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How to recover lost photos

ally1
Apprentice

hey everyone. 

ok so I'm new to photography and I am still in school so I though what better way to practice then to take pictures there. I was trying to get them from my camera to a laptop but it deleted all of them. I thought out was a glich so I went and took a couple photos and tried agin. all that showed up was the photos from today. if anyone has ANY idea how to get them back in put would be GREATLY appreciated. thanks!

9 REPLIES 9

jrhoffman75
Legend
Legend

If you just deleted images and didn't format the card you may be able to recover some of them, depending on how many new photos you took.

Look into one of the many recovery software tools you can see listed on the web.

The manufacturer of your SD card may have software. that would be the best route.

Search "SD card recovery software"

John Hoffman
Conway, NH

1D X Mark III, M200, Many lenses, Pixma PRO-100, Pixma TR8620a, Lr Classic

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

Before you go to recovery software get yourself a SD reader. They are cheap and even Walmart will have them.

Hook it up to your laptop and use the laptop to explore the SD. Some laptops have SD slots already. This will confirm whether the photos are actually still there or have been deleted. Do nothing to the SD except explore it. Do not format it or delete anything else or even use it again. Just look! You may find your photos are still there; if not go ahead and try one of the recovery programs. The brand of SD you have may have one for free on their web site.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

BookiiRivas
Contributor

If you purchased a Sandisk SD card, you will find a free license inside the packaging. RescuePRO is a data recovery software developed by Sandisk for its customers. Yes, Sandisk allows you to use it before making a purchase. If it doesn't work on your situation, then give some free data recovery tools a try. Such as Recuva, TestDisk&PhotoRec, Tenorshare 4DDiG, Disk Drill, DMDE Free Edition. But, if possible, take a minute to diagnose why the photos disappeared for no reason. Is the SD card you purchased counterfeit? Have you not updated your drivers for a long time?

Tintype_18
Authority
Authority

My laptop has a card slot (discovered by chance). I tried a reader and SB cable but found direct downloading to be the best with fewer gremlins to interfere. My laptop, W11, also asks if I want to delete photos after downloading. I say No and check to see if photos show up in my files. If OK, then I insert the card into the camera and delete. BTW, good reminder to re-format the card. So far, so good.

John
Canon EOS T7; EF-S 18-55mm IS; EF 28-135mm IS; EF 75-300mm; Sigma 150-600mm DG

TomRamsey
Enthusiast

It's possible that they went to a different folder than you thought, check other folders and make sure they aren't on the laptop somewhere.  Good luck

Are you using a PC or a Mac?   A PC should not remove the files from your card without some notice, unless you explicitly told it to move the files instead of copy - the default command for transferring between drives is copy.  I cannot speak to the behaviour of the Mac system.

The files may well be on your hard disc, in which case use the file manager to search it with the following search method: select your hard disc and search for this: IMG*.JPG - 

The recommended method for downloading images to a computer is as follows:

  1. Turn the camera OFF and remove the card
  2. Using a built-in or USB SD card reader connected to your computer, place the SD card in that 
    At that point the computer should see the card as a removable drive.
  3. Using your computer's file manager, go to the DCIM folder in the SD Card
  4. Press Ctrl (CMD)+A  to select all your images
  5. Press Ctrl (CMD)+C to copy them
  6. Go to a folder of your choice in the computer's hard disc
  7. In that folder press Ctrl (CMD)+V to paste the files into the folder.
  8. Eject or remove the SD card from the reader and return it to your camera
  9. Turn the camera ON
  10. From the camera's wrench menu select to format the card clean - do not Delete files, that creates file management issues potentially over time.  Your card will work faster and more reliably this way.

Other things to note:

  • User ONLY full-size SD cards, not the micro ones with an adapter, they do not work reliably with cameras
  • Use respected brands like Lexar, SanDisk and Prograde
  • Always get them from a reputable dealer - "deals" on the web for super cheap cards may well be counterfeit.

cheers, TREVOR

The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

Alfred_P
Apprentice

As a new photographer, it's great that you're practicing at school, but the situation you're describing might be related to the file transfer issue. Try connecting the SD card to any computer and see if the files are hidden or not. If not then, you will require photo recovery software. Since you have bought a Sandisk SD card, you’ll find a free license for RescuePRO, a recovery software provided by Sandisk, inside the packaging.

Sandisk allows you to use RescuePRO before deciding to purchase it. If it doesn’t work for your case, you can try other photo recovery tools like Stellar Photo Recovery, TestDisk & PhotoRec. However, it’s also important to take a moment to figure out why the photos disappeared unexpectedly. For that try running CHKDSK to fix any SD card issues from any widows computer. 

stevet1
Authority
Authority

ally1,

What method did you use to try and transfer your photos?

And, what kind of computer do you have?

Steve Thomas

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