Corrupted jpeg files - tried everything, Help!

[e_hothersall]

I've just come back from my first holiday with my little girl, and when my husband transferred the files from camera data card to hard drive, about 100 of the photos have become corrupted. We've never had a problem before and I'm completely gutted. I have tried 4 different recovery programs, at least, including Zero Assumption Recovery, Recovery Manager, VAIOSoft recovery manager and Data Doctor Recovery. None of them seem to find the files on the data card (the files were deleted from it during transfer). ZAR, which I tried last, might have found something but then just gave me a SKIP for each of the files in the recovery report.

The computer recognises that they're jpegs, but can't preview, and says "can't determine type" if I try to open a file. I tried renaming them with a .jpg but it didn't help. I tried opening in IE, but it didn't work.

I tried to attach a file to this document, but it wouldn't admit it was a jpeg. Not a good sign, I suspect. However, I have uploaded one onto uploading.com (http://www.uploading.com/files/6553V...8_305.jpg.html) in the desperate hope someone much cleverer than me can help. I've never tried code manipulation or anything before (I got as far as downloading frhed and realised I was out of my depth), but if I got step by step instructions, I'd be happy to give it a try.

Thank you in advance for any help you may provide.
A very upset mum.

[Kraellin]

some quick questions here: 1. is this the first time you've used the camera and if not, has this done this before? 2. did you shoot in RAW format rather than jpg? what is it that makes you think "the computer recognises that they're jpegs"? i mean, what is it that the computer shows you that makes you think they're jpegs? did you try to open them in photoshop or another graphic editor and if so, what happened?

[mistermonday]

I examined the file with a Hex editor. It does not have a any header info leading me to believe the header was stripped off OR as Craig points out the file is in some format other than jpg and has the wrong extension. The fact that the file seems to have 1.5MB worth of data is a good sign since it is not normal for more than one file to become corrupt. What make of camera do you have and what letters do they use as a RAW file (for example Nikon is .NEF; Canon is .CRW.
Regards, Murray

[e_hothersall]

Camera is a Fuji FinePix S6500fd. I've had it for over a year and I've never had a problem with it before. However, my mother did have problems with her memory card after putting it in my card reader - she couldn't access the files at all and ended up formatting the card. My memory card is now unreadable to the camera, so I can't try to view the picutres on the camera screen.

I don't have photoshop (gasp! I know, but I am pretty new to this proper photos lark), only Arcsoft Photostudio 5.5, which says "this format is invalid or not supported".

You asked why I say the computer recognises them as jpegs - they are listed as jpegs in the properties, and they have the wee jpeg icon on the folder view. You can see from the links to the uploaded files that the computer has labelled them as jpgs, in fact.

What happened was that about 300 pictures were transferred, and about 200 of them are completely fine. 2 were partial pictures, one with a grey section at the bottom, one two partial pictures with a grey bit at the bottom. I've uploaded one of them (http://www.uploading.com/files/1R3LT...8_317.jpg.html) in case it helps.

I'm fairly sure it's not a good thing, but 2 avi files I took with the camera have similar problems. Basically, anything taken after last Monday afternoon is wrecked. I don't remember changing anything or dropping it. Anyway, even if I'd changed something on the camera, surely the card should still work in the camera?

Thanks again for any help

[mistermonday]

PS says that the file is damaged but it does open because the header is in tact as is some of the data. Your problem is most like one of two things.
1. The memory card is defective. Some of the billions of storage sites may not be retaining memory causing files to be corrupt. When essential info is missing the file won't open. It is also possible that the power was interupted to it during data transfer to it in the camera or from it to your computer. This would usually corrupt the card requiring reformatting or sometimes even wiping out the card. You can now buy a 4GB flash card for under $50 so it might be time to try a new card.
2. There could be a problem with the appliction which is transferring the files from the card to the computer.

Most of the time the problem is a defective memory card.
Regards,
Murray

[Kraellin]

ok, thanks for answering the questions. it's not a RAW problem. that's fine. but it is a date problem. it's also odd that 200 would transfer just fine but not the last 100. this still doesnt really spot the exact problem. the last 100 could have been shot with a lens cap still on the camera, or, the camera went bad at some point or the card went bad at some point or the transfer just screwed up.

now i know you're trying to recover those missing 100 photos, but i'm also pointing out that you need to find out what is actually wrong here, the operator, the camera, the memory card, the transfer process or the software after the transfer. it could, even from all you've said so far, still be any one of those. and that means problems in the future as well as the present.

that mistermonday says he could read one of the jpegs, i'd borrow someone's photoshop or get the demo and read the rest of those 100 images and get them transferred and saved correctly. it's likely that what mistermonday is seeing is about as good as it's going to get. so, get those read and saved and then find out what's actually going on to cause all this.

[mistermonday]

This is what your image looks like opened in PS. I downsized it 1:4 for upload but the dimensions were 2848 x 2136 pixels (approx 7MegaPixels). PS reported that it was damaged / corrupt. The reason it opened was because the header with the size and essential info was still good but other parts of the data were corrupt which is why you see much of the image missing. My recollection of the jpeg format (been a long time since I looked at the algorithms) is that the encoding is done in block. If one of the bit streams gets corrupted or out of sequence you lose that whole section.
It looks random. Your 1st file was missingt he header so nothing can open it - the s/w does not recognize it as Jpg and does not know where to begin reading the data from. This 2nd file has a good header and some blocks intact. Your other files may be better or worse. I have seen corrupted jpegs where you are only missing a tiny strip of the image.
You need a piece of S/W like PS to see what you have.
Regards, Murray

[e_hothersall]

Thanks for your help guys. The file you have uploaded is a corrupted old file, which suggests to me that the problem is the data card. I have successfully transfered 2 new pictures from the camera internal memory to the computer, so I don't think it's the camera, leaving only the card or the reader to blame. I'm not quite sure how to work out which one it is. Anyway, I'll borrow a copy of photoshop (my dad has it), see if anything is there, but it looks like it's all lost forever. Bugger.

[smak]

The file opens in Photoshop CS3 - see attachment. It looks the same in Acrobat and Irfan View.
Photoshop says it is corrupted.
The thumbnail does show the whole picture - see attachment.

The screen shot is from Acrobat.

[e_hothersall]

The top segment is from a much older picture. And obviously it's not a useful shot either. Chalk it up to experience I guess...

[Kraellin]

believe it or not, e_hothersall, that last bit of info is actually helpful. i'd now be willing to hazard a guess that your card is corrupt. at the very least it needs a defrag and quite possibly a re-format and is possibly going completely bad. but, based on that last comment, that's where i'd guess the problem lies, the card.

[Live the Lie]

you could always try another recovery program. It is free, and due to the comments above it won't help your current situation. Pandora Recovery is a free program that will pull any information off the card that still exists even if deleted. Just like sandisk and other card companies recovery software. Your jpegs or other files will be renumbered according to what order they existed on the card. I knew somone who had a hard drive become screwed up and he has a backup of all the photographs he lost (unfortunately they are all renumbered and in one folder, but if he needs them for a client he has them). Maybe it will help, but good luck

Chris

www.PandoraRecovery.com

[MatthewMarshall]

tried to use my recovery program with no luck on the image.