Emergency · recording card
Recordings suddenly missing: separate display failure from deletion
What can I do when all my recordings are suddenly gone?
Short answer
First rule out a display problem: confirm it is the right physical card and that the expected folder tree, such as DCIM or PRIVATE, is really empty. A changed view, a camera database fault or interrupted exFAT metadata can hide takes that still exist. Only then run a read-only media scan.
The situation
A previously populated card now appears to contain no usable takes.
Before anything is recovered, one question has to be answered: is this the card that holds the takes, and is the folder tree really empty. A view problem and a deletion look identical on screen, and only one of them needs a scan.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Four causes produce a card that looks swept clean. A filter or sort setting hides the takes, the recorder rebuilt its clip database and no longer lists them, the exFAT metadata update was cut short during the last unmount, or the material really was deleted. Each of those leaves the recorded blocks untouched.
The cause may be a changed folder view, a camera database issue, interrupted exFAT metadata, or actual deletion.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Check the card itself: read the label, the capacity printed on it and the volume name your computer reports, and confirm it is the one from the shoot.
- 2
Open the expected folder tree, DCIM, PRIVATE or the recorder's own directory, with hidden items shown and sorting reset to name.
- 3
If the tree is genuinely empty, leave the card connected read-only and scan the whole volume for the formats the device records.
- 4
Move the results to a drive with room for the whole shoot, then check the number of takes against your log.
Do not hand the card back to the recorder so it can build a fresh database, and do not accept a repair prompt from the operating system. Both actions write to the card while the only remaining trace of the takes may still be sitting in its metadata area.
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.
A scan can only find what the card still delivers. If the device wrote new material after the takes went missing, those areas are lost, and File Recovery Hero reads exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 volumes rather than proprietary recorder formats.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Count what came back against what was shot. Every take should have a plausible size for its length, play from start to finish, and carry a creation time that fits the session. A file that opens but stalls halfway through is not a recovered take.
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 recording card be recovered in this situation?+
Before anything is recovered, one question has to be answered: is this the card that holds the takes, and is the folder tree really empty. A view problem and a deletion look identical on screen, and only one of them needs a scan. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not hand the card back to the recorder so it can build a fresh database, and do not accept a repair prompt from the operating system.
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?+
Count what came back against what was shot.