What if you lost your digital images?

**mjs1973** · 03-07-2006, 06:29 AM

I lost a bunch of images this weekend. Not a good feeling. Especially when you have a brand new, empty 400GB external hard drive sitting next to the computer that just crashed. I had copied almost all of my pics to the HD then decided to format it a dif. way so i deleted most of them. They were still on the computer hard drive so no big deal. Then on Saturday I start up my PC and get an error message. I tried to follow the instructions that popped up with the error message but didn't have any luck with that. The only way I could get the computer to boot up was to put in the recovery disc that came with it. That wiped out everything... I haven't figured out how many pics I actually lost, and there wasn't much on there that I would consider "print worthy", but there were some sentemental pics on there. Christmas pics from grandmas house, airport pics of my future brother in law saying good bye to his family before being deployed... A couple landscape photos that I wanted to print, and a whole lot of snapshots that I wouldn't have done anything with.

All in all, it wasn't as bad as it could be. I had started buring stuff to DVD's a while ago, so some of the stuff I lost, was backed up, but not all of it. The biggest pain so far has been getting PS reinstalled. A couple hours and 7 CD's later, it was finally up and running again. Now I have to find and reinstal the plug in's that I had loaded, and recreat an action or two.

A good learning experiance for me, and has given me a much better idea of what I want to do to back up my photos in the future.

**SmartWombat** · 03-07-2006, 01:47 PM

The only way I could get the computer to boot up was to put in the recovery disc that came with it. That wiped out everything...

Yep, same here. But my images were all on the D: drive so I only lost the software on my C: drive.

I tried to follow the instructions that popped up with the error message

Fatal mistake. I did the same. Micro-soft-in-the-head strikes again.

You need two computers - just like I did.
The second one to log onto the Internet to find out how to fix the problem !!

there were some sentemental pics on there. Christmas pics from grandmas house, airport pics of my future brother in law saying good bye to his family before being deployed... A couple landscape photos that I wanted to print, and a whole lot of snapshots that I wouldn't have done anything with.

Try a tool like Image Recall - it will read an entire disk and find images.
Even if they have been deleted. But not if you've written over them.
You could have it recover files to your external disk.

The biggest pain so far has been getting PS reinstalled.

Installed isn't too bad, but if it's PS CS2 there's the re-activation to go through, and convince them you're not a pirate stealing their software.

A learning experience I hoped everyone else would learn from when I posted my thread a few weks back after my PC died. Well no, the PC is fine, it's Windows that curled up its toes and shuffled off its mortal coil.

**mjs1973** · 03-07-2006, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by SmartWombat

You need two computers - just like I did.
The second one to log onto the Internet to find out how to fix the problem !!

I do have to computers, but I made the fatal mistake of thinking I could fix it myself. That wont happen again.

Originally Posted by SmartWombat

Installed isn't too bad, but if it's PS CS2 there's the re-activation to go through, and convince them you're not a pirate stealing their software.

It was PS CS2. I didn't have any proplem activating it. I have the original version of CS, 3 disc to install it, and then I have the CS2 upgrade. Another 4 disks on top of that...

**Ronnoco** · 04-26-2006, 04:56 PM

I have my digital images on a desktop, a laptop, CD, DVD, and an external hard drive, as well as tons in slide and negative form. I have never had a card problem yet, but when the work is important, multiple cards, and multiple cameras are the order of the day.

I made the mistake of going light to Tulum in Mexico and my film camera gave out, but I was able to find a camera repair man in Cancun who managed to fix it in an hour. I was quite impressed and the cost was reasonable.

Ronnoco

**fotomatt** · 05-12-2006, 10:06 AM

My digital workflow:

I have a couple of variations.

1) When doing architectural shoots I always have my laptop set up for proofing and preview of my shots.

So, when I'm done shooting a card:

1) Card gets downloaded to computer
2) Card gets stored

Upon completion of the shoot, I burn a set of CDs.

I leave the job with three copies!

If I'm shooting a wedding and can have the luxury of letting my assistant dump cards and burn CD's I use the same workflow.

However, if time/space and other logistics don't allow for that:

1) Dump card into my Epson P-2000
2) Store card.

WHICHEVER method I use:

I never, ever, EVER will dump a card during a shoot. The off chances where I have had to do that I:

Took burned CD's and opened up images from outer, middle and inside of CD in photoshop to make sure the disk was working properly.

The key here is to make sure you have enough cards and a storage device so that you won't have to dump a card to continue shooting more photos.

Hope that tidbit helps!

**onetouch** · 05-13-2006, 02:19 PM

I've just made a few mistake... I think I have lost all the images on my sd card... I am not sure. Could please give me an advise? I was going through the setting on my digital camera, and stupidly I chose the choice 'format' - 'Execute... Then, there aren't anymore images... Have I really lost all the pictures??? Please help!:cryin: :cryin:

**Kaelastreet** · 06-11-2006, 02:10 AM

I have, in another thread, just pounded on the need to back up and then back up again.

