I copied my important files from a laptop to a portable storage device before the laptop was going to be cleaned up. Most files transferred normally, but after moving my graduation photos, the ZIP folder containing videos appeared empty, and some individual photos showed an incompatible or unreadable format. A few photos still open correctly. I can't download the originals again because the download period ended months ago, and these personal photos are extremely important to me. What is the safest way to try recovering them?
3 Answers
The empty ZIP file and incompatible photos could mean the transfer was interrupted or the storage device has filesystem or hardware problems. Check whether the files have a realistic file size; files showing 0 bytes are usually not recoverable from that copy, while files with normal sizes may still contain recoverable data. If the photos are irreplaceable, a professional data-recovery service is safer than repeatedly trying random programs.
Stop using the portable drive immediately. Don’t copy anything else onto it, format it, or run repair tools that might modify the files. If possible, make a full disk image or clone of the drive first, then work from the copy. Recovery software may be able to find the original photo data, but there’s no guarantee that every file will be restored intact.
Try a reputable recovery program in read-only mode, preferably scanning an image or clone rather than the original device. The software may ask for a healthy photo as a reference to identify the camera’s file format, but that usually isn’t strictly required; it can often scan by file signatures instead. Save any recovered files to a different drive, never back onto the storage device being scanned.
I misunderstood the reference-photo requirement, then. I’ll look for a tool that can scan by file type without needing an undamaged sample.
I’m especially worried about the photos that existed only on my laptop. Is complete recovery possible, or is it mostly a matter of seeing what the software can find?