Memory Card Damage- Oh S**t.

Norf Tyrone · June 20, 2009, 07:08:13 PM

Norf has just had a bit of a disaster.

It was the wee girls birthday, and I stopped to take some photos off the camera on the way home.

Went the 30ft from the car to the shop and realised my card was missing. Found it intact, on the road, not a mark on it. Happy days.

However put it back in the camera, and it says it's not initialised. Tried on the PC, and it's not reading it either. On closure inspection there is a wee bit of damage to it.

So.... I had 300 odd photos of the weins, etc.

How do I get them back?

ardmhachaabu · June 20, 2009, 07:14:13 PM

You need some kind of recovery software. I am not aware of any free/open source software that would do the job.

I am running photorecovery myself. I could arrange for you to get a copy if you pmed me your snail mail address

Norf Tyrone · June 20, 2009, 07:17:35 PM

Cheers. Just sent you a PM.

I know very little about the recovery software but I think it only recovers deleted or corrupted files. Not sure about damaged ones.

Worth a lash though.

Thanks a million...

Tony Baloney · June 20, 2009, 07:28:29 PM

Quote from: Norf Tyrone on June 20, 2009, 07:17:35 PM
Cheers. Just sent you a PM.

I know very little about the recovery software but I think it only recovers deleted or corrupted files. Not sure about damaged ones.

Worth a lash though.

Thanks a million...

Can I suggest you transfer the contents of your memory card onto your pc! The wife formatted my memory card a few years ago but luckily I had almost everything filed on the computer. She also drove over my last camera. Memory card was fine but the camera was fucked.

Square Ball · June 20, 2009, 07:36:31 PM

Quote from: Tony Baloney on June 20, 2009, 07:28:29 PM
Quote from: Norf Tyrone on June 20, 2009, 07:17:35 PM
Cheers. Just sent you a PM.

I know very little about the recovery software but I think it only recovers deleted or corrupted files. Not sure about damaged ones.

Worth a lash though.

Thanks a million...
Can I suggest you transfer the contents of your memory card onto your pc! The wife formatted my memory card a few years ago but luckily I had almost everything filed on the computer. She also drove over my last camera. Memory card was fine but the camera was fucked.

At least you wernt wearing it at he time

Norf Tyrone · June 20, 2009, 07:37:37 PM

Quote from: Tony Baloney on June 20, 2009, 07:28:29 PM
Quote from: Norf Tyrone on June 20, 2009, 07:17:35 PM
Cheers. Just sent you a PM.

I know very little about the recovery software but I think it only recovers deleted or corrupted files. Not sure about damaged ones.

Worth a lash though.

Thanks a million...
Can I suggest you transfer the contents of your memory card onto your pc! The wife formatted my memory card a few years ago but luckily I had almost everything filed on the computer. She also drove over my last camera. Memory card was fine but the camera was fucked.

Is this a in hindsight post, or can you tell me how to do it now that it's f**ked?

The thing is I have been transfering 100s of pics onto the PC, and backing them up onto a mobile drive. Never got them all done though.

Bogball XV · June 20, 2009, 07:41:00 PM

you can download a free trial of many undelete software programs, that'll allow you to try them to see if the data can be recovered, if it can you'll have to pay for the software to get full access though.
Failing that try a camera shop, they can sometimes do a bit more than can be done at home.

mylestheslasher · June 20, 2009, 10:31:54 PM

I think the others here are leading you down the garden path a little. If the card is scratched then most likely you have done hardware damage and not software damage so you would need to send it to someone who can rebuild the hardware. Most of that software recovery deals with recovering files you have accidentally deleted. On the brightside I doubt the memory is damaged. Try this website, you may need to send your card and pay a fee

http://www.diskdoctors.com

Donagh · June 20, 2009, 11:00:28 PM

Sounds like physical damage so a recovery utility is not going to do any good. Stick it in the freezer overnight and then put it in you PC and try to copy everything straight off.

Norf Tyrone · June 20, 2009, 11:00:48 PM

Quote from: mylestheslasher on June 20, 2009, 10:31:54 PM
I think the others here are leading you down the garden path a little. If the card is scratched then most likely you have done hardware damage and not software damage so you would need to send it to someone who can rebuild the hardware. Most of that software recovery deals with recovering files you have accidentally deleted. On the brightside I doubt the memory is damaged. Try this website, you may need to send your card and pay a fee

http://www.diskdoctors.com

Grateful for everyone's help on this one, but I think MTS's theory is probably the best bet.

ardmhachaabu is kindly winging me some software, so I'll try that first, but I dare say I'll be having to get an appointment with the doctor.