SD and memory card recovery in Calgary.
Formatting a card in a camera clears its table of contents, not the photos. They stay on the card until something new is written over them. So the most important thing is simple: take the card out and do not use it again until the photos are back.
What usually happened.
Formatted it by mistake
Very common, and usually very recoverable.
"Card error" or "cannot read card"
Often after the battery died mid-write.
The computer says it needs formatting
Click Cancel. The card's file system is damaged, not the photos.
Photos come up grey or half-loaded
Parts of the files are damaged and can often be repaired.
Card is cracked or not detected at all
The memory inside can often still be read directly.
microSD from a drone, action camera or dashcam
Same approach, with tools for each device's video format.
How we handle it.
- 01
Copy the card
We image the card and work only from the copy.
- 02
Rebuild or search
Where the file system can be rebuilt, folders and names come back. Where it cannot, photos are found by their content.
- 03
Repair
Partly damaged photos and clips are repaired where the data allows.
- 04
Return
Your files come back on new media.
From the bench.
When a card's file system cannot be rebuilt, photos are found by recognising the files themselves. They come back complete, but usually without their original names and folders, so expect numbered files rather than your old folder structure.
Running free recovery apps on the card itself is the most common way we see a simple recovery go bad. Many of them write to the card, and some "fix" the file system in ways that overwrite what was left.
Before you bring it in.
Helpful next steps
- Put the card somewhere safe.
- Tell us what camera or device it came from.
- Bring it in even if it is cracked.
Best avoided for now
- Keep shooting on it.
- Run recovery apps that write to the card.
- Let the camera "repair" or format it.
What clients said.
I had a 5TB Hard Drive with 3.75 TB of 4k camera footage… all of which was irreplaceable. All of the data was recovered!
Our terms, in plain numbers.
- Who does the work
- iCube Development (Calgary) Ltd., recovering data since 2005.
- Where
- One address, and it is our lab: #610 - 11012 Macleod Trail SE. Recovery is done here by our own staff and is not outsourced. No drop-off depots, no appointment needed.
- Evaluation
- Free standard evaluation within 72 hours, for one device per client. Priority (24 hours) and same-day evaluations, multi-drive arrays and devices another company has opened are quoted before we start.
- Your quote
- In writing, before any recovery work. Nothing extra is done or billed without your approval.
- If we cannot recover your files
- You pay nothing for the recovery, parts included. Any exception, such as a paid diagnostic for a device another company has opened, is agreed with you in writing first.
- Success rate
- We do not publish one. A percentage cannot describe your device; your evaluation tells you what is actually recoverable.
- Your recovered files
- Returned on new media or, with your permission, by secure download. Our working copy is deleted seven days after completion unless you ask in writing to keep it longer.
- Privacy
- Your device and files are handled only by our own staff, who are bound by confidentiality, unless the law requires otherwise.
- Your device
- Please collect it within 30 days. Photo ID is required at pickup.
Questions we get asked.
I formatted the card in my camera. Are the photos gone?
Usually not. The format resets the index; the photos stay until new ones are recorded over them.
Do you handle CFexpress cards?
Yes, including cards from professional cameras.
Will I get my folder names back?
If the file system can be rebuilt, yes. If not, the photos come back with new numbered names.
Will my card still work afterwards?
Usually, unless the memory chip has to be removed to read it. That would be in the quote you approve, so you will know first.
Tell us what happened.
Send the details or call (587) 387-2346. We will tell you what to do with the device in the meantime.
Drop-off: Southcentre Executive Tower, #610 - 11012 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary. Monday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.