New member needing help nemory card help.

[Pheobe]

Hi, my name is Pheobe and I have a question. I had a friend over this morning doing some pictures for her daughters 3rd b'day party invitation. I was editing as I went along. I noticed that I only had a few pictures left. I shot a few more, then later I did notice that I had more frames then what it said prior. I know I didn't delete the whole card by accident then move on. I then put it in the reader, and a whole entire folder was gone. The first folder of course with all the best images on it.

I started up photorescue. A program I bought last May, and all it came up with is the existing images on the card. Then there is many thumbnails that say "not a photo" but it has the thm file along side it. (I only shoot raw). This was after doing the expert mode. Now, I think I have lost these images, is this true? I am just sick about this and I don't know what to do. I was hoping someone would know more since i have very little experience in loosing images. The photo rescue program I bought keeps telling me it is a demo version but it will show you what it can do, you just have to purchase it to save anything. I emailed them so I can get an update and get that demo part out, since I did pay for it, so I am still waiting on that.

I shoot 10D, 512 scan disk card, and i have a real sad face :cry:

Thank you
Pheobe

[Jesper]

The organization of files on a memory card (or on your harddisk or any other file storage medium that modern computers use) works like this: it contains a directory, in which the computer or the camera keeps track of where exactly on the memory card the files are stored, and in which it keeps track of which parts of the card are allocated. When you delete an image from the memory card, the camera does not really erase the data from the card - it only deletes the entry in the directory that points to the data and marks the place where the data is stored as free space.

A data rescue program like what you've tried to use, just investigates the whole memory card and so it can find files that have been deleted from the directory.

The thing is, if you have deleted images from the card and after that made some new photos, the deleted photos have probably been overwritten and if that's the case, they will be REALLY gone and there's no way you can ever get them back......

So if you've accidentally deleted a photo from a memory card and you want it back, you should not make any new photos with that memory card before you run it through the rescue software.

I'm afraid there's not much to be done, your photos are lost....... :(

[Pheobe]

Thank you :(

[robertwgross]

On top of what Jesper just stated, I'll add something.

If you are shooting along fine, and then something, anything, happens with the CF card status, then stop. Maybe the file system is having problems, maybe the CF card is actually failing, or maybe there was some strange user error. Whatever it is, stop and eject the card. But in another CF card and attempt to complete your photography. Keep the suspect CF card separate, and when you get it to your computer, investigate it prior to transferring or deleting anything.

For example, if you have a 512MB CF card, and at the start the camera says you have 64 frames worth of memory space, then make a mental note of that normal information. If you shoot up 50 frames, and then if the camera tells you that 50 frames of space remains, that is a problem!

When a CF card first shows signs of any problem, often times you can still recover all or part of your images (if you are lucky). However, once any deleted files have been "written over", then there will be hell to pay.

---Bob Gross---

[Pheobe]

This was some wonderful education here. I am impressed. But lucky for me I was able to retreive the files after getting the full version straightened out with the photorescue software. What a releif, now I can sleep tonight. I will sleep even better having the knowledge that was given to me to day on how to prevent it in the future.

Thank you so much
Pheobe :D

[Malaxos1]

Awesome Pheobes. Oh, I did get some incredible shots of Canon Beach today. I will post them on PPT...Dean