However
I once had a customer in the retail trade try to sue me as even though he was backing up daily, (point of sale cash register system); he was never ever verifying the back up was useable. IN other words, his back ups were garbage, but he carried on backing up until the day when the world stopped for him.

If you make back ups, before you delete the original, ensure that your backup is readable and fit for purpose.

I have, sadly, (or with challenge) needed to 'walk away' from life. With that, you end up with what you can get into a suitcase and a backpack. Prioritising the need to keep things takes on a whole new perspective.

What if you get home to find you house burning down, or that levy breaks or the dam bursts or the sinkhole opens up of the ASBO Hoodie steals everything of value. Back ups are rendered fair game for loss and destruction, what then?

Solution

Keep a print or digital copy in another place, FAR away and be prepared for the need to lose one of them, either the original or the backup. Hint; don’t save your copies on a server run by someone else, business change hands at the blink of an eye.

Work in life to keep five things, and ensure that if those things cannot walk under their own steam, you’re going to have to willingly carry it. Be it your child, or your camera, your choice. But, when it comes to making value added judgements to the need to make copies, it helps bring it in focus.

I hope it never happens, but one day you might be thankful just to be still alive and pictures, no matter how expensive, will be another unwanted luxury item.

If I lose all my work again, well, as long as I can write about it, I will be happy!

Kizzie

**kkraczek** · 06-25-2006, 10:47 AM

I posted this on another thread, and I thought that it would be helpful here as well. Several weeks ago my boss' assistant inadvertently screwed up a card full of RAW files. Boss tried the LEXAR recovery system which didn't work. Told her I'd bring it home and do some research. Came up with a downloadable program called Card Recovery, which worked beautifully on the first try. It recovered every image.

Had to use it again myself after I was getting CF read errors from falling down with my camera in tow- (don't ask!) and again, it worked perfectly. I can't say enough about this program- it was well worth the $39.95 price tag!

I hope that this is helpful- I looked in the reviews section for card recovery software and couldn't find any. John, if you post a link I'll be happy to put my review there.

Here is the link to the website: http://www.cardrecovery.com/

Hope this helps!

**yad99in** · 01-10-2013, 03:35 AM

if you lose your digital images from camera only solution is take the help of some good photos recovery software. Lots of good photo recovery software are coming with demo version with the help of demo version you can see the preview of recoverable images, thus you will get to know that software will work for you or not. such one good software is Stellar photo Recovery software.

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**Gsusangrey** · 09-30-2022, 03:45 AM

**dmm96452** · 03-07-2006, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by mjs1973

I lost a bunch of images this weekend. Not a good feeling. Especially when you have a brand new, empty 400GB external hard drive sitting next to the computer that just crashed. I had copied almost all of my pics to the HD then decided to format it a dif. way so i deleted most of them. They were still on the computer hard drive so no big deal. Then on Saturday I start up my PC and get an error message. I tried to follow the instructions that popped up with the error message but didn't have any luck with that. The only way I could get the computer to boot up was to put in the recovery disc that came with it. That wiped out everything... I haven't figured out how many pics I actually lost, and there wasn't much on there that I would consider "print worthy", but there were some sentemental pics on there. Christmas pics from grandmas house, airport pics of my future brother in law saying good bye to his family before being deployed... A couple landscape photos that I wanted to print, and a whole lot of snapshots that I wouldn't have done anything with.

All in all, it wasn't as bad as it could be. I had started buring stuff to DVD's a while ago, so some of the stuff I lost, was backed up, but not all of it. The biggest pain so far has been getting PS reinstalled. A couple hours and 7 CD's later, it was finally up and running again. Now I have to find and reinstal the plug in's that I had loaded, and recreat an action or two.

A good learning experiance for me, and has given me a much better idea of what I want to do to back up my photos in the future.

The next time something like this happens to you or anyone else that reads this there is a way to work around the error message that doesn't lose data on the C drive.

Place a new or spare HD in the pc and and reinstall or run the restore disk to get the operating system on that disk. Then add the old drive back in as a second drive and you will be able to copy your files to the new drive (assuming it was software and not a bad hd that caused the problem).

**Alison** · 12-19-2008, 04:12 AM

My hubby backs mine up in 3 different places.
He has the computer to back up every night, well early hours of the morning, at around 2am. So any work we have done is auto backed up.
I would die if I lost my pictures!!!

**Cheayol** · 08-18-2019, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by Alison

My hubby backs mine up in 3 different places.
He has the computer to back up every night, well early hours of the morning, at around 2am. So any work we have done is auto backed up.
I would die if I lost my pictures!!!

The best way is that do no overwrite new photos, and try photo recovery programs.
Many programs can recovery digital images, such as Bitwar Data Recovery, Recoverit, etc. Some are free of charge. Choose one and have a try.
Good luck.

