Emergency · camera card and import destination
Files missing after a camera-card import
Where should I look when files disappear after import?
Short answer
First check the import settings and destination, not the card: many tools delete originals after copying, skip supposed duplicates or sort RAW and video into separate folders. Compare filenames and counts on both sides. If files are truly missing and the card was cleared, stop using it and scan it read-only.
The situation
An import reported completion, but the destination lacks some files and the card may have been cleared.
An import that reports success has only confirmed its own accounting. What actually happened depends on three settings: whether originals were deleted after copying, how duplicates were handled, and which destination folder each file type went to. Check those before assuming a loss.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Import tools are opinionated. Many offer to erase the card once the copy is done, and they do it on their own count of transferred files. Duplicate detection can skip a file because a similar name already exists in the library. RAW, JPEG and video are frequently sorted into separate trees, so a missing group is often simply in a folder you have not opened.
Import settings can delete originals after copy, skip duplicates, or route formats into different folders.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Leave the card in the state the import left it and close the import tool so it cannot run again automatically.
- 2
Look up the destination path in the tool's settings and search the whole disk for the missing filenames, not just the expected folder.
- 3
Count files on both sides by type: how many RAW, JPEG and clips the card held against how many arrived at the destination.
- 4
Only if files are missing from both sides, scan the card read-only and export to a third location, away from the import folder.
Do not start the import again to fill the gaps. A second run can overwrite partly copied files at the destination, and if the delete-after-import option is still active it clears the card of the very originals you are trying to account for.
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 destination is the internal SSD of a computer, deleted copies there are usually beyond reach, because TRIM clears released blocks within seconds. The card is the better source, and File Recovery Hero reads it without writing to it.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
The import is complete when the count and the total byte size per file type match on both sides and a sample from each group opens at full size. Pay attention to the largest clips, because those are the ones a transfer truncates when it runs out of time or space.
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 camera card and import destination be recovered in this situation?+
An import that reports success has only confirmed its own accounting. What actually happened depends on three settings: whether originals were deleted after copying, how duplicates were handled, and which destination folder each file type went to. Check those before assuming a loss. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not start the import again to fill the gaps.
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?+
The import is complete when the count and the total byte size per file type match on both sides and a sample from each group opens at full size.