Salvaging corrupt jpegs

[Suntan]

I have a friends CD full of pictures from his trip to the Bangkok. He had some place over there transfer the pics from his memory card to a CD. Now that he is back he tried the pics and they don't open.

All of the names of the files are there and the first picture on the disk opens half way (the picture opens but only half of the actual picture is there, the bottom half is just blank, but you can see that it opened at the right size.)

The rest of the files won't even open. Various programs I try to open them with say things like "corrupt file header"

I realize that he is probably screwed, but does anyone know of any programs that he could try to get the data back? I tried Isobuster (it showed that the CD session was set up right on the disk) but it didn't work to retreive the pictures.

Alternatively, has anyone experienced a problem like this and had it solved by a professional company? If so any recommondations?

Thanks all.

[curryman]

don't know any progs personally but there are a few sites that specialize in data retrieval
www.boomerangphoto.com
www.dataemergency.co.uk
could be expensive though, I suppose it's down to how valuable the photo's are

[Roundabout]

Or you could try this from www.naltech.com - I can't vouch for it as I haven't tried it, but it's possible that the data could be recovered if the disc can be read at all.

Some info about the program:

CD Data Rescue™ Features

The CD Data Rescue™ program is designed to recover data from damaged or defective CD-ROMs ,CD-Rs and CD-RWs. CD Data rescue™ uses algorithms that allow to recover data that Windows cannot read. Also, with our exclusive OverRead™ techonology, even if it is impossible to read certain data, CD Data Rescue™ allows to recover the largest part of the file that can be recovered from the CD, while maintaining the internal file structure.

These are some situations where CD Data Rescue™ can help you to recover data:

· After an error, the files cannot be accesed by Windows.
· You need to recover deleted files.
· The data can be read but it is corrupted.
· The CD has scratches.
· The CD has defects or flaws in the metal reflective surface.
· After a long time trying Windows is not able to read a file.
· After a apparently successfully recording it is impossible to read some files.
· After a "Quick Formatting" you need to recover files.

[Suntan]

Thanks Roundabout, I will try the demo of naltech when I get home tonight.

If that doesn't work I think I will just let him know about different companies that he can look into to try to retreive it.

Later,

[Deathwish]

I have a friends CD full of pictures from his trip to the Bangkok. He had some place over there transfer the pics from his memory card to a CD. Now that he is back he tried the pics and they don't open.

All of the names of the files are there and the first picture on the disk opens half way (the picture opens but only half of the actual picture is there, the bottom half is just blank, but you can see that it opened at the right size.)

The rest of the files won't even open. Various programs I try to open them with say things like "corrupt file header"

I realize that he is probably screwed, but does anyone know of any programs that he could try to get the data back? I tried Isobuster (it showed that the CD session was set up right on the disk) but it didn't work to retreive the pictures.

Alternatively, has anyone experienced a problem like this and had it solved by a professional company? If so any recommondations?

Thanks all.

You probably resolved the issue already but I just experienced a similar problem. I just burned a backup of all my image files to a DVD-R for backup from my desktop (700MHz PIII, Nero 6.0.0.11, Win2k). When I attempt to open any of the image files on my laptop (2GHz, WinXP). Most imaging appz refuse to openthe files stating "unkown File Format". Ifranview doesn't either but it states both "Can't read file header!" and "Unkown File format!". Is it ppossible this is a CD/DVD formatiig issue? Somehow Changing the contents of the images header during the burning process?

[Deathwish]

Also Word & excel documents do open (after installing a convertor from the Office CD) but they are apparently corrupt... Showing nothing but garbled characters. Other DVD+Rs burned with this set-up... mabey it's just a bad burn... will attempt to reburn.

[themichael]

@suntan

I've seen this exact problem from these type of shops (in Singapore(sp?) too). The pictures were never burned or corrupted when they were pulled off the card. You have only two routes.

Kiss the pics goodbye, painful but quick.

Or you can try data recovery based on trying to reconstruct disk at the bit/byte level. You may still have to use photoshop/paintshop/GIMP to rebuild some of the pics. A LOT of work for very little if any return.

Moral of the story: Buy more memory card, take a laptop, or verify EVERY file YOURSELF.

[flaninacupboard]

i used to work for a digital photgrapers, and the amount of "corrupt discs" was phenomenal. only when i got toured round the image loading dept did i discover what was happening. they were using winXP with the image preview option on the left enabled, and thumbnails. windows starts with the first image and creates a thumbnail, moves to image 2, etc.

The problem comes when image 5 is damaged (either problem with the burn at that point or a scratch - they didn't take care of the discs AT ALL) windows just keeps trying, and never loads image six or further. this gets labelled as a corrupt disc and binned. if you turn off the preview and the thumbnails and just copy all the images, lo and behold, they worked.

could be worth a shot?

[Suntan]

Thanks for the idea flaninacupboard, but I tried everything. From Ifranview to ISOBuster to try and get the pics off of the disc. After looking into the Hex values of the files it was evedent that there was no information there at all.

Its OK though as my friend and his wife are planning on another vacation to that area this year.

-Suntan