Photographers, whether professional or amateur, have likely experienced the distress of losing important photos and videos. Canon digital camera users are no exception. In this article, we will discuss the common causes of file deletion and provide basic methods for recovering deleted or lost CR2 photos.
Is It Possible to Perform a CR2 Recovery?
Before delving into the recovery methods, it’s important to understand the primary causes of CR2 file loss and the likelihood of recovering them.
Note: The recovery process can be influenced by various factors, some of which may aid the process while others may hinder it. Here are some of the factors to consider:
- Avoid continued use of the device. Continuing to use your Canon camera or the memory card (or any other storage device) that contains your CR2 files can cause them to be overwritten. Hence, it is crucial to stop using the device as soon as you notice any data loss.
- Do not format the device. If your PC prompts you to format the memory card (or any other external device where CR2 photos were stored), it may indicate that the device is logically corrupted. Although data can still be recovered from formatted memory cards, it is not recommended. Formatting can permanently delete some files, and it is better to use software that can read data from damaged cards and extract your files.
- Avoid DIY methods on severely damaged devices. If your device with CR2 files shows signs of severe physical damage, it is best to contact a specialized service for assistance.
The loss of CR2 files can occur due to various reasons. Let’s take a closer look at the most common causes and the likelihood of recovering them.
- Accidental Deletion: This is the primary cause of CR2 file deletion. Users may unintentionally delete files while navigating the Canon camera’s interface or attempting to delete unwanted photos. Files can also be accidentally deleted from a device already connected to your computer. The chances of recovering CR2 files in this scenario are high if you act quickly.
- Memory Card Corruption: Memory cards used in Canon digital cameras can become corrupt due to various reasons, which can lead to file loss or deletion. If the damage to the memory card is logical, you can access your CR2 files without formatting and losing data.
- Formatting: Formatting the memory card deletes all data stored on it, including photos and videos. Quick formatting still allows you to save files that have not been overwritten. Full formatting, on the other hand, makes restoring files nearly impossible. Fortunately, computers and most Canon cameras use quick formatting as the primary method of formatting devices.
- Intentional Deletion: Sometimes users intentionally delete files from their Canon digital camera, either to free up storage space or to get rid of unwanted CR2 photos. The chances of recovering CR2 files, in this case, are the same as in the case of accidental removal.
- File Corruption: Files on the memory card can become corrupted due to various reasons such as power surges or interrupted write operations, leading to CR2 photo corruption. The success of recovering your files in such a case depends on whether the file structure has been damaged or not.
To recover CR2 files after the events described above, you need reliable memory card data recovery software.
How to Recover CR2 Files From SD Card
So, as mentioned earlier, in this section, we will guide you on how to use the right data recovery software to successfully recover CR2 photos from your memory card. But before we get into that, here’s a personal story:
I worked as a content manager for an organization, where one of my responsibilities was to provide photo support for the organization’s roadshow events and prepare a report for the company’s website later. I used a Canon camera to capture hundreds of photos in CR2 format after each event and uploaded them to my PC. When I had some free time, I decided to delete the photos from the camera to free up space on the memory card. Unfortunately, I was surprised to find out later that the file transfer to my PC had failed (and I still don’t understand why), and I had accidentally deleted all the photos I needed. This led me to conduct a Google search, where I discovered the existence of data recovery software.
Perhaps this article will serve as an introduction to the world of data recovery software for you.
So, what features should data recovery software have to ensure safe and successful CR2 photo recovery?
- CR2 file format support: The software must support the Canon RAW Version 2 (CR2) file format to recover deleted CR2 files.
- Deep/Signature scan option: The software should be capable of performing a deep scan of the memory card to locate deleted CR2 files by file signatures. This is important because some lost files may not be easily accessible through a quick scan.
- Preview feature: The software should offer a preview feature that allows you to view the CR2 files before recovering them. This ensures that you recover the correct files and confirms that the file you preview is truly recoverable.
- Compatibility with your operating system: The software should be compatible with your operating system (e.g., Windows, macOS, or Linux). Some data recovery software may not work properly or at all on newer versions of operating systems.
- Generous trial period: The software should offer a free trial period or demo version that allows you to test the software for CR2 file recovery before purchasing it.
Here are a few software options that meet the requirement above.
Option A: Disk Drill
Disk Drill is an easy-to-use data recovery software tool that fully supports the CR2 file format. We love Disk Drill for its polished UI, and preview feature to ensure that you recover the right files, high recovery rates, and a generous trial period to test the software for CR2 file recovery before upgrading it to the PRO version.
In our example, we will demonstrate how to recover CR2 files from a USB flash drive, but the process for memory cards is absolutely identical.
So, to recover lost CR2 files using Disk Drill, you need to:
- Go to the official Cleverfiles website and download the Disk Drill installation file.
