Losing important photos off your SD card can be really frustrating, but there’s a good chance you can get them back. Here are some options you might want to consider:
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Stop Using the SD Card Immediately: To increase your chances of recovery, avoid writing new data to the SD card. Continuing to use it can overwrite the deleted files, making them irrecoverable.
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Try Disk Drill: I’ve used a bunch of different recovery software, and Disk Drill has been pretty reliable for me. It works with various file systems like FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS, which is great if you don’t know exactly how your card’s formatted. You can download it from here.
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Recovery Software Options:
- Recuva: It’s a popular and free option, though it’s basic.
- PhotoRec: Open-source and supports many file formats but not very user-friendly.
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: Easy to use but has a limit on the amount of data you can recover for free.
- Disk Drill (again): Disk Drill not only has a clean interface but also offers a feature called Recovery Vault that can prevent future photo loss. I think it’s worth it if you tend to do this kind of mistake often.
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Card Reader: Make sure you’re using a reliable card reader. Sometimes, issues with the card reader can cause data corruption or incorrect readings.
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Manual Check: Sometimes deleted files are simply moved to a hidden directory. Check the SD card for hidden files and folders to see if you can manually retrieve the photos.
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Professional Help: If all else fails and these photos are incredibly vital, professional data recovery services are an option. They can get expensive, so weigh this against the importance of the lost data.
Remember to back up your data regularly to avoid future headaches. Disk Drill even has an option to keep a backup of the SD card, which could save you from this trouble next time. Good luck!