Two symptoms, two categories of tools.
A deleted file no longer appears at its expected location. It may still leave recoverable sectors on a card or disk. A corrupted file appears with a name and size but its contents cannot be decoded correctly. Storage-recovery software searches for the first case; PixMedic repairs the second.
Why recovery must come before repair.
When a file is missing, there is nothing for a repair engine to analyse. Stop writing to the storage device and recover files to another drive. Some recovered files may be incomplete or corrupt; create duplicates of those results and repair them afterward.
Questions that identify your case.
- Can you see the filename?
- Does it have a realistic size?
- Does every viewer fail in the same way?
- Was it deleted, formatted or merely copied?
- Are several files on the same device affected?
A visible zero-byte file contains no photo payload, even though its name remains.
When PixMedic becomes the right next step.
Use PixMedic when the recovered or original photo is present but shows bands, a grey area, shifted blocks or an opening error. The online trial allows one photo to be checked at no cost. It works on a copy and displays the result before any paid batch decision.
Avoid promises that ignore missing data.
Neither recovery nor repair guarantees success. Deleted sectors may have been overwritten, and a corrupt file may lack essential bytes. The result depends on the data that physically remains. Preserve every source and never save output over it.
Frequently asked questions.
Can PixMedic find a deleted file?
No. Use a storage-recovery tool first. PixMedic repairs files that are present.
Can a recovered file still be corrupt?
Yes. Recovery may produce a partial file that then needs structural repair.
Does a filename prove the content exists?
No. A directory entry can remain while the file is empty or overwritten.
Test your own photo.
Your first photo is free to test, with no card required. See the result before deciding, and an irreparable photo costs nothing.
Test one photo freeNo subscription · original preserved