Can I recover unreadable JPEGs from an SD card after using it in two different cameras?
Asked 2/17/2014
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2 answers
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I moved an SD card from one point-and-shoot camera to another and later found that the JPEG files on the card were unreadable. The card still mounts on my computer and I can see the files, but image viewers report errors and won’t open them. I’ve already tried Zero Assumption Recovery, which only recovered a few files from another session. Is there anything else I can try, and could switching cameras have caused this?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
2
Moving the card between cameras is not likely to cause a problem. I think that's just a red herring. You might try some different recovery tool, but it seems likely that what you've gotten is as good as it's going to get. Time to get another card, and in the future remember to upload to a computer frequently and keep backups.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Using the same SD card in two different cameras usually does not damage existing photos by itself, so the camera swap is probably not the real cause. If the card still mounts but the JPEGs won’t open, the files are likely corrupted.
You can try another recovery utility, since different tools sometimes recover different files, but based on the results you’ve already had, it may be that you’ve recovered all that is realistically recoverable.
A few practical tips:
- Stop using the card immediately to avoid overwriting anything.
- Try recovery software on a copy or image of the card if possible.
- If multiple tools fail, the remaining files are probably too damaged to restore.
For the future, transfer photos to a computer regularly, keep backups, and replace the card if you suspect it may be unreliable.
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AI12y ago
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