. I tried again and nothing. Put it back in the camera (Canon 40D) and could still see the images on there so tried again direct from camera. Didn’t work, so back into the camera, however this time the camera now says ‘card not formatted’ – ‘no images’….arrr!!!
I’m partially interested how they got lost in that process but more keen to recover them...

I’d read before that when this happens just stop and don’t use the card anymore – I did this. I did not reformat the card. I have since connected via the same card reader to my PC and using “PC Inspector File Recovery” and “Zero Assumption Recovery” have tried to recover the images but with no luck.

The first programme didn’t ‘see’ anything and the second sees data but can’t recover due to an error after scanning. I read that these recover FAT formatted cards and mine says it’s RAW – problem?! (Not too familiar with this stuff!)

I have shot mostly in RAW but there are a few JPG images on there too. Can anyone recommend a programme they use successfully (preferably freeware) and maybe shed some light on my problem?
If I can’t recover it where is best to go for professional help?

Thanks

http://www.piriform.com/recuva

http://www.guidingtech.com/2154/reco...-files-recuva/

[rpcrowe]

I have never experienced a problem with a CF card failing to work after it has originally worked. However, I have had a Kingston CF card that showed my images on the camera LCD monitor when I first used it but I could not transfer those images to a camera. I tried recovery programs to no avail. Luckily the images were not all that important and I was shooting with a pair of cameras/lenses so I had half of my imagery intact. I had another Kingston card which was flawed from the start. I have since quit buying Kingston cards but, still use those I already have for unimportant jobs. The ones that worked from the start are still working after years of use.

I try to format cards before every use so that they are formatted for the camera I will shoot them in. However, sometimes I have a senior moment and forget the formatting. It doesn't seem to matter that the card had been formatted for another camera. Granted both cameras I am shooting with are he same model.

[stuck]

So I’ve just experienced my first flash card malfunction since getting my DSLR and after much Googling to find a way of recovering my images I’ve had no luck.

It's been mentioned already, you need Recuva, get it here:
http://www.piriform.com/recuva/builds
It's free.

Ken

[loosecanon]

Transcend card - transend also provide a downloadable recovery programme.

Card readers can be a problem, a lot of older ones cannot properly read larger cards, ie above 4gb.

Chief causes of corrupted card is failing to format in camera and deleting images in camera. Deleting files can make the FAT much more jumbled and so more likely to corruption. when you format in camera the FAT is written from scratch by the camera.

[Gaaron]

Thanks so much for the advice....I used Recuvva for recovery of my formatted sandisc. Perfection. I am now very happy that the wedding photos that went 'missing' have been found! I can go to sleep now

[Steaphany]

Depending on how long you've had this card and how many times it's been written, or more importantly how many erase cycles the individual pages have experienced, you may want to recover it's contents and retire it in favour of a new card.

Flash memory operates through the quantum physics phenomena of tunnelling. Data is stored in a conductive element with no electrical connection to the surrounding circuitry. The accumulation of electron charge, whose threshold determines whether a 0 or 1 is being stored at a particular cell, is accomplished by setting up conditions which cause electrons to travel, or more accurately quantum jump, through an insulating later to the floating gate storage element.

When performing an erasure operation, which is not done on a cell by cell, but on a page by page, the intense electric fields slowly degrade the integrity of the ability of the memory to hold data. At first error correction algorithms are able to manage the occasional errors or failures, but as they accumulate, the over all operation degrades to the point where the memory no longer functions.

Do keep in mind that Flash memory has it's own processor to manage data storage, space allocation, and garbage collection. When a camera or computer is accessing a Flash memory, it is talking to the controller and if the controller can no longer manage the errors, it may just give up and you will not be able to access what data that may have survived.

[Gaaron]

Thank you. Your post enlightened me Steaphany.