ImageRescue any good?

[Gabe]

I got this program free with a Lexar 256MB CF card I bought over the weekend. It claims to be able to recover files on a card even if they were deleted (as long as they were not "secure deleted") or the card is corrupt. Anyone have any experience with this?

I was going to get a similar program through NPPA's website for $30, but if this will do ...

[Sebastian]

Saved my ass a couple of times when I accidentally formatted a full card...gets images back, I guess that's good enough for me.

One thing you should know about all these programs, the can recover deleted, or formatted cards as long as nothing else was written over the space. When a file is deleted or when a card is formatted the data never disappears, the space is just flagged "ok" to write over again. What this software does is it looks at the data that is still there and recovers it. Once a new file is written over it the data has completely changed, and the old info is gone for good.

A "secure wipe" is basically writing all zeroes to the file area, obliterating any data that was there. It can still be recovered using really expensive high-tech methods that are way out of the scope of a simple software program.

So, to make a long story short, they work very well, as long as new data hasn't overwritten the old.

[Gabe]

Thanks, Seb. And I appreciate you clearing that up about not recovering files that have already been written over. My experience with digital had not, up to now, extended past using a Fuji Finepix 2800. ;)

[Sebastian]

Like I just mentioned in another thread, we really need to start treating these things like computers. The CF cards are no different than hard drives, some even ARE hard drives, these are computers, and knowing how they work, and how the software interacts with them, is essential to using one effectively. People that were just photographers before now need to become their own IT department as well, to an extent. Film was so much easier in so many ways, but now we got what we always wished for, more control and efficiency, and all the labor and learning associated with it.

[another view]

Never needed it (knock on wood), but it's a good thing to have. Most people don't realize that the program is on the compact flash card when they buy it, and lose it by sticking it in their camera and formating the card. (I certainly wouldn't do something like that...).

When I installed it, I shot a few pictures, then formatted the card in the camera and let Image Rescue do it's thing. It found the pictures but did take awhile. Like Seb says, the absolute most important thing is not to shoot anything on it if you format by mistake.

[Gabe]

Like I just mentioned in another thread, we really need to start treating these things like computers. The CF cards are no different than hard drives, some even ARE hard drives, these are computers, and knowing how they work, and how the software interacts with them, is essential to using one effectively. People that were just photographers before now need to become their own IT department as well, to an extent. Film was so much easier in so many ways, but now we got what we always wished for, more control and efficiency, and all the labor and learning associated with it.

I hear ya ... I just had to upgrade my PC in a major way (120 GB main drive, WinXP, PS 7, more RAM) just to be able to handle the D30's files. And now I'm learning about card readers, and how some cards (not "USB-enabled"?) don't work with the free one I got with the 256 card ... and I'm not sure if the transmit cable I received with the camera is compatible with WinXP ... ACK. Thankfully, I have the very helpful guys at my day job's IT dept, and this site, to look to for answers ;)

another view, I almost deleted the program too ... but when I didn't find a disc in the box, I figured it was on the card. Phew!

[another view]

And now I'm learning about card readers, and how some cards (not "USB-enabled"?) don't work with the free one I got with the 256 card ...

The first card I bought was a Lexar 256 24x and it came with their free card reader. I could not get it to work no matter what I did. I gave up and just did downloads from the camera until one day I figured out about USB enabled cards (this card was, of course, non-USB)... The thing that got me was - why did they ship a non-USB card with a Jumpshot reader?? To late to complain about it, so it stays in the Coolpix.