Cameras · Canon exFAT photo card and import destination
Canon CR2 files missing after import
Where are Canon CR2 files that vanished after import?
Short answer
First check the importer, not the card: a RAW filter, a second destination or an option that deleted card entries after copying JPEGs can all leave CR2 files behind. Search every destination for the JPEG filename stems with the CR2 extension. Only if the originals exist nowhere, scan the card read-only for CR2.
The situation
JPEG files arrived, but the corresponding CR2 originals are absent.
The card is the last place to look here, not the first. When JPEG files arrived and their CR2 partners did not, the import settings are the usual explanation: a RAW filter, a second destination folder, or an option that cleared card entries after copying only the JPEG half.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Import tools treat RAW and JPEG as separate items even though the camera shot them together. Some write RAW into a different folder, some skip formats they cannot preview, and some delete from the card as soon as their copy is complete. The result looks like a card loss while the CR2 files sit in an unexpected destination or were never copied at all.
The importer may have filtered RAW files, used a second destination, or deleted source entries after copying only JPEG.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Search every disk for the filename stems of the JPEG files that arrived, combined with the CR2 extension, hidden folders included.
- 2
Open the import history or catalogue of the software used and read which destination and which formats the last session actually handled.
- 3
Check the trash of the destination computer, since a deletion there is an ordinary file deletion and not a card problem.
- 4
Only when nothing turns up anywhere, scan the Canon card read-only for CR2 and export the results elsewhere.
Do not repeat the import to see what happens, and do not let the tool delete card contents on a second attempt either. Formatting the card because the import appeared to succeed removes the originals while the question of where the CR2 files went is still open.
03 / Choose the method
Match the tool to the source
For stable, readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 or uncompressed IMG, DD, RAW and BIN images.
Unconfirmed exports are marked .UNVERIFIED.
If the importer deleted CR2 files from a computer disk, the trash or a backup is the route rather than a card scan. File Recovery Hero reads exFAT, NTFS and FAT volumes and searches no cloud library or catalogue database for missing originals.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A CR2 is confirmed when a raw converter opens it at full resolution and its capture time matches the JPEG partner. Count the pairs as well: every shutter press in RAW plus JPEG mode should end with two files, and the camera shot count says how many to expect.
Keep the source until two verified copies exist. One working preview is not enough.
Sources and technical references
FAQ
Questions about this recovery case
Can Canon exFAT photo card and import destination be recovered in this situation?+
The card is the last place to look here, not the first. When JPEG files arrived and their CR2 partners did not, the import settings are the usual explanation: a RAW filter, a second destination folder, or an option that cleared card entries after copying only the JPEG half. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not repeat the import to see what happens, and do not let the tool delete card contents on a second attempt either.
Does scanning write to my memory card?+
Your memory card is only read. Nothing is saved to it.
How do I know whether the result is complete?+
A CR2 is confirmed when a raw converter opens it at full resolution and its capture time matches the JPEG partner.