Actions to take immediately.
Switch the camera off and remove the card only after activity has stopped. Lock the card when the physical switch is available. Do not accept a format prompt and do not save recovered output back onto the same card. Every new write can replace sectors containing old photos.
Card recovery and file repair are different jobs.
A missing photo must first be recovered from the storage medium. A visible file that refuses to open may need structural repair. If a recovery tool extracts a damaged JPEG, that extracted copy can then be tested with PixMedic. Reversing the order cannot find a file that no longer appears in the file system.
Create a stable working copy.
For an important or failing card, a sector-by-sector image made to a healthy drive is safer than repeatedly scanning the original. Work from that image and preserve it. For a readable card, copy every visible file once, verify the copy and stop if the reader disconnects or produces new errors.
Use the photo symptom to choose the next step.
A zero-byte file, a missing directory and a half-grey photo require different tools. A real-sized photo with bands or an opening error is a candidate for file repair. A completely absent file belongs to storage recovery. The guide hub links each symptom to a focused diagnostic page.
The free PixMedic trial covers one photo copied away from the card.
Know when to stop home experiments.
Repeated disconnects, unusual heat, a card that changes capacity or irreplaceable professional work justify specialist help. Continued reads can worsen some physical failures. No online service can compensate for sectors that the device can no longer read.
Frequently asked questions.
Should I format the card when prompted?
No. Formatting changes the storage structure and may reduce recovery options.
Can PixMedic recover deleted photos from the card?
No. Recover deleted files first, then use PixMedic for extracted files that remain corrupt.
Where should repaired files be saved?
Always to a different, healthy drive.
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