Data Recovery ProPhotos on a quick-formatted SD card can usually be recovered, because a quick format only rewrites the card's index. Stop using the card and run a deep scan.
Cameras, Macs and Windows PCs all quick-format by default. That writes a new, empty file table and leaves the photo data where it was. A full or secure format writes over every block, and after that nothing can be recovered.
Because the old file table is gone, the photos usually come back without their original names: the deep scan finds them by their signatures and gives them new names.
What to expect
| What happened | Chance |
|---|---|
| Quick format in the camera | High |
| Quick format on a computer | High |
| Formatted, then new photos taken | Low the new photos overwrite the old ones |
| Full, secure or low-level format | None the data has been overwritten |
The ratings are a rough guide. We haven't measured recovery rates.
Recover them in four steps
- Stop using the card or driveDon't take more photos, copy files to it or format it. Every new file can overwrite one you want back.
- Connect it to your computer and open Data Recovery ProUse a card slot or a USB reader. If your computer offers to format or initialise the card, click Cancel or Ignore. Data Recovery Pro asks for permission so it can read the card directly.
- Scan and previewThe quick scan takes seconds; the deep scan reads every block. Files appear as they are found, each marked intact, partly damaged or not checked, so you see what can be recovered before you decide.
- Recover to your computerChoose the files you want and save them to a folder on your computer or another drive, never back to the card. You only pay if you choose to recover more than the free allowance.
Why the names are usually lost
The names and folders live in the file table, which the format replaced. The deep scan reads the data itself, so it finds JPEG, PNG and HEIC photos, most camera RAW files (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, ORF, RW2, DNG and others) and MP4, MOV and AVCHD video by their signatures, even with no file table at all. Older RAW types, such as Canon CRW and Sigma X3F, need the old file table, so they don't come back after a format.
Questions
How do I know if it was a quick or full format?
Cameras quick-format unless you choose a low-level or full format in the menu. On a Mac, Disk Utility's Erase is a quick erase unless you chose Security Options. On Windows, a format is quick when the Quick Format box is ticked. A quick format finishes in seconds; a full one takes minutes.
I formatted and then took more photos. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. New photos overwrite space from the start of the card, so older photos further in may still be there. Stop now and scan.
Will every file come back perfectly?
Most come back exactly as they were, but no one can promise every file. If part of a file was overwritten, Data Recovery Pro recovers what is left and marks it partly damaged. It doesn't repair files. Anything fully overwritten can't be recovered by any software.