Lost pics on micro sd card

[jkrack83]

I have an 8GB micro SD card with A LOT of the family photos and movies on it. Upon plugging it into the laptop to ad more, It asked to format it. Knowing better, I did not and started researching, and many programs and such later it has gone RAW. I found recuva along the way (trusted more then the others out there). 

 

But here's my problem, when I click scan a error report pops up. It states "Failed to scan the following drives: E:: Invalid drive size"

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[DennisD]

Hi jk, and welcome to Piriform.

 

I'm in the UK, it's late, and I've just popped in briefly, but I'll have something for you when I come on some time tomorrow.

 

In the meantime of course, one of the other guys may have something for you, but I thought I'd let you know that in case you thought no responses were forthcoming.

 

The "Invalid drive size" puzzles me though. Has the file system been changed at some time, or is the card still as it was when you got it, before it got messed up?

[jkrack83]

Good evening Dennis,

 

Thank you for taking the time to help.  As for the card, nothing was changed. My wife put a movie on it months ago, we watched on the ps3. But when it came time to add more pics to it, the computer no longer recognized it. Asked us if we wanted to format. Using the cmd on the computer it came up saying it was RAW. 

[DennisD]

Family pictures are important, and there are a few options available to try get them back. I'll work my way through them with you one by one.

First though, because some of the latter options entail writing to the card, do you have the disk space available to make a back up "Image" file of it? Being an 8GB card, you would need a least 8GB of disk space to "Image" it. The reason for this is that if any of the latter options fail, the back up "Image" can be restored to the card, and a different option tried.

OK. The card is recognized by Windows as raw, which most probably means it's simply the initial bootsectors of the card which have been damaged, and the details of the file system, and the files it contains, is lost. All your files should still be there, but Windows can no longer see them.

So first we'll try scanning for the files with software which has the ability to scan a raw file system, and the first program to try is Recuva. An associate of mine has had some success scanning a raw file system with Recuva in "Deep Scan" mode. So if you haven't already, go into Recuva "Options\Actions" and check the last 4 boxes in the "Scanning" section.

I have a feeling you may not get past the error you mention above, but try that first, and then post back how you get on. If a no-go, we'll move to the next option.

Also confirm as to whether you have the space to make a back up Image of the card, and I'll link you to a small, free program which can do that.

[jkrack83]

I tried as you instructed, and you guessed correctly. the same error report is coming up.... As for making the "image"... i do not know how to. 

[DennisD]

OK, Recuva is out of the picture for a while, and no worries about making that back up Image at this stage as I only needed to know if you had the space somewhere for a back up Image, which you haven't confirmed by the way.

 

The next option depends upon that error message, "Failed to scan the following drives: E:: Invalid drive size". not having any effect to prevent it. What size is Windows showing for the card?

 

Download the following program, which is reputable and free, and see if it will scan your card. It will scan a RAW file system, so we'll see what your card shows up in it's scan ...

 

Lazesoft Windows Data Recovery:

 

One thing I will mention here, is that images and videos can be difficult to recover if the card or drive has been heavily used and not regularly cleared of files and freshly formatted occasionally. If images and videos are fragmented on the card, it can be hard for software to locate the individual parts, but see what Lazesoft comes up with, and there are other options to look at if the results aren't too positive.

 

Fingers crossed for you.

[jkrack83]

I do have space on my hard drive to do whatever is needed. Windows shows that there is zero bytes available,  but  Recuva shows that it is a  7.32 gig drive. 

 

I have downloaded and ran the Lazesoft program. After  about sixteen hours it shows nothing at all. I ran into this with other programs I tried. 

[DennisD]

Nothing. Wow, and that's a pretty good program.

 

Nevertheless, we'll try something else, and that is "PhotoRec", which may put you off at first glance as it looks like Command Line, but it isn't. It does have a structured dialogue to follow, and there are very detailed help files and if you get completely stuck I'll guide you through it's use.

 

Much better if you can follow the help files though as you can have them in front of you instead of going back and forth on here.

 

PhotoRec:

 

PhotoRec Step By Step:

 

It downloads with a sister program "TestDisk" which is also very useful in recovery but stick with PhotoRec for now, and let me know how you get on with it.

 

And don't forget, if you do get stuck, please say so and I'll help.

[oldcameraman]

I've run into the same problem.  8 GB Micro SD. Worked normally for 6 months. Recorded a longish audiofile. Then the card gave the same errors as the previous poster reported.  Tried all of the software recommended. Still the same problem.  At least the PC can see that drive now.  I am an experienced computer user, (all the way back to DOS days...)  but this one has defeated me. Any other suggestions?

[DennisD]

Hi oldcameraman, and welcome to Piriform from another old camera man.  

 

At least the PC can see that drive now

 

 

Does that mean the computer has given the card a drive letter and you've been able to scan it with Recuva and/or the other programs?

 

If yes, or even if no, there are options to explore.

 

A bit of info as to exactly what you've been able to do or not do would help in the meantime.

