Does your camera store its pictures on a compact flash card? Its just a matter of time before you experience the dreaded "no images found", "card not formatted", or "card not found" error message. Perhaps you already have or you wouldn't be visiting this website. Well you've come to the right place. We offer compact flash data recovery for photographers just like you. Our compact flash recovery process also works on all other styles of digital camera flash media and USB flash memory.

First some free advice . . . . !

DON'T Keep attempting to read the pictures on a corrupted compact flash card. Each time you do, you increase the likelyhood that your photographs will become permanently unrecoverable. Attempting to view the pictures on your compact flash card applies power to the card. This may further damage your pictures, making it impossible to recover them. Don't format the card or attempt to take more photographs. Formatting the card may permanently remove your photographs. Taking more photographs may result in the new photos over-writing the old photographs. Compact flash recovery can be complicated or a simple process. Each attempt to read the card can introduce more variables making it more difficult to have a successful recovery.

DO turn off your camera, wait for the access light to stop blinking and then remove the microdrive from your camera or card reader and store it in it's static free plastic case.

Compact flash cards and other forms of flash memory can become corrupted or damaged in a variety of ways, resulting in error messages like, "card not formatted", "card not found", "no images found", "would you like to format", etc. That is when you need a compact flash data recovery service. In my experience, 85% of missing photographs are still on the compact flash card and can be recovered using special recovery methods. I maintain a database of successful vs. unsuccessful recoveries and in my experience only about 15% of cards sent to me are unrecoverable. As a general rule deleting your photographs or formatting the card does not permanently remove the photographs.

There are two types of problems that plague compact flash cards; hardware failure and software/operator induced problems. Unfortunately, compact flash cards and micro drives that experience a hardware failure are not usually recoverable. Hardware failure generally means that a component inside of the compact flash card has shorted out or failed, or an electronic circuit path has broken. To repair this type of failure requires opening the case, followed by microscopic surgery to repair the circuit. This type of work requires a "clean room environment" and can cost upwards of two thousand dollars and is not a service I provide at this time. Fortunately, most failures are software or operator induced. Examples of operator induced failures are:

• Accidentally deleting the pictures from your compact flash card
• Accidentally formatting the compact flash card
• Taking photographs when your camera battery is not fully charged
• Ejecting the compact flash card while the camera is still writing to the card

Photographs that are missing due to these types of actions are usually recoverable. I see a lot of compact flash cards that suddenly have missing photos after passing through an airport scanner or when taken to a retail store's photo kiosk to make prints. These types of problems are due to software corruption and your photographs will usually be recoverable.

Compact flash data recovery can be complicated or simple depending on what caused the files to disappear. In most cases I am able to recover the missing photographs.  This is true even when your camera or card reader no longer recognizes the compact flash card. There are many variables that can affect the recovery process. Each attempt at recovery can further damage the files making successful recovery less likely with each attempt. This is why I recommend that you send me your compact flash card. My analysis to determine if your photos are still recoverable is free. In the event I am unable to recover your photographs your only cost will be $6 to cover the cost of return postage and handling. I will be using U.S. Priority Mail with delivery confirmation to ship your compact flash card back to you. If I am able to recover your photographs, the Priority Mail packet will also include a CD with your pictures on it.

I would be pleased to attempt the recovery for you. Please print this form and include it with your compact flash card, memory stick, micro drive or other flash memory device. My shipping address is on the form.

If I am able to recover your photographs the following charges will apply.

Feel free to give me a call if you'd like to chat about your particular recovery challenge. I won't be able to tell you definitively if I can recover your missing photos, I have to perform my analysis on your card before I can answer that question but many of my clients like to call before sending me their card. San Diego Photos and Prints is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Pacific Coast time.

Oscar Medina
Photographer / Digital Artist
Flashcard Recovery Specialist
San Diego Photo
858.274.0665