Lots of photos recovered, can't open any :-(

[DazzerHK]

I accidentally deleted photos from an SD card inside my Sony Z3.

 

When I put the card into a reader and connect to my PC, I can see lots of photos in excellent state, not overwritten (although never with a preview available). 

 

However, when I recover them, I cannot open any of the photos due to a supposed file type error. Properties shows the photos as jpeg.

 

Any ideas about what's going wrong?

 

Thanks.

[Augeas]

Perhaps some help here http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=44846&hl=

[DazzerHK]

Thanks for the reply.

 

If I follow the instructions from the other thread (which is a bit over my head, I have to say) I get the info I paste below. The head info is all zeros. Thanks for any help.

 

 

Filename: DSC_0569.JPG

Path: G:\DCIM\100ANDRO

 

Size: 2.95 MB (3,102,049)

 

State: Excellent

 

Creation time: 10/22/2015 20:27

 

Last modification time: 10/22/2015 20:27

 

Last access time: 10/22/2015 20:27

 

Comment: No overwritten clusters detected.

 

16 cluster(s) allocated at offset 468283

8 cluster(s) allocated at offset 468473

[Augeas]

If the header is all zeroes then that's why the files won't open as pics, or open as anything except text files. All we can deduce is that the cluster at 468283 is not the start of a jpg, or it was but the data has been overwritten.

 

Furthermore you don't have enough clusters. Assuming FAT32 file system the max cluster size is 32,768 bytes. With 24 clusters the file size is 768,432 bytes, which is way short of 3 mb.

 

I would guess that the cluster address points into the middle of another file, or into unallocated space, and then reads forward through the FAT until it hits the start of another file or an eof, giving you 24 clusters.

 

You might retrieve something with a deep scan, but the odds are low. Failing that you are looking at professional help.