A friend of mine returned from a trip and couldn't get the photos off his SD card and came to me for help after trying to import them into iPhoto and having trouble.

The card in question shows a directory with about 180 pictures with the correct information (file name, date taken, file size). However, copying the files over to a computer results in files with a file size of zero bytes. You can't open the pictures directly from the card (error reading file) and according to him the camera also gives an error when trying to play back the pictures with the camera.

I used Data Rescue and File Salvage to scan and recover files from the card and both programs come up with 200 pictures *but* those pictures are not the right pictures. My friend had downloaded the pictures on the card before the trip and all the recovered pictures are pre-trip pictures (i.e. the card directory currently lists IMG201,jpg, IMG202.jpg, etc. to IMG380.jpg but the recovered pictures are IMG001.jpg up to IMG199.jpg).

Any other suggestions to retrieve the pictures or are these vacation pics toast?

There are image rescue apps out there. I used one some years ago, which I think was called Picture Rescue. It recovered some images that seemed to be completely hosed. I don't know if these apps would work better than the apps you have already tried.

I should have an older version if Image Rescue or Picture Rescue (whatever comes with those old LEXAR cards). It is on one of those small CDs, so I cannot just stick it in my MBP, but I do have a tray-loaded CD-drive so I should be able to send you the installer. Just PM later tonight if you don't find a solution by then. This program worked to recover images from my Dad's camera when he reformatted the card.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2013 02:48PM by space-time.

PhotoRescue is what I've used for years

I have also used the old Lexar program called Image Rescue. It works but I never cared for it as well as the other.

Both are around $30 but have free trials (I have no idea if the trial is crippled)

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“No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.” -- François de La Rochefoucauld

"Those who cannot accept the past are condemned to revise it." -- Geo. Mathias

Rescue Pro that comes with Sandisk cards works really well.

Tried RescuePro - no joy, it found only the previous photos as well, nothing of the photos currently listed on the cards directory. Seems really strange that the camera would create a file in the directory for each photo taken but no picture data can be found on the card. Oh well

PhotoRec

Have you tried this free program? I used it a couple of years ago to get pictures off failed hard drive.

Step by step instructions. It runs from the command line in terminal.

Instructions

Fred