Help! "Corrupt image" on CF card

[Liz]

I have about 2 dozen pics on a Lexar 256 card. One which had been edited for the web a long time ago suddenly became "corrupt." I got a message on my pc "corrupted jpg file. Please run ckdsk utility." I tried deleting this image via PSElements, but the image froze. Then I tried deleting it through the control panel on my computer, and the other 3 images (not edited) in that folder were deleted, but this one still remains. The other 3 were the ones I wanted to keep. However, not a big deal.

Is it okay to put the card in the camera and try deleting it? Will it do anything to the camera? There are still images that I want to get printed on the card, altho not in that "folder" anymore. I went to Walmart and only one image showed up on their machine, but couldn't see which it was - but could guess.

I'd be most grateful if someone could help me out. Thanks.

Questions:
1) How do images all of a sudden become corrupted?
2) Do the corrupted images effect anything else - camera, pc, card, other images on CF?
3) Is the card still ok to use?

Thanks for any help.

Liz

[Lara]

Hi Liz....While you await answers from the photo gurus You might want to read this info. It could answer some of your questions.
http://www.nyip.com/tips/flashcards0604.php

[Liz]

Thanks Lara.

This is valuable info - it answers my questions as to how it happens and how to prevent it. However, I tried running the Chkdsk utilities to no avail. I also used Lexar image rescue which didn't do a thing. I don't know what else to do. In the link you gave me it says in bold print "do not try to delete or reformat." I tried to delete (on the pc) numerous times, but thank goodness, not in the camera. And I did not try to reformat. I want the other images if possible, as they are the ones I shot this past weekend - my first really trying out the camera.

I can't figure out if the whole "card" is corrupt or just the image. It says the "file" is corrupt - there are 3 other files on the card. The only image left in this particular file is the corrupt file. However, when I put it into the machine at Walmart, none of the images showed up.

Thanks Lara - hopefully someone else will help.

Liz

Hi Liz....While you await answers from the photo gurus You might want to read this info. It could answer some of your questions.
http://www.nyip.com/tips/flashcards0604.php

[another view]

"do not try to delete or reformat."

Hmm... My guess was to re-format the card. Most Lexar cards have a lifetime warranty, so I'd contact their customer service dept. They have a 24 hour chat room style support service and is very helpful.

[Liz]

Thanks Steve.

Somewhere this morning I believe I read not to reformat the card - at any rate, I read not to do anything with it in the camera - it could "freeze" the camera. I will look up the link and 24 hour help support tonight. Thanks for that info.

Liz

Hmm... My guess was to re-format the card. Most Lexar cards have a lifetime warranty, so I'd contact their customer service dept. They have a 24 hour chat room style support service and is very helpful.

[SmartWombat]

If you want he images on the card, then formatting it oibviously isn't a good idea !

I use Image Rescue on my PC to get images off my card inf things go wrong.
It's smart enough to even recover deleted images.

[Liz]

but for some reason it didn't work either. The image is still there and I'm still getting the "corrupt jpg file" message. I'm someone who needs explanation for dummies - so I may be doing something wrong.

Liz

If you want he images on the card, then formatting it oibviously isn't a good idea !

I use Image Rescue on my PC to get images off my card inf things go wrong.
It's smart enough to even recover deleted images.

[Peter_AUS]

Liz,

I would move the files that you want to keep off of the card to your PC then reformat the card in the camera.

That way you get to keep the files you want.

Don't access the corrupt file at all, just the ones you want to keep. You mentioned they were in another folder on the card, so just move that folder over to the computer as you copy.

Photorescue is another program that recovers corrupt or deleted files if it can from CF cards as well as hard drives. http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/ download the trial version and see if it can recover the file, it won't let you but you will see if it works. It isn't that expensive to purchase either, but it is an ongoing yearly subscription (one thing I don't like about it).

[Liz]

In one of the helpful articles I read it said not to reformat the card until you get rid of the corrupt file. It also said that corrupt images can freeze the camera if you work with it there. It also said that reformatting on the pc doesn't always work because it's much more complicated.

It's a good idea to save the other files. I'm just not sure if the whole card is corrupt now - or just the one image. The reason I'm wondering is because I've done some of the things the article said in bold print not to do. (before I read anything).

Thanks Peter.

Liz

Liz,

I would move the files that you want to keep off of the card to your PC then reformat the card in the camera.

That way you get to keep the files you want.

Don't access the corrupt file at all, just the ones you want to keep. You mentioned they were in another folder on the card, so just move that folder over to the computer as you copy.

Photorescue is another program that recovers corrupt or deleted files if it can from CF cards as well as hard drives. http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/ download the trial version and see if it can recover the file, it won't let you but you will see if it works. It isn't that expensive to purchase either, but it is an ongoing yearly subscription (one thing I don't like about it).

[Peter_AUS]

Liz,

If you have saved the files you want to save, then you should be able to format the card in the camera, through the menu, this will then set the CF card for you to reuse. I can understand your reluctance to do so, but as you said you have already done something it says not to do. But those not to do's are subjective to the person who wrote the article.

If it was me, I would be moving the images that I can save, to the hard drive and reformatting the card. It is basically like reformatting your hard drive after a few years of using it. Like doing a fresh install of software you own to clear up any problems that have loaded onto the hard drive over sometime of use.

[Liz]

Thanks Peter. I'll do some serious thinking about it. However, after a warning that corrupt images can freeze the camera - and I just spent a lot of money on a brand new camera, I'm reluctant to take the chance. But....we'll see. In the meantime, I'll check out more options. I regularly reformat my cards, just happens that I was going to get prints made - and haven't had the time, so kept some on the card for quite a long while.

Liz

Liz,

If you have saved the files you want to save, then you should be able to format the card in the camera, through the menu, this will then set the CF card for you to reuse. I can understand your reluctance to do so, but as you said you have already done something it says not to do. But those not to do's are subjective to the person who wrote the article.

If it was me, I would be moving the images that I can save, to the hard drive and reformatting the card. It is basically like reformatting your hard drive after a few years of using it. Like doing a fresh install of software you own to clear up any problems that have loaded onto the hard drive over sometime of use.