Storage media · uncompressed sector image
Open an uncompressed camera-card image for recovery
How do I scan a raw card image instead of the original?
Short answer
Open the image file itself as the scan source, not the card. Set the master image read-only or work from a copy so nothing alters it. Uncompressed IMG, DD, RAW or BIN images of an exFAT card can be scanned directly; export recovered files to a drive other than the one holding the image.
The situation
A complete image of the exFAT card already exists on another drive.
Point the scan at the image file rather than at the card. An uncompressed sector image of an exFAT volume holds everything the card contained at capture time, so the analysis reads a stable file on a healthy disk instead of touching fragile hardware once more.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
An existing image is already the safest source available, as long as it stays unchanged. The risk at this stage is no longer the card but the handling: an image opened by a tool that writes back, a master file left editable, or an export written onto the same disk that holds the image can all spoil the one good copy.
The image can preserve the source state and avoids further reads from unstable hardware.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Set the master image file to read-only in the file system, or work from a duplicate and keep the master aside untouched.
- 2
Open the image as the scan source in image mode and confirm that it is recognised as IMG, DD, RAW or BIN.
- 3
Check that the detected volume is exFAT and that its size matches the card the image was taken from.
- 4
Run the read-only scan and export recovered files to a drive other than the one holding the image.
Do not let a repair utility work on the master image, and do not fill the disk holding it by exporting into the same volume. An image that runs out of space mid-export, or that a tool has modified, is no longer the frozen copy it was made to be.
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.
Only uncompressed images can be read; compressed archives, sparse bundles and vendor container formats have to be expanded first. File Recovery Hero analyses exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 inside such images and does not repair files that were already damaged when the image was captured.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
The image is being used correctly when the card stays disconnected throughout, when the master file has the same checksum after the session as before, and when every exported file opens fully from its destination drive rather than merely appearing in a result list.
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 uncompressed sector image be recovered in this situation?+
Point the scan at the image file rather than at the card. An uncompressed sector image of an exFAT volume holds everything the card contained at capture time, so the analysis reads a stable file on a healthy disk instead of touching fragile hardware once more. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not let a repair utility work on the master image, and do not fill the disk holding it by exporting into the same volume.
Does scanning write to my memory card?+
Your memory card is only read. Nothing is saved to it.