- Open the downloaded file and follow the instructions until the software is installed on your computer.
- Connect your SD card to your computer using a card reader.
- Launch Disk Drill and select the SD card where your deleted CR2 files are located from the list of available media. Click “Search for lost data” to start the scan.
- The app will now scan for recoverable files. This process may take some time depending on the size of your memory card and its read speed. During the scan, you can click the “Pictures” icon to see all the images that Disk Drill has found so far.
- To filter the results and show only images, click the “Pictures” tab on the left side of the page. Alternatively, you can type “.cr2” in the search box at the top right corner of the window and hit Enter to only display files with that extension.
- Your deleted CR2 files should appear under the “Found files” dropdown, within the folder they were last located in. Tick the checkboxes next to the file name to select the images you want to recover. Once you’ve highlighted everything you want to retrieve, click the “Recover” button to continue.
- A pop-up window will appear where you need to select the storage location for the retrieved files. Make sure to choose a different location from the Intenso drive you’re trying to restore. Click “OK” to start the final part of the process.
- Disk Drill will now try to recover your files. Once completed, you’ll have the option to click the “Show recovered data in Explorer” button to go right to the files.
By following these steps, you can easily recover deleted files from your SD card using Disk Drill.
Read more: Learn about the security of Disk Drill and its benefits by checking out this article.
Option B: PhotoRec
PhotoRec is a powerful and reliable open-source project that supports a large number of file signatures, including the CR2 format used by Canon cameras. While PhotoRec may not be as user-friendly as Disk Drill, its main advantage is that it’s completely free to use. One of the main drawbacks of PhotoRec, however, is that the recovered files will not retain their original names and folder structures. Additionally, the macOS and Linux versions of PhotoRec lack graphical interfaces, which may make them less intuitive for some users.
If you need to recover CR2 photos using PhotoRec, follow these steps:
- Download QPhotoRec. QPhotoRec is a graphical shell for PhotoRec that comes in the same archive as the program itself. It’s a portable software tool that doesn’t require installation.
- Launch the program. After unzipping the downloaded archive, go to the file folder and run the “qphotorec_win.exe” file.
- Select the SD card that contains the lost CR2 photos from the list of available storage devices. You can choose a different device by using the drop-down menu at the top of the program window.
- Configure the scan settings. Before starting the scan, you can select which partition of the device you want to scan, specify the file system of the device, and choose the scanning method you want to use. You can either scan data from unallocated space or recover files from the entire partition of the device you selected. You can also choose which file types you want the program to find and recover, including CR2 files. After selecting the settings, indicate the location where you want the recovered files to be saved. Once you’ve configured the settings, start the scan by clicking the Search button.
- Wait for the scan to complete. The duration of the scan will depend on the same parameters you selected in the previous step. During the scanning process, you can track the progress of the scan in the form of the number of sectors processed and the sectors remaining. You can also see what types of files the program has found and their total amount.
- Finish the scanning process. Once the scanning process is complete, exit the program by clicking Quit. Next, go to the folder you specified in the scan settings to see the recovered CR2 files.
At this point, you’ll be able to see all the CR2 photos that PhotoRec was able to recover. Keep in mind that the recovered files won’t have their original names, so you’ll need to spend some time identifying and organizing them yourself. Nonetheless, PhotoRec remains a valuable tool for recovering lost CR2 files and other types of data.
Is It Possible to Repair Corrupted CR2 Files?
If you’re having trouble opening a corrupted CR2 file, there are several methods you can try to repair it:
Method 1: Use a Different Program
Sometimes, simply opening the file with a different program like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom can fix the issue, provided that the corruption is minimal.
Method 2: Convert CR2 to JPEG
Converting the corrupted CR2 file to a different file format, such as JPEG, may also solve the problem. You can use online conversion tools like Iloveimg and Cloudconvert to make the conversion.
Method 3: Extract JPEG Data Using JPEG-Repair
If the RAW data of the CR2 file is missing or corrupted, you can try to extract the JPEG preview using a tool like JPEG-Repair. While this method is not technically a repair, it can help you access the image.
Method 4: Use a Third-Party Tool
Using a dedicated tool like Stellar Photo Repair can also be an option for repairing corrupted CR2 files. However, keep in mind that the paid version is required for file repairs, while the free version only allows you to preview the repaired photo.
Conclusion
Today, we discussed the common causes of CR2 photo file deletion and provided basic methods for recovering deleted or lost files. To prevent overwriting, we strongly recommend that you stop using the device and avoid formatting it. You should also choose reliable memory card data recovery software that suits your needs to recover lost CR2 files. We hope that the step-by-step tutorials described in this article will be helpful in retrieving your data.