Cannot play back image (?)

Last night I was out shooting the Northern Lights. After I got home, I put my SD card into my card reader and used DPP to look at my images. I was shooting in RAW. The first photo looked fine but ever other one after that shows up with a file number but displays a large X instead of the image.
While taking the pictures last night, they displayed properly on the camera but when I put the card in now, it displays CANNOT DISPLAY BACK IMAGE with a big yellow '?'.
I was using a 5D3.
I know recovery software probably can bring back those images, but I am wondering why it happened in the first place??

Thank you!

Sounds like corrupted files. Could be caused by one of a number of things. Have you tried any other picture viewer besides DPP?

Do you have this problem with any other cards? If not, check the contacts on your SD card and make sure they're clean. After you get your good images off it, reformat it in the camera. Take a bunch of test shots. If you still have problems and it does not occur with other cards, then the card should be consigned to that place in the sky where all dead cards go.

The one thing that I don't like about SD cards is that the contacts are right out there for sticky fingers to muck up.

Thank you for all you help! I am just on my way to the camera shop - I hope they can rescue my pictures! Had some nice northern lights shots!
I did try to open the files in PS - same problem!

Update: I got all my images using recovery software!
Here is what I did not want to loose...

Wow, I don't blame you, that's beautiful. Glad that you got it sorted.

elfieh wrote in post #17664157
Update: I got all my images using recovery software!
Here is what I did not want to loose...

Hosted photo: posted by elfieh in
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forum: Canon Digital Cameras

Thanks for all your help!

The problem was the card and card reader - let's hope it will work from now on! Not using that card or the reader again!

superb result! which recovery s/w did you end up using?

Thank you Joeseph! They used 'Disk Drill for Mac'. It worked great!

elfieh