File Recovery help required

[Alfonso_Frisk]

Guys need you help
Took a load of shots today in RAW on my D200 to a 4gb CF card.
Checked every shot in cam and all ok
Card reader did not read the card when I connected to the pc
Put card back in cam with intention of getting shots off via usb connection - again no joy and cam says format card ?

Tried to get pics off card using sandisks recovery disc and software.
it found 1 file at 1.4gb but it is a ORF file
now my googling suggests an ORF file is Olympus Raw Format.
I cant open it with CS2 or any thing else
any ideas how to recover this or how its happened ?

I think the card reader may be at fault as I have took some shots on another card since and the pc don't see them

[Hinfrance]

I've used Zero Assumption recovery (free for image files) successfully. I also have a licence for a far more thorough file recovery piece of software called File Scavenger, but it is pretty pricey even if it is very effective.

It does sound like you said, that the card reader is faulty (or maybe the card). I can only suggest trying another card reader with the Sandisk recovery software as a first step. I don't know about Nikon camera drives, but my Pentax drives are viewed by windows as just another USB drive and the recovery programmes can be run directly with the card in the camera drive.

I wish you all the best of luck - this is a nightmare scenario.

My tip is never remove the card from the camera unless it cannot be avoided; always upload directly if you can. I appreciate this advice is contrary to the received wisdom, but I don't see how constantly physically mounting and unmounting a device that relies on a friction fit is going to do it any good. If you don't use lightroom to import the pictures it's much faster too.

[Oldboy]

Put the card back in the camera and try to view the pictures on the cameras LCD screen. If you can then the files are OK. Put the card back in your PC reader, and use Windows Explorer to view the file, which should be NEF files, then the reader is OK. My guess is the version of Photoshop CS2, might not be able to view D200 Raw files without the Raw Update file. You can download the Adobe DNG converter, which will convert them to DNG and then can be read by CS2. 

[Colin]

I have had success with Zero Assumption Recovery (http://www.z-a-recovery.com/) and also Undelete+ (http://undeleteplus.com/) BUT I have never had any luck with the Sandisk Rescue software. You will need a different card reader by the sound of it as that is probably what caused the problem.

[Alfonso_Frisk]

Cheers fellas for the help/advice.
I'm thinking the card is fooked. Got 2 cards from  memorybits.co.uk as they stated same day shipping. they took 10 days to arrive so have been pished with them since
OB - as I said in my OP, the cam asks for for a format of the card and shows no pics which confuses me as I checked the shot and the histogram on every pic as I shot them and all looked ok.
I will have a bash at the zero image prog

[oRGie]

if you only viewed them as you shot them would they have been held in the cameras memory to review, were they ever actually written to the card ? not some wierd camera setting been accidentaly activated ?  just a thought..

[Alfonso_Frisk]

if you only viewed them as you shot them would they have been held in the cameras memory to review, were they ever actually written to the card ? not some wierd camera setting been accidentaly activated ?  just a thought..

I did consider something like that due to camera being a relatively new addition to my kit and my lack of experience with it. But, I reckon I must have taken something like 100+ shots on this session so would expect at some of them to be visible.

I am also going to check the serial number with Sandisk to se if the card is genuine.
RR
Alf

[Alfonso_Frisk]

I have had success with Zero Assumption Recovery (http://www.z-a-recovery.com/) and also Undelete+ (http://undeleteplus.com/) BUT I have never had any luck with the Sandisk Rescue software. You will need a different card reader by the sound of it as that is probably what caused the problem.

Colin
that first link or variants of does not work
the second one did but the prog found nothing
I found another on computer active site
http://www.computeractive.co.uk/computeractive/downloads/2165446/freeundelete

this one found a load of files but, strangely they are from my trip to majorca a month ago.
not one from yesterdays session. Very strange

[Oldboy]

In that case try reformatting the card with the computer, by using a low level format. I had a fault with a Lexar Pro card, which showed the photos on the cameras LCD screen when taken, but when I got back home and checked with the PC, they all had zero bites. Open explorer, click on the card, then right click and select format from the dropdown list. Make sure quick format hasn't got a tick in the box, click start. This will show if there is a fault with the card. 

[Colin]

I have just checked the link and it is correct BUT their website is down, give it a try a bit later. Sorry to hear that you have had no luck with yesterdays photos. Don't give up yet though ZAR may find them. I can send you the free version of the programme if you want it is 2.4meg. Send a mail to colinsp AT tiscali DOT co DOT uk (replace the words in capitals with their relevant characters).

[Alfonso_Frisk]

OB - done what you said and no issues reported with card
Colin - e-mail sent

I have also put the card back in the cam and took some shots, used another reader and these shots where visible.
so, I deleted them and tried the recover programs above.
they found the shots
tried sandisks recover and it also found them but took 65 mins to do so.

so i guess my first card reader must have corrupted the card and deleted the files somehow ( is this possible)
or the card has an intermittent fault, or the camera has a fault, or, I have screwed something up in camera settings and writing to card ?

Imagine if this had been a family party or wedding shoot. I would be absolutely mortified

[oRGie]

I doubt the reader deleted the files.

I had a faulty card, sandisk, in the cam or pc it said format card, so did that it went ok but still said format card when i tried to read it in cam or pc, I happened to give the card a shake as I got a hunch something was wrong with the card and low and behold I detected the smallest amount of movement inside the card, it hadnt been dropped or anything, so somehow the internals broke loose and the card became intermittent. Sandisk replaced it btw even though I had no reciept and had owned it for over 2 years at least, i was impressed.

Having said that, it could be the camera has some fault as it doesnt sound like from what you've said that the images ever made it onto the card. I personelly would put that card and reader aside and test the camera with another known good card and reader over and over to make sure the cam is ok. Hope it is.

[Alfonso_Frisk]

Cheers orgie your issue sounds  similar to the one I am having.
I am running cols prog now as I TYPE THIS
I will do as you suggest and also contact sandisk when their support  is back on line.

One thing still puzzling me is how I got this ORF file from the card when I first tried to recover data ( see op )
I dont have any olympus gear so where this come from is intruiging

[Colin]

Alf, I suspect the ORF file is not an Olympus file but IIRC a proprietary one from the Sandisk software. I know that when a friend had a problem with a card that I tried the Sandisk software and it did all sorts of odd things including weird file names. The most success that I have had is with ZAR so good luck.

[Alfonso_Frisk]

WOOHOO
that ZA has worked- nice one Col
I have 232 files recovered.
They have come through the prog as tiffs, is this normal ?
just opened a couple with irfanview and the shots look pixelated ?