**AlbertJH** · 10-10-2019, 08:12 PM

There is no software which can recover overwritten data from computer/pc/sdcard or any other digital device because I have tried many software including bitware. But recover the Data if the device have not overwritten I tried some software such as Minitool, Stellar Photo Recovery, Hetman and more. These all software recover digital images, videos, photos with easy solutions! Thanks.

**fotomatt** · 05-12-2006, 10:00 AM

I actually had a card failure in December of last year. Not the whole shoot, but it doesn't matter shooting professionally. It put a real dent in my relationship with the client.

Funny thing is I DID MANAGE TO RECOVER THE IMAGES! I shoot all Lexar 1 gig cards (80x). I emailed Lexar that weekend and ended up in India with a by-the-book teckie. What a waste of time.

We tried four recoveries using the Mac version of Image Rescue. His final words to me were, "The images are gone, reformat the card."

This was not good enough for me. On Monday I called Lexar in NJ and explained the problem. The guy was fantastic.

First off, the Mac software DOES NOT work! Luckily I run Virtual PC on my G4 Notebook. He said they'd never attempted it THAT way before, but I assured him I had nothing to lose! The data recovery worked perfect, the first time!

I'm sticking with my Lexars!

Read my next post for my digital shooting workflow from camera to computer.

:mad2:

**Neatsfoot** · 07-14-2006, 02:07 PM

Makes me feel a bit relieved to be living in the dark ages - I still use film, where negatives are a decent backup. But someday I will perfect a backup with scanned images on a HD.

**danag42** · 08-21-2006, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Neatsfoot

Makes me feel a bit relieved to be living in the dark ages - I still use film, where negatives are a decent backup. But someday I will perfect a backup with scanned images on a HD.

Assuming your negatives or slides are properly stored and not subject to mold or heat.

My solution is to keep all my photos on a RAID system, seperate from the disk that houses the OS. I back up to Archival Gold DVD's, but you never know........

The conventional wisdom is to keep a backup off-site. There are RAID boxes that you can copy your archivce to, and take to another location.

This all gets expensive. But most of us charge it back to the customers, who are usually smart enough to know why it's neccesary.

**cutiepie** · 09-14-2006, 08:51 AM

Hi there, I have a big problem. my mother went to a wedding took about 1000 pics, i tried to download the pics on my computer (ibook4), nothing happenend. i unplugged the cable from the computer, checked my camera and it said,no file in folder. i am so desperate. is there any hope??? does anyone know someplace i could take the memory card in in the san jose area??? unfortunately i do not know much about computers.
thanks for your help...

**ddkphotos** · 01-04-2007, 06:52 AM

Well - I had an external hard drive die on me. Yup - 160 gigs worth of pics... down the toilet... Had our computer guru at work try to salvage it but alas - no luck - the drive was literally fried...
So words of advice would be - buy good quality externa hard drives (apparently Rocstor is well recommended) and don't put all your eggs in one basket - have a 2nd copy somewhere else...

**Phil_USN** · 01-26-2007, 12:00 AM

Keep your film in a dry, cool place is the absolute best way to back up your digital files.

**maramossetta** · 01-26-2007, 03:46 AM

try image recall.. i think its called dont panic. i had to buy it for the mac but it worked.. saved muh!!

**Jaedon** · 01-26-2007, 04:57 AM

I had an issue only once.

I set the CF card on the bed in front of me when sitting in a hotel room and getting the laptop ready. At this point my youngest child got sic and threw up all over the memory card. I let the car dry out for 2 days and put it into the card reader and it showed that it was blank. a full days worth of shots lost.....or so I thought.

A friend of mine told me to try a program called ISO buster. I had used it before for opening image files but I did not know it could be used as a data recovery tool as well. I installed the program (theres a free version available on the web if you google the name) and had it check the card. Not only did it have the shots I had recently taken but it foud images on the card still from the day before ( I only format the cards before I am heading out to a shoot and I know the images from the last one are safe and backed up) Its nice to have more than one option software wise. Like someone said earlier inteh thread, if one doesn't work then you can keep trying and another one will.

**shutterman** · 01-31-2007, 09:08 AM

I have not had a CF card fail yet, but it is only a matter of time.

Is many 1 or 2 Gig CF cards better than a few 4gig cards? That way if one fails........

For my computer I just got a NAS device that holds 4 harddrives for up to 1 terrabyte. It is in a RAID configuration so I am satisfied with my backups. It runs a nightly backup of the folders where I keep all my pix (and music). If one drive fails, I just pop another in

My applications are on 1 internal drive and my pictures that I work on are on another separate hard drive so any software conflicts among the applications don't bother the data.

I also back up to DVD just in case and put those DVD's in a fire safe (our house burned when I was in 5th grade)

Can't be too careful!

thanks,
Wes

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