Then we saw it, now we don't - images missing on SD card

[Golf4food]

We just got back from WDW and I am importing our photos into iPhoto for editing - mostly from our dSLR but a smaller number we took with the Nikon P&S (mostly of food because it is easier to handle at dinner than the dSLR). While using it Friday and Saturday we know there were pictures on it because we flipped back through them once or twice, mostly to confirm we got an ok shot and could commence with eating . Now, however, the card or card reader or Mac doesn't show any images at all from the days we were at WDW, just a couple of dozen that were still on the card from before we left - those show up fine, but the few dozen we took Fri and Sat at WDW are now missing.

That SD card is only used in the Nikon, formated in the Nikon, and we don't delete photos from in camera during use, only after importing for editing in iPhoto, so I'm guessing it isn't one of those normal culprits. While using it Saturday night the card reached its storage limit, camera said card full, so I swapped it out for another and all of the images on that second card are fine, so I am also guessing it isn't the camera (or else was a temporary problem that miraculously corrected itself in the one minute it takes to swap SD cards...)

Any ideas? I'm going to head over to some Mac forums to find recovery utilities there, but wanted to ask here first since I know the DIS cavalry will come to the rescue.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Hmmmm, if you normally use a card reader that is usually the best... Maybe try puggin in the camera and try reading it that way.

otherwise I agree, a recovery utility would be the next step.

Mikeeee

 

[MICKEY88]

ZAR is the BEST recovery program I have found for digital images...

I was able to recover pics from a card that had been formatted

and the software is FREE

 

[Golf4food]

ZAR is the BEST recovery program I have found for digital images...

I was able to recover pics from a card that had been formatted

and the software is FREE

Does me no good on a Mac - XP only.

I've tried one for Mac and it only finds the 43 photos that were already on the card before we left. I'll keep trying, but not looking good so far.

 

[MICKEY88]

I just did a google search for

photo recovery software for mac

and got a few hits, several with free trial downloads

 

[GrillMouster]

Are you able to review the images on the camera? If so, import through the camera rather than the card reader.

When you import to the computer, do you just copy them, or do you move them (moving deletes them from the card -- not recommended)?

In the future, don't fill a card to capacity; leave one or two shots.

 

[Golf4food]

Are you able to review the images on the camera? If so, importing through the camera rather than the card reader.

When you import to the computer, so you just copy them, or do you move them (moving deletes them from the card -- not recommended)?

In the future, don't fill a card to capacity; leave one or two shots.

They don't show up in camera either. They did while we were there - I flipped through some of them. I never delete photos from the cards, just copy over to the computer. I later format the cards in camera.

It's just odd that they were there and are now gone, but other photos that were already on the card are still there and have zero problems. If the card were defective I would think the other photos would have been zapped as well. Luckily they were mostly pictures of food and nothing that will be sorely missed if they cannot be recovered. I mostly just want to figure out what happened so as to avoid it in the future!

 

[MICKEY88]

what brand of card and how old is it../

did you google for "photo recovery software for mac"

 

[alan]

Oh dear. Not sounding good - I don't have anything useful to contribute except my good wishes.

If you were on a PC, I might be able to help - I once thought I lost a load of shots but CardRecovery helped. I know nada about macs :-(

All the best,

regards,
/alan

 

[Tom Dibble]

First: Do not do anything to the card. Do not take any more pictures on it. Set it aside until you've recovered the images.

Do a google search for Data Rescue II (sorry, first post so I can't add the URL here ... that's a goofy forum rule!)

I had a flakey card this last summer, and DRII saved my pictures repeatedly. I'd point you to my blog on the subject, but, again, not allowed to link for another ten post (!!!).

DRII has two approaches: first it will try recoveing the file system. If something else has already failed to bring the pictures back, this is unlikely to work. The second approach, though, is a full "disk" scan. It will look at every byte of data on the disk, extract anything which looks like a digital photo, and put a copy of it on your hard drive.

Worked like a charm for me. Takes a really long time (8GB card on a USB2 reader took 2-3 hours to scan and recover), but much less time than trying to recreate those pictures to take them again!

 

[Golf4food]

what brand of card and how old is it../

did you google for "photo recovery software for mac"

Kingston Elite Pro 1GB about a year old.

I have been doing that - I'm not a moron. Already tried one with no success (mentioned earlier), have another in the hopper but haven't had time to play with it yet. I tried to read it on the XP side (dual system) but the XP side can't see the card readers. I've tried both an older USBI reader and a newer USBII reader - nothing shows on either.

 

[MICKEY88]

Kingston Elite Pro 1GB about a year old.

I have been doing that - I'm not a moron. Already tried one with no success (mentioned earlier), have another in the hopper but haven't had time to play with it yet. I tried to read it on the XP side (dual system) but the XP side can't see the card readers. I've tried both an older USBI reader and a newer USBII reader - nothing shows on either.

I certainly never thoughtyou were a moron, but you never said you found any software either..

that's odd that the xp side isn't seeing your card readers..

come to think of it though, if you have the xp side, why so quick to tell me that Zar wouldn't work on your mac..


I'm getting the feeling that for whatever reason anything I say will be rebuked.. so I'm outta here...good luck

 

[manning]

Kingston Elite Pro 1GB about a year old.

I have been doing that - I'm not a moron.

I had a suggestion.

 

[Golf4food]

I certainly never thoughtyou were a moron, but you never said you found any software either..

that's odd that the xp side isn't seeing your card readers..

come to think of it though, if you have the xp side, why so quick to tell me that Zar wouldn't work on your mac..


I'm getting the feeling that for whatever reason anything I say will be rebuked.. so I'm outta here...good luck

No, I didn't mean it like that. I put a smiley face for a reason. <--See? Smiley face. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic. I said the other did me no good only because XP wasn't seeing the card reader. It was the first thing I tried based upon your recommendation.

 

[MICKEY88]

No, I didn't mean it like that. I put a smiley face for a reason. <--See? Smiley face. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic. I said the other did me no good only because XP wasn't seeing the card reader. It was the first thing I tried based upon your recommendation.

does xp see the card reader with a different card in it