Help Sandisk Card Corrupt !!!!

[KevinStecyk]

Originally Posted by John Kemp

I tried Sandisk RescuPro but it said it would take 136 years!! I don't think my client will wait that long.
Out of interest a colleague told me he had same problem with Lexar card and Lexar recovered it and replaced the card for free!
Sandisk just threw up their hands and offered no solution...

John,

If you've run out of options, you might try the rescue software. I would not put too much faith in the time estimate. You might find that once it gets past a certain point, it goes much more quickly, down to hours rather than years.

You might even try a couple different rescue packages. Perhaps they approach the problem using different algorithms.

That's what I would do anyway if I had run out of options.

Good luck!

Best regards,
Kevin

[John_Vito]

Do what Kevin suggests...the time estimate is usually not accurate.

Also try the strategies I wrote above.

[MikeCraven]

John, As others have suggested try the Sandisk approved software from LC Technology :
LC Technology International- Data Recovery Solutions
The long times that are quoted is because the software will find most of the images that you have ever taken on that card, but as Kevin and John have mentioned, this is only an estimate, and you will find it quicker. Once you have selected the drive where the missing files are to go, you can get on with something else ( like sleep ) while the rescue software is doing the work. There is a UK telephone number for LC-Tech see :
European Main Office Address:
LC Technology Europe
Sutton Place
49 Stoney Street
The Lace Market
Nottingham UK NG1 1LX Phone Numbers:
Sales: [IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_transparent_l.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/famfamfam/gb.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG]+44 (0)115 9596490[IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_transparent_r.gif[/IMG]
Service: [IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_transparent_l.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/famfamfam/gb.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG]+44 (0)115 9596490[IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_transparent_r.gif[/IMG]
Support: [IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_transparent_l.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/famfamfam/gb.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG][IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif[/IMG]+44 (0)115 9596490[IMG]chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/cb_transparent_r.gif[/IMG]
Fax: +44 (0)115 989 7301
Hope this helps,

Mike

[AngelMorales]

Hey,
I have had this happen to me a couple of times over the last few weeks. First on a Lexar card, and then most recently, on a Sandisk Extreme III 2 gig card, while shooting for Avon. Luckily the first time out I was able to find the images using sandisk image recovery software that comes free along with the cards. Recently in Viegues P.R., while shooting a job, the digital tech could not find the images on the card, and I ran to a near by hotel office and used their internet connection and downloaded image rescue pro v3. demo, and it worked great and was able to find all of the images with no problem. Mind you this was a demo version I downloaded for free and that did the trick.
Angel

[John Kemp]

Hi Guys thanks for all your replies, but I fear all is in vain. The card appears to be completely dead. LC tech and 2 other leading companies have failed so far. It is at a 4th.
I shall keep you informed.
Moral of the story so far, backup to second slot if you can. Record the serial number of the card before you send it off. If possible deliver card in person to the recover company and show that it works to a point.
I fear the 1st company (OT) have damaged the card as it has been completely dead since they had it.
Tomorrow I am going to inform my client that their pictures are probably lost forever.

[John_Vito]

Hi John Kemp,

Sorry to see you couldn't recover the images.

I was just in a similar situation...

Well I didn’t take my own advice and reformat before a paying shoot and ran it deep trouble with a corrupt card/image files. Spent about 8 hours trying to recover the files.

Firstly I posted above that “RescuePro kicks butt!” Well it did not. What it recovered were two files for each raw file - one .CR2 and one .jpeg. The recovered jpeg was just the imbedded jpeg used in the camera preview. The confusing part was the jpg file size indicated 8.4 MB so my hopes were up at first but it was a false size. I could open the jpeg but it was only thumbnail size probably no more than 100 pixels across. The CR2 size was indicated at 80 KB. So I just thought RescuePro became confused and just switched extensions...so I changed the extensions and still could not open the CR2 in Lightroom, Camera Raw or Canon’s DPP.

I also opened healthy and corrupted CR2 files with the text editor BBEdit to compare the file/header structures and tried to figure out if I could copy and paste the missing file/header information in the corrupted CR2. I tried every conceivable way and still no luck. Yes some file/header info was missing or screwed-up in the corrupt CR2 files.

How did the card become corrupt? Well I have a few theories. There were a couple times during the shoot that I changed lens without turning off the camera. But I have done that before with no problems. Also I shot until the card was full and I think (not sure) turned off the camera while it was still writing to the card but I think writing just continues with the camera off. My most likely reason is before the shoot I imported a number of images to my computer using Lighhroom and it displayed a warning mentioning there was a duplicate file already imported so I did a Save As thinking it would write the CR2 to the folder I was downloading to. What Save As does is just write a text file of the duplicated files names. Also my assumption was wrong about writing to the download folder...Lightroom wrote back to the card and I believe that is the reason the card became corrupted.

Also during the shoot I was checking images and all seemed OK.

Actually when I first began the Lightroom import Lightroom found the card fine and began downloading...I then went for dinner. Came back to find that Lightroom could not import the 300+ files as the warning mentioned they were the wrong format or corrupt. An interesting behavior happened when I ejected the card and tried to have Lightroom import again, it could not see the card. The card’s icon was up on the desktop but it read “EOW_DIGITAL”. I could open the icon but just had some strange symbols. See Below!

Why could Lightroom see the card the first time but not after is my question?!

Thinking I could download from the camera I tried but the camera indicated there were no images on the card.

After seven hours I was just about to give up and decided to search for a different file recovery program - as all this time I was thinking if RescuePro could not recover the card nothing would. Some recommended Photorescue so I’d figured I give it a try. I tried the new demo version that was just released Oct. 1st. The demo seemed to recover all the CR2 files (no jpegs) but wasn’t totally sure as it was a demo. The demo can build a disk image of the recovered files so if you decide to buy just save the disk image for the full version to recover. To make a longer story short Photorescue did recover all CR2 files. I was up to about 3 AM but could at least sleep well.

[John Kemp]

Just to update you guys. Nothing has been recovered. The card has been to 5 recovery companies over 2 months with no result. 2 said it was the controller chip faulty the latest that it was one of the memory chips. If it had been the controller chip all may have been OK, as that may have been swapped although two of the bigest companies coudn't do this. If a memory chip goes, you're stuffed apparently.
Sandisk will get back to me tomorrow, but I'm certain they cannot do anything, but will keep you informed.
My client will be informed that 200 photos from theire wedding have been lost, down to a failed card, out of my control.

Moral - ALWAYS shoot to two cards if you camera will allow. This is one of the biggest draws for anyone to get a pro camera I would suggest. I will NEVER shoot on a pro-sumer model for anything important again, full-stop (period for you yanks!)