I downloaded about 60 photos that I had taken yesterday. After downloading, but before looking how well they downloaded, I – unfortunately - formatted my Extreme Pro 90 MB/s UDMA7 CF card. When I viewed what I had downloaded I found that only 34 photos were viewable and the remaining were not. I used RescuePro to try to get those remaining photos. RescuePro recovered (434) 40+ MB NEF files but not one of them were able to be opened in Windows Viewer, NX2 Viewer, LR4, ACR or Photoshop CS5. I get an error message “Unsupported file type” or "Files may be corrupt or too large". Has anyone experienced this problem with their D800 or tried using RescuePro with their D800 NEF files successfully? I did some shooting today to verify that the card works and that I could download the images and it all worked properly.

BTW I love my D800!

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

What version of RescuePro are you using? Writing additional files to your card will deminish your chances of recovery.

Before reformatting, I have only had one file not read correctly from my D800e's download from the same model card and that is likely user error in stop the download prematurly. Simply doing the download again resolved that sucessfully.

Perhaps get the current version (if not current version)of RescuePro and retry. You might also try Lexar's recovery from download.

I hope you succeed in the recovery.
Jim

Brian:

It is puzzling that you could open some of the files, but not others.

Before I could open D800E RAW files in Photoshop CS5, I had to download and install the latest RAW plugin. If I remember correctly, it is Version 7.1. Once I did that, they opened with no problem in the CS5 RAW window.

From another perspective, which memory card were you using: Type, Capacity, Manufacturer, etc., and how were you storing the images on the card?

Check pages 434 -437 or your D800 manual for a list of approved memory cards, capacity, etc. Not all cards are approved for all capacities and all manufacturers.

I have never had to use RescuePro (counting my lucky stars!), but does it change the file type when it recovers a file?

Possible long shots, but perhaps worth looking into.

Regards,

HBB in Phoenix, Arizona
Nikonian Team Member

Photography is a journey with no conceivable destination.

I should say that I have downloaded many D800 photos without problem. I think the main reason they did not download properly was that my computer was still starting up when I plugged my card into it, that is why some downloaded properly and some did not. The part that worries me at the moment, in regard to RescuePro, is that all of the files it recovered from weeks ago could not be opened either even though these files were downloaded and used successfully. I had downloaded the latest RescuePro software yesterday when this problem first occurred so it should be the latest. I'm just wondering if others experienced the same problem I had for D800 NEF file recovery using RescuePro. Are the files too large for RescuePro's latest software?

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I'm not an expert on this matter but I think it's something like; once the FAT table on a "disk" has been corrupted you are in trouble, chances are quite big that you will not be able recover all data.
One of the problem is that files might be fragmented so when a recovery program searches for deleted files it might find the beginning of the file, but could fail to find the rest of the file, leaving you with a defect file. Files which is not fragmented is "easier" to recovered.

Mostly memory cards are destroyed when unplugging it; with power on, or while files are still written to the card, if a cache is enabled and the card is unplugged before the cache is flushed to the card and by electrical shocks.
So when taking the card out of the camera, make sure to switch it off - I have notice that when I switch mine off, the green led is lit so the camera might be reading from or writing back to the card, either way the card is under power.

Take this for what it is

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Thanks DK. That sounds like exactly what had happened. I normally do wait for devices to go through their paces but I was totally negligent that day. It was a race to get my photos posted before my photo friend did. I lost.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Brian -- Hey there in Genesee Depot! It's your buddy Alan, from Waukesha. I didn't see this thread until today. Even if you have formatted your card in your camera -- rerun Rescue Pro or the Lexar version of card recovery software (downloadable for free) again. I have had to go to this magic potion twice now -- and once more for a colleague where I work part time. I not only recovered my files that were most recent captures, but files from waaaaaaaaaaay back. It was like a time machine! Lexar recovers two copies of each file: one is the full file and the other is a thumb nail. I don't know why -- it just does.

You're old enough to remember DOS -- a pre-windows operating system. When you deleted a file in DOS, it simply deleted the first character of the 8-character file name. Early file recovery software required you to go in and replace that character. I have no ide how newer ones work, but I suspect they simply replace the dleted character with something they can read with the rest of the file name.

Don't surrender -- and don't be in such an all-fired hurry next time. I am very methodical as I get older -- mistakes are too easy abnd too close together otherwise!

Good luck!

Alan
Waterloo, IL, USA
www.proimagingmidamerica.com

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Thanks Alan. I'll try it again and see what happens. Nothing to loose. : )

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I found out what the problem was. My card reader was not working properly. I replaced my old card reader with Lexor USB 3.0 and was able to see all the old formatted photos that were on my card, EXCEPT for the ones I wanted to recover. Apparently the photos I took afterwards over wrote those particular files. In any case RescuePro works fine with larger D800 NEF files. Also, I have to say the Lexor USB 3.0 dual slot card reader is wonderful! My downloads are much faster now.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

The files are not overwritten as a general rule. At least not all of them should be. Files are recorded on the card and given a name. Unless the file truly has been overwritten -- and that's not always the issue, you should be able to recover at least some of them. Before I'd surrender, I'd download the Lexar file recovery software (Image Rescue 4) and give it a try. I'm not saying it will do the job, but it has been a remarkable success for me. That's no criticism of SanDisk's software -- just my experience. BTW, I have gotten paid versionms of the software with Lexar-brand flash cards.

Alan
Waterloo, IL, USA
www.proimagingmidamerica.com

Visit my Nikonians gallery.