Photos & RAW · Sony exFAT photo card
Recover deleted Sony ARW photos
How do I recover deleted Sony ARW files?
Short answer
First keep the card out of the camera, then scan it read-only for ARW and any paired JPEGs. ARW is TIFF-derived, so a plausible header can survive even when the later sensor data is incomplete. Export to another drive and develop each recovered ARW at full resolution rather than trusting its embedded preview.
The situation
ARW and possibly paired JPEG files are missing from a Sony shoot.
The missing frames are Sony ARW originals, sometimes with JPEG siblings written in the same burst. Both still sit in the card blocks until the camera records again, so the current state of the card, not the age of the deletion, decides what a scan can still reach.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Deleting in camera or clearing a card after ingest removes the directory entry, not the image data. ARW follows the TIFF layout: a small header, an offset table, and then large sensor-data strips. The header often survives intact, while the strips at the end of the file are the first region a new capture overwrites. That is why an ARW can look present and still develop short.
ARW is TIFF-derived and can retain a plausible header even when the later sensor data is incomplete.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Switch the camera off and take the card out before anything else; a single frame or a formatting prompt can land on the deleted ARW extents.
- 2
Write down the frame numbers you expect from the DCIM folder and check the ingest drive first, because part of the shoot may already be copied.
- 3
Mount the card through a reader and scan it read-only for ARW plus JPEG, so paired files are found even when only one format is listed.
- 4
Export every candidate to a drive that is not the card, then open each ARW in Lightroom, Capture One, or Imaging Edge.
Do not put the card back in the camera to check the result, and do not let the camera or the operating system repair the file system. Both of those write to the card. Also skip converting ARW to DNG before the originals are confirmed complete.
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.
File Recovery Hero reads the exFAT card read-only and exports ARW files; it does not rebuild sensor data that a later capture has already replaced, and it cannot repair a truncated RAW. A card that clicks, disconnects, or reads with errors belongs in a laboratory instead.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A recovered ARW counts as usable once a RAW converter renders it at the sensor's full pixel dimensions and lets you move exposure and white balance. If a file only shows its embedded preview, or renders with a grey or magenta band low in the frame, the sensor data ends early.
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 Sony exFAT photo card be recovered in this situation?+
The missing frames are Sony ARW originals, sometimes with JPEG siblings written in the same burst. Both still sit in the card blocks until the camera records again, so the current state of the card, not the age of the deletion, decides what a scan can still reach. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not put the card back in the camera to check the result, and do not let the camera or the operating system repair the file 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?+
A recovered ARW counts as usable once a RAW converter renders it at the sensor's full pixel dimensions and lets you move exposure and white balance.