[Beagle83]

I was really hoping to find more on this thread.  I'm having the exact issue as OP.  An extremely full SD card from my phone that was too full to even open the gallery (yeah, yeah...), put into my laptop, asked to format.  No.  So I followed every step here, and came with the same results as the OP.  First downloaded Recuva.  0 files found.  Next tried Lazesoft Data Recovery.  Nada.  Says in the list of disks to select and recover that it ha 7.63 MB but recovers nothing.  I would do the suggestion you offered next but I'm in no way competent at hardcore disky computery things that require digital back rooms and all that jazz.  So I'm not touching that without further help.

 

Any updates as to what I should do next?  I'm at a loss   

[Beagle83]

Oh yeah.  Same "invalid drive size" and everything.  And not a 4 year old thread either.  So reeeeeeally hoping something here works!

[Beagle83]

I have also tried to create an image like you were saying, using lazesoft recovery.  clicked drive to image, Selected disk (2 Disk 8.17 GBUSB Device) and in that bar where it shows how full it is, it's all white, (like there's nothing!?!)  and says  (*: ).  7.61 GB       Below where it asks to choose the partitions to back up, I see nothing.

[Beagle83]

well, solved the issue myself.  downloaded ZAR and started tring to image the disk.  top line, all red bad sectors.  aborted.  after reading somewhere that if this happens, to try a card reader, i sat there holding this micro SD adapter wondering if it's almost like a tiny card reader.  Found a different one, put in the micro SD, popped it into my laptop, and it asks if i want to import.  All good to go.  

 

???  I think I feel like an idiot, but I'm not sure yet.

[DennisD]

I would certainly tell you not to feel like an idiot as the object of the exercise is to get your data back. How you achieve that doesn't matter, even if you stumble upon a solution.

 

Even though it sounds like you may not need any further help I'll go ahead anyway although you didn't provide a lot of info.  

 

Firstly, because your card probably had corrupted boot sectors as opposed to you having physically deleted your files, you would need to have selected "Scan for non deleted files" in Recuva's settings. That's assuming that your card had been given a drive letter by Windows.

 

Secondly, I wouldn't have suggested using Lazesoft to "Image" the card. We hadn't reached the stage of trying to repair the card or search for the lost partition, which is when I would have linked the original poster to "USB Image Tool".

 

USB Image Tool: (Freeware)

 

Repairing or trying to undelete the partition on a card involves writing to it. Hence the precaution of making a back up Image first. If one process fails, the Image can be restored to try something else.

 

In the case of a memory card (or flash drive or external hard drive) suddenly becoming "RAW" or flagged by Windows to be in need of formatting, then usually the files on that storage device will be completely intact and in many cases it would be possible to either repair the corrupt boot sectors, or to search for, find, and restore the partition the files are residing in.

 

I've done this successfully both to camera cards and drives many times. Sadly this option doesn't seem to catch on with many folk who seem to think that trying to recover their files by scanning with recovery software is the only option.

 

Anyways, if you've recovered all of your files, well done. If you're still in need of some help, by all means come back to the topic.

 

 

EDIT:  Almost forgot, I have tried out "Zero Assumption Recovery" myself, and suggested it's use as an option ...

 

http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=39946&do=findComment&comment=242629

[GunWiek]

Hello,

 

I'm new here but I've read this topic. I have sort of the same problem. This afternoon, I was watching my pictures on my camera, and then I made a picture and deleted it. After this I made another picture, but my camera was processing for a long time, so I put it off. I put it on directly after this, and I made again a picture. The same thing was happening, the led light was flickering constantly and the camera was processing. I couln't put my camera out this time and I couldn't do anything, so I waited. After I waited it showed my SD card was somehow broken, and I could press help, and it said if I wanted to format the SD card, I didn't do this. 

 

I started up the computer, and plugged the SD card in. Soon as I clicked at the G: drive. It showed it didn't work well and if I would format it. Again I didn't do this. After I searched at the internet and I found out I should use a recovery program, I installed several programs, but they all suprisingly did remark the SD card, but didn't manage recovering the card. Every program searched for a while but without any succes. I can throw the SD card out 'save' as normal, but everytime it showed if I wanted to format it. I were almost sure that the pictures were still on the card. So at the end I watched a video at Youtube and noticed, I had to format the SD card first, and the other things will come along with it, because you can by then get into the SD card. So I decided to format the SD card, following exactly the steps in the video. I had to press right mouse button and click format... and then quick format, I did this, and it asked if I were sure, and I clicked yes. But after a couple of seconds, a window popped up and it said the formatting failed in finishing. I decided to reply also on this topic so I hope someone can help me with this problem, because I'm afraid my SD card doesn't work anymore.

 

GunWiek

[Alan_B]

It would have been better to not only read but also understand post #15 from Dennis,

and first use USB Image Tool: (Freeware).

 

With luck that would have allowed easy recovery from the additional corruption that may have arisen from the "format failure to finish".

 

Sorry but I have no easy remedies to suggest, but hopefully others will.

 

[DennisD]

I will say first that it's maybe a good thing that you were trying to do a "Quick Format" on the card and not a full one, so with any luck the failed format didn't touch the data on the card.

