Wedding Picture Recovery - HELP!

[MakaMaka]

Hi, last weekend, during my wedding reception the memory card in my camera failed. I desperately need some help on recovering the pictures on it as it has all kinds of candid shots taken while my wife was getting ready, the rehersal dinner, etc.

It's a 1 GB SanDisk SD Card Ultra II. The camera reports a "Card error" and that it "cannot read card." If I put it in a USB card reader, the card will not mount so I can only assume it's some kind of hardware failure. The card cannot be formatted either. If I right click on the disk in My Computer, the window basically hangs until I pull the card out, at which point the right-click context menu comes up.

Has anybody had this problem before? Is there a way I can recover this myself? If not, what service is the most reasonably priced and reputable? It seems like a craps shoot to send it to a company I google based on their website.

Thanks,
-Justin

[cmM]

does sandisk have any recovery software available?
You could try that.

...I feel your pain :(

[Vega$50]

I do not know if there is a free software platform, but check here...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=CF+Card+Recovery+software

You may find something in your price range.

[MakaMaka]

The card won't actually mount. I think that is a requirement for the software solutions I am seeing. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think something in the electronics has failed. The digital media is probably all right, the electronics accessing it are just kaput.

[AjP]

I usually use Bad Copy Pro, works great, but never had this problem before, I hope you will recover you pics, good luck

[Vega$50]

Before you give up...I would try a different reader just to be safe. I have a couple of cards that will not mount on one reader, but have no problems on my others. Just a thought.

[Baadil]

I have had similar situation where neither Camera no card reader could mount the card. Still, I was able to use Bad Copy Pro to recover most of my images. Try it, and don't even try to format it if you want to recover anything.

[lancea]

Try PhotoRescue http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/download.htm, either the Expert or Advanced versions. The free trial version will let you see what it can recover, and even make an image of the card so you can work directly off a copy on your hard disc.

Of course if you can't mount it that's a major problem, but PhotoRescue lets you mount the logical or physcial card. The physical option might work. Worth trying anyway. I haven't had a need to buy the software (yet), but it looks like they offer a fair bit of support if you do.