Lost files #*$@!!!

[phoby3]

Went to a shoot with my D60, moved all files on card over to laptop, reloaded card, erased all in camera (usually reformat, brain farted and deviated for SOP) shot job, downloaded pictures, they are the pictures that I thought I had erased!!!! Tried again, files corrupted!!!!

What now???

The card is a Delkin 512, I have shot more pictures on the same card adding them to the same DCIM file and they are fine!?!? So it ain't the card, maybe?!?

Edit: Since I first posted this a few hours ago, I was able to recover the files using Photorescue, but I am still totally perplexed as to why this problem occurs after I erase the card in camera? I do not go through this when I reformat. Any thougts or previous threads that I can be pointed to?

[Pekka]

All I can say of that is that unreliability of D60's disk functions must have been one reason why Canon changed disk formatting/reading code in 10D, and to FAT32.

[defordphoto]

Pekka wrote:
All I can say of that is that unreliability of D60's disk functions must have been one reason why Canon changed disk formatting/reading code in 10D, and to FAT32.



? Where'd that come from? The only file issues with the D60 was the thumbnail bug which is long gone with the last firmware upgrade. This just sounds simply like operator error to me.

[robertwgross]

I've seen some D60 users _think_ that they had finished erasing files from an on-board CF card, but the red "access light" was still lit, so the erase function was not finished yet.

Then, they would either pop open the CF door or switch off the camera. It is no big surprise of a CF card gets corrupted that way.

---Bob Gross---

[phoby3]

I am more than willing to accept operator error as the problem, however, I opted to erase all the files, watched the screen as it processed the deletion, waited for the "no images" alert, hit the shutter button to turn off the screen, brought the camera to my eye and composed on my subject and waited for the "moment" to take my first picture. Now what in that process was an error on my part?

When I got finished shooting what I needed to shoot. I moved the camera's DCIM file over to my laptop via a firewire card reader, and went on my way. It was not until later that while trying to edit the pcitures that I found on those that should have been deleted were still in the file?!?

Now this may be like the mysterious noise in the car that goes away as soon as you take it to the mechanic, but.....

None of this happens if I reformat the card after every use.

I'm all ears.

[defordphoto]

Well, without knowing you, your expertise or lack thereof, all 'we' can go by is what's in your post. Sure sounded like some sequence missed in your events of transferring files.

So a couple more questions: Do you use a card reader? PCI adapter or something along those lines? Any software involved?

I have not read of anyone having this problem before. Could be as simple as a CF card going freaky. That happens quite frequently.

If nothing else you'll now be more methodical in your transferring of files and double-checking. Sometimes in the hurry of shooting and transferring files, and if there's an interruption, it can throw your whole sequence off. That's what I meant by 'operator error' and not by any means that you don't know what you're doing. We all make mistakes.

[defordphoto]

As an aside, I never erase photos. I always format after transferring.

[robertwgross]

phoby3 wrote:
...

When I got finished shooting what I needed to shoot. I moved the camera's DCIM file over to my laptop via a firewire card reader, and went on my way. It was not until later that while trying to edit the pcitures that I found on those that should have been deleted were still in the file?!?
...


I don't have an obvious solution. Read on.

First of all, the camera makes a DCIM directory or folder on the CF card. That is almost the same as a file, but not exactly.

When you moved the DCIM something to the laptop, using the reader, is it possible that you Copied it instead of Moved it? Or, is there something (we don't know) about this process that created a Copy. The Move function, as I understand it, means Copy the thing first, and then when that is at its new location, erase the old thing. Also note that in computer techno-jargon, to erase something like a file does not really erase the file. It takes that file's entry out of the file allocation table. So, at the high level, it looks like the file is gone, but if you go poke around in bits and bytes, the data is still there and the FAT just shows some residue of where the entry was. Now, if you have different formatting going on, like FAT16 one place and FAT32 at another place, then this SHOULD happen correctly, however ...

Now you are depending on the OS to get things right. If the OS happened to get busy trying to do something else, then... hmmm, it might lose focus (pun intended).

My only rule to myself is that I physically move my filled CF card to a card reader. I copy that CF card's RAW files to my desktop's "Canon Receiving" directory. From there, I let the utility convert RAW to TIF in the "Canon Converted" directory. Once I view those briefly, I take the CF card out of the reader, place it back into the camera, and do the Format function inside the camera. I've shot only a few thousand frames on my D60, and I haven't lost one yet.

---Bob Gross---

[phoby3]

Didn’t want to belabor anybody with my resume, extensive in experience but unimportant. Anyone can do something stupid, so no offense will be taken.

OK, lets start over because I am just mystified.

I shoot a D60
Firmware updated
CF cards - Delkin 512’s
CF card reader Lexar firewire
Computer, iBook/OS X
Human brain – USA (high mileage very little maintenance)

What I do often is to simply drag the DCIM file over to my desks top. Often I will rename the file before moving it over. This will result in the camera stating that there are no images, but the shot counter will be greatly reduced because there is data on the card, but because the file is no longer DCIM you get the picture…

This time however, I simply moved the file over to the desktop. Removed the card from the reader reinserted it in the camera, pressed to erase all, did, and like I said started to shoot again.

I actually like the screwy cf card explanation because I have had a number of weird unexplained things happen when I erase large numbers of photos, but I never have this problem when I reformat the card instead.

Reformatting the card was the only deviation from my standard practices on this occasion.

But it looks to me that the panel is as stumped as I am so I will just say think you for providing what help you could, but more importantly thank you to Pekka for having a place for me to yell and scream while I searched for a solution to omy lost pictures.

[Dans_D60]

I don’t know if I can be any help. But, I have used PhotoRescue many times to recover erased, corrupted and formatted CompactFlash cards. http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/ Unfortunately I believe PhotoRescue will not work in the MAC world? And, be careful when accessing any Windows (DOS) FAT file system with Mac’s. I know the newer Macintosh computers are supposed to automatically detect the presence of a PC file format (FAT) and provide emulation software to read/write. However, I had many of my files corrupted at work on Mac systems that I now only allow file exchange over the network on not from physical devices like floppy disks or CompactFlash cards. The files are still on your CompactFlash card. (most of them). Find a friend with a PC and download PhotoRescue. I’m sure nearly all can be recovered. Anyway, just by thoughts….Dan
http://www.pettusphoto.com

OOPS!! MY MISTAKE. PHOTORESCUE DOES WORK ON THE MAC! CLICK ON LINK ABOVE…Dan

[henkbos]

It's the brain :D:D:D:D:D
Well, if it isn't try Photorecovery as suggested in the previous mail. I was able to get pictures back after 3 formats.

Good luck.

[phoby3]

Been there done that, it worked got most of the take back, but thanks none the less.