 

After the failed format, does Windows give the card a drive letter when you plug it in? (Doubtful but I dunno)

 

How does "Disk management" display the card, and do you know how to access Disk Management to check that out?

 

A screenshot of the cards display in Disk Management would be useful.

 

How big is the card by the way?

[GunWiek]

The card is 2.0 GB. Normally, if I open the computer menu, you can see the storage space, and how much is left, but now it doesn't, it just says drive G. I can't format my card, and when I plugged it in, it shows a letter if I want to format it. And I did quick format it, but it says 'format can't be completed'. I send you a screenshot, but it's in dutch, so if I have to translate.. Under the 1,83 GB it says 'not-allocated', so I think that is the problem?

[DennisD]

That screenshot says a lot actually.

 

The "unallocated space" as it's usually called could still contain your files.

 

It's showing like that probably because the boot sectors of the drive (your card) which contain the essential "file system/partition information" needed for a computer (or any hardware) to know what is actually on the drive. are corrupt.

 

In my opinion, the best option based upon your info is to have a try at searching for, and then restoring the original partition. It's impossible to say as to whether your excursion into formatting has caused damage which would prevent this option from having any success but until we give it a try we'll never know.

 

There are a couple of programs we could use to investigate this, and the first one I would like you to download is ...

 

MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition 8.1.1: (Home version - free)

 

Once installed, fire it up with your card plugged in and give me a screenshot of how MiniTools displays it.

 

By the way, we wouldn't do anything to your card which could make things worse until we first get you to make a back-up "Image" of it using the following free tool ...

 

USB Image Tool:

 

If anything we try fails, then the back-up Image can be restored to the card to try something else, and just to avoid any confusion with this tool, use the "Device Mode", not the "Volume Mode".

 

If you want to go ahead with these suggestions then I'll help with any advice you need, but be aware that as mentioned above I have no idea what damage, if any, was done to the card by the failed formatting but I don't think you have anything to lose by trying.

[GunWiek]

First, I want to thank you for putting this much effort in this problem. I really appreciate that.

I installed the MiniTool thing and made a screenshot. I did also install USB Image Tool, but this said the device wasn't ready or something? I couldn't make a back-up. I send you a screenshot from both situations. 

 

Thanks!

 

[DennisD]

You're more than welcome, but the Minitools display doesn't look good as it shows you have more than a simple partition containing "unallocated space".

 

The "bad drive" state is a problem and will probably make the suggestions I had more or less impossible.

 

To confirm that, you could try running the "Partition Recovery Wizard" in Minitools and see what happens. If it does by chance complete you can safely go through the whole process to the point of, and including, pressing the "Finish" button.

 

Nothing will actually happen until the "Apply" button in the top left corner is pressed, and you can press "Cancel" for now and let me know the outcome.

 

What I think you will have to do (as I don't think Minitools will succeed), is attempt to repair what I think will be bad sectors on that card and this is something I've never personally had to do. (We're all volunteers here and not Piriform trained employees).

 

All I can suggest is running chkdsk on the card and see what happens, and as you haven't mentioned which Operating System you're running I can't say how to do that other than how I would do it on my XP system ...

 

 

Trying to fix a "bad disk" is something the other guys on here may have experience with and I'm sure they'll contribute if they have.

 

For now, see if Minitools will run the Partition Recovery Wizard and let me know.

 

It also has a "Check File System" feature which will probably not run simply because your attempts to format the card have failed, and it also has a "Surface Test" feature which probably will run and check the card for damaged sectors.

 

I hope I haven't thrown too much at you here but have a try with the above and post back.

[GunWiek]

My operation system is Windows 7. I did the lost data scan and the media scan, but neither of them showed something. Nothing came out. The other options I could choose, weren't showing my SD card. I do not exactly know what you mean by running chkdsk on my card. Nor I know what you exactly do at your XP computer, but the cause of that problem is probably my lack of computer knowledge..

[Jorgeman]

But here's my problem, when I click scan a error report pops up. It states "Failed to scan the following drives: E:: Invalid drive size"

 

 

Sorry for necroing the thread, but I have had this same problem. I have tried the "Deep Scan" option, but nothing. I have tried as well with other programs like Lazesoft, PhotoRec and ZAR to no solution. Any suggestions on what to do next?

[Average]

Hey, im having the same original problem on my 32Gb sd card that was in my samsung j5 phone. Went to bed with phone charging and woke up to the phone saying "mount sd card" when i looked in the storage section. When inserting the sd card into my pc through a sd card reader the pc(windows 7 btw) says that i need to format the card which i havnt done as theres about 3 years worth of pictures within it. Also when i looked in disk management it shows that there is a partition of about 243Mb which ill include a picture of. Also i get all of the same error messages on all the programs that you have suggested. I also used ZAR and it showed bad sectors but only for the 243Mb but i am also unsure of where to go after it find the bad sectors?

I really hope theres a way to fix this even its just the pictures that i get back,

Thank you so much for any help