Memory card file recovery software

[QuickSilver]

Does anyone have a suggestion for file recovery software to use with memory cards? The situation is this. My son has loaded his pictures onto his computer and had the setting checked to erase the pictures from the card after copying. That would normally be fine except that his hard drive has failed and the series of pictures is very important to him. I have never had the problem and don’t have the slightest idea of what to recommend to him.

[linguine]

I have no clue about recovering pictures from the memory card but if the harddrive isnt completely shot and you just cant boot your computer you might be able to get the pictures off the harddrive by booting from a live cd.

[QuickSilver]

He says and I quote, “Hard Drive shot, making clicking sounds, its gone tits up”.

[linguine]

ok, then i have no clue, ive just had dell tell me my harddrive was shot enough times when it wasnt that i figured id suggest the live cd thing.

[millera9]

QuickSilver
Here’s a set of articles covering the different methods and software required to recover files from a flash memory card. Good luck!

http://www.ultimateslr.com/memory-card-recovery.php

[Curious]

He says and I quote, “Hard Drive shot, making clicking sounds, its gone tits up”.

by setting a western digital up as the slave drive i was (once) able to recover the data i needed even after it started clicking. YMMV

as far as the card goes i’m guessing any of the recovery software that will read a HDD will read the card. from what you said i’m also guessing he wasn’t reused it.

[QuickSilver]

QuickSilver
Here’s a set of articles covering the different methods and software required to recover files from a flash memory card. Good luck!

Thanks Millera9, your assistance in theis matter is greatly appreciated. He lives in another city and I have passed the information on to him and hopefully he will be able to recover his photographs. I also am checking it out for myself. Although it hasn’t happened to me, it may at sometime jump up and bite me on the nether regions and I would prefer to learn the lesson from before it is needed.

[RcMacStudent]

Quicksilver
I just want to make sure that he knows not to use the memory card since he deleted the pictures, because if he did the chances of recovering anything go down very quickly.

Also, here’s a link to the software that I use to recover files. The software is Iolo System Mechanic 7, it’s an all in one system utility tool and it has a wonderful file recovery tool as well I’ve used it on hard drives, memory cards, and USB pen drives. Best of all it’s shareware so buy it if you like it, and if not, you didn’t waste any money over it.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/System_Mechanic_Pro_d4384.html

[Elsinore]

Damn, wish I’d seen this sooner–Zeke could probably lend a hand on this, but then those articles Miller linked to probably (hopefully) gave you the answers.

[QuickSilver]

Thanks all, the pictures were salvaged and he now has software that I will have to make sure that I have on hand in the future just in case. If anyone would like specifics on the software just let me know and I’ll pass it along when I get it from him.

[Klahanie]

Thanks all, the pictures were salvaged and he now has software that I will have to make sure that I have on hand in the future just in case. If anyone would like specifics on the software just let me know and I’ll pass it along when I get it from him.

Please do, just in case. 🙂

[XenPix]

And get him to turn off the delete after download feature. I hate those things and, being paranoid, always check the pictures and back them up before deleting off the card.

[QuickSilver]

And get him to turn off the delete after download feature. I hate those things and, being paranoid, always check the pictures and back them up before deleting off the card.

Excellent observation XenPix, will even make note of it for myself.
😕

[U-Man]

I didn’t read all of these posts carefully so excuse me if I’m redundant. While I can find my way around a computer fairly well, there is a lot that is beyond me. When, after thrashing around for a while, I admit defeat, I turn to my ‘computer guy’. He’s one of those self-taught old hackers. Anyway, he related that he once got 8 gigs of pics out of a 1 gig card with recovery software. It all hides in there somewhere – voodoo to me.

btw – good point xenpix. I’m going to start doing that as well.

[andyofne]

I didn’t read all of these posts carefully so excuse me if I’m redundant. While I can find my way around a computer fairly well, there is a lot that is beyond me. When, after thrashing around for a while, I admit defeat, I turn to my ‘computer guy’. He’s one of those self-taught old hackers. Anyway, he related that he once got 8 gigs of pics out of a 1 gig card with recovery software. It all hides in there somewhere – voodoo to me.

btw – good point xenpix. I’m going to start doing that as well.

I’d like to see that done.

I posted a similar question on TFD last month while on the road. Someone recommended Adroit ( http://www.adrc.com/software/data_recovery_express/index.html ) for $6.99. It recovered all the files off of my ‘corrupt’ 4gb Compact Flash card, so I guess it works.

They also have a free data recovery tool on their site. I didn’t try that one.

[Author]

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