Data Recovery on Compact Flash Card (Photo Related)

Factual Questions
1

While I no longer shoot professionally, I still do a little bit of work mostly for friends and my own amusement. Recently I shot a wedding for a friend of mine.

One of the two CF cards I used has been really wonky, and I’m having some issues with it.

When I got back from the wedding, and went to review the pics in camera, I got the message “This card cannot be used”

As it was very humid (outdoor wedding in Wisconsin summer) I let the card sit for a week or so before trying to recover the images.

This afternoon, I insert the card in the camera, and I’m able to preview all of the images - therefore I know they are still on the card. I begin the data transfer using my Nikon Xfer utility, get about 6 pictures in, and I get an error message.

I disconnect from the xfer cable, try to view the pix in camera, and get the “this card cannot be used” message again.

Then I let it sit for a while, and a bit later I can see the pix again in camera. I reconnect to the computer, and everything gets wonky again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The camera is a Nikon D100, and the card is a 256 MB Lexar Media Write Accelerated CF card.

I have tried three different recovery utilities I downloaded off the web. none of them recognize that there is a card in the removable drive (the camera) or if they see the drive, they see no data on the card.

Yet obviously the data is still there.

Thoughts?

2

Have you tried using a CF card reader–one that hooks up via USB to your computer? Give that a shot. I wouldn’t use any recovery utilities through the camera.

3

Not yet - that’s the next step, although I might pop into the lab I use for prints and see if they can pull the images first. I don’t actually own a CF reader.

Although I imagine I will shortly if the lab can’t see the pics either.

4

That’s what I would do. USB card readers are dirt cheap. I got mine for $12 from Newegg.com

5

google flash file recovery for various softwares that claim to be able to recover. Never tried any of 'em, but it’s cheaper than the three to four hundred dollars that an outfit like drive savers would charge you.

6

Never mind! I waited again and once the images were again visible in camera, I started scrolling through them and came to a point where the camera said “This file does not contain image data”

I deleted that file, and was able to get the xfer done.

Needless to say, I’ll be careful with that card in the future and not shoot anything critical with it.

Mods, feel free to close if you like.

thanks to all who chimed in!

7

I would also reformat the card, just to be extra safe.

8

And reformat it in the camera, not through Windows. And get one of them card readers; no sense in running down your camera battery just to copy images.