bad CF card

[perfectpixel]

Hi All,
I know this has been covered before, but my searches have not found the answer.
I have a CF card with about 100 pictures that show OK on the camera, but the PC's card reader shows the folders empty (with no files).
I think I remember there is a utility for recovering these files.
I'd appreciate any help.
thanks!

[PaulB]

This crops up again and again, but I'm always pleased to help.

Try this software - free as well - it works fine.

PC Inspector File Recovery
from
http://www.convar.de

In the meantime DO NOT delete or install anything else onto the harddrive where the image was - this can make recovery much less certain.

All the best, let me know how you go on.

Paul

[CyberDyneSystems]

I hope you can get your images Unstuck :(

Let us know.



p.s.

Could you also let me know what brand card it was?
I am keeping a little tally in my head... so far about 90% of the CF card problems posted on this and another forum I frequent were Sandisk....

[perfectpixel]

now you know why I'm unstuck ;)
It's a Lexar 1GB.
BTW after (assuming) I recover the files, I will reformat the CF in the PC and then in the camera too. Would you still have confidence in this card or has it gone "bad" ???
cheers!

[Motorsports Photo]

unstuck wrote:
BTW after (assuming) I recover the files, I will reformat the CF in the PC and then in the camera too. Would you still have confidence in this card or has it gone "bad" ???
cheers!

Only format in the camera!

If the camera wont format it then try it with your computer. Run some disk checking utilities to confirm that it is error free.

-Pete

[cardigan1979]

If it's a Lexar card contact them and they will put them on a disc for you no sweat. It won't cost a penny

[perfectpixel]

PaulB wrote:
This crops up again and again, but I'm always pleased to help.

Try this software - free as well - it works fine.

PC Inspector File Recovery
from
http://www.convar.de

In the meantime DO NOT delete or install anything else onto the harddrive where the image was - this can make recovery much less certain.

All the best, let me know how you go on.

Paul

PC Inspector did not work :(
It did not detect any files either, but I can see the pictures on the camera!
Any other suggestions? (I want to try everything I can before sending the card to Lexar)
thanks.

[samdring]

Motorsports Photo wrote:
unstuck wrote:
BTW after (assuming) I recover the files, I will reformat the CF in the PC and then in the camera too. Would you still have confidence in this card or has it gone "bad" ???
cheers!

Only format in the camera!

If the camera wont format it then try it with your computer. Run some disk checking utilities to confirm that it is error free.

-Pete


After sorting re-formatting in PC is not a bad idea particularly after 'swamping' card with data files to fill it and thereby 'test' all sectors - format in camera post this exercise - does not formatting consist of only re-setting the FAT?

But on a different note and in answer to the problem, if the cam is reading all files OK, then is not the reader the likelt culprit?

[where1]

Thanks unstuck for asking, and thanks PaulB for the link. I almost lost 16 Christmas pictures. I could see them in the camera, but not in the computer. Not with the USB or CF reader. X-drive would not see them either. I had to recover the files one at a time, without any trouble, for some reason the program gave me an error when I tried all of them at once. But in the end I had my pictures :)
I hope I don't have a need for the program again, but it sure was nice when I did have the need.

[Vegas Poboy]

unstuck wrote:
PaulB wrote:
This crops up again and again, but I'm always pleased to help.

Try this software - free as well - it works fine.

PC Inspector File Recovery
from
http://www.convar.de

In the meantime DO NOT delete or install anything else onto the harddrive where the image was - this can make recovery much less certain.

All the best, let me know how you go on.

Paul

PC Inspector did not work :(
It did not detect any files either, but I can see the pictures on the camera!
Any other suggestions? (I want to try everything I can before sending the card to Lexar)
thanks.

Try downloadind the files directly from the camera, using canons software with the USB cable and I agree with motorsports on format with the camera only, I had trouble when I used my PC to format.
good luck