News
Worst Case Scenario: Accidentally Deleting Your Images
By Matt J. Weiss, February 18, 2010 @ 05:37 PM (EST)
While on my recent annual January trip to Key Largo, I did the unthinkable by mistake.
I had plugged a card reader with an inserted media card to my laptop to look at photographs I had taken on six dives in the last three days.
Since the files were large and the USB 2.0 connection rather slow, the images were taking too long to load and view, so I decided to copy the folder containing the images in the card to my laptop to see them faster and save a copy at the same time.
I had plugged a card reader with an inserted media card to my laptop to look at photographs I had taken on six dives in the last three days.
Since the files were large and the USB 2.0 connection rather slow, the images were taking too long to load and view, so I decided to copy the folder containing the images in the card to my laptop to see them faster and save a copy at the same time.
The small hard drive in the old laptop however was full and I needed to delete some older files to make space for the new folder. I proceeded, or at least I thought so, to right click the older 2008 folder on the desktop and then pressed the delete button. Voilá, hundreds of JPGs promptly flew across the desktop to Neverland within seconds.
When the amusing sight was over, the 2008 folder was still there; looking at me with a grin, but the folder containing the new photographs within the media card was gone. I had highlighted the wrong folder and deleted all my new photographs, right in front of my eyes.
I quickly went to the recycle bin hoping for the best, but there was nothing there. I felt a chill going down my spine and drops of sweat running on my forehead. I had just lost the main reason for my trip. I couldn't believe it.
Even in a cloudy state of mind and while coming back from the fridge with a much needed cold beer, I remembered I had read there are software programs that can retrieve files deleted from media cards. I knew I could not use the card any longer to prevent overwriting the existing, albeit invisible, data and carefully set it aside, while putting a fresh card on my camera for the next day.
Once back from the trip, I did a diligent search, online and through fellow underwater photographers, finding several software programs that could “undelete” files, some even specific for image files in media cards; just what I needed.
Most programs were free to demo (without actually retrieving the images) and around $39 to buy for the actual retrieval of the images, such as RescuePro, Photorescue, Handyrecovery and Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery. I was more than willing to buy one of them, but kept looking and found two other that were totally free; Zero Assumption Recovery (ZAR) and Pandora Recovery.
I tried both and found Pandora Recovery to be easier and faster to use. Within 20 minutes of running it, I had recovered all of my 600 photographs, and was all smiles again. The next time I delete an image folder, I will pay far more attention before hitting the delete button.
When the amusing sight was over, the 2008 folder was still there; looking at me with a grin, but the folder containing the new photographs within the media card was gone. I had highlighted the wrong folder and deleted all my new photographs, right in front of my eyes.
I quickly went to the recycle bin hoping for the best, but there was nothing there. I felt a chill going down my spine and drops of sweat running on my forehead. I had just lost the main reason for my trip. I couldn't believe it.
Even in a cloudy state of mind and while coming back from the fridge with a much needed cold beer, I remembered I had read there are software programs that can retrieve files deleted from media cards. I knew I could not use the card any longer to prevent overwriting the existing, albeit invisible, data and carefully set it aside, while putting a fresh card on my camera for the next day.
Once back from the trip, I did a diligent search, online and through fellow underwater photographers, finding several software programs that could “undelete” files, some even specific for image files in media cards; just what I needed.
Most programs were free to demo (without actually retrieving the images) and around $39 to buy for the actual retrieval of the images, such as RescuePro, Photorescue, Handyrecovery and Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery. I was more than willing to buy one of them, but kept looking and found two other that were totally free; Zero Assumption Recovery (ZAR) and Pandora Recovery.
I tried both and found Pandora Recovery to be easier and faster to use. Within 20 minutes of running it, I had recovered all of my 600 photographs, and was all smiles again. The next time I delete an image folder, I will pay far more attention before hitting the delete button.
Editor's Note:
There are few lesson to be learned from Edwin's story. The first is to upload your files from your media card to your computer as often as possible. Secondly, once you have done so, backup your images to an external device, either a CD or an external hard drive or both. Lastly, you should never keep your hard drive more than 75% full. This will help your computer run faster and also ensure that you always will have enough room for your original transfer.
If you do happen to find yourself in the same situation as Edwin, do exactly as he did. Do not use the card anymore and look into possible recovery programs. Sometimes media cards or cameras come with software for these situations. For more information on this subject, check out our Introduction to Digital Workflow.
There are few lesson to be learned from Edwin's story. The first is to upload your files from your media card to your computer as often as possible. Secondly, once you have done so, backup your images to an external device, either a CD or an external hard drive or both. Lastly, you should never keep your hard drive more than 75% full. This will help your computer run faster and also ensure that you always will have enough room for your original transfer.
If you do happen to find yourself in the same situation as Edwin, do exactly as he did. Do not use the card anymore and look into possible recovery programs. Sometimes media cards or cameras come with software for these situations. For more information on this subject, check out our Introduction to Digital Workflow.
RELATED ARTICLES
LATEST EQUIPMENT
 |  |  |  |  |
Be the first to add a comment to this article.
You must be logged in to comment.
Sponsor
Newsletter
Travel with us
Featured Photographer
Jens Kuhfs
Expert Photographer
Born a Pisces, it should be no surprise that he has taken to the water. Jens Kuhfs has taken to the underwater. And he takes us with him when he captures his encounters in the blue depths of our planet with his camera, and...
Sponsors
