Photos & RAW · Canon exFAT memory card
Recover deleted Canon CR3 files
How can I recover deleted CR3 photos?
Short answer
Scan the card read-only for CR3 only: Canon's CR3 is an ISO-BMFF container, so a usable result needs coherent boxes, not just a recognisable filename. This applies whether the files vanished through deletion or an interrupted import. Keep the folder structure unchanged, export to another drive and open every file completely in a RAW-capable application.
The situation
Canon CR3 originals disappeared after deletion or an interrupted import.
CR3 is not a flat RAW file but an ISO-BMFF container, the same box structure used by MP4. A result is only usable when those boxes are complete and in order, which is why a familiar file name in a result list proves very little here.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Canon bodies from the EOS R series and recent DSLRs write CR3 into DCIM subfolders such as 100CANON. Files disappear either through deletion in camera or through an import that stopped halfway and removed the originals anyway. In both cases the directory entry is released while the boxes holding image and metadata usually stay intact.
CR3 uses an ISO-BMFF container, so a useful result needs coherent boxes and more than a recognizable filename.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Stop the import and take the card out of the camera and the reader until the recovery is set up properly.
- 2
Check whether the import left partial files on the computer, and note which frame numbers are missing from the sequence.
- 3
Scan the exFAT card read-only with CR3 as the only selected format, so MP4 clips and previews do not clutter the result.
- 4
Export the files to another drive and keep the folder structure they came from, then import them into your catalog from there.
Do not let the camera or the import software try again on the same card, and do not rename recovered files before they have been opened. A second import pass writes to the card, and renaming makes it far harder to see which frame numbers are still missing.
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 CR3 whose boxes are incomplete stays unusable, and File Recovery Hero recovers whole files rather than repairing damaged ones. It reads exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 cards and uncompressed images on macOS and Windows; a very new Canon model may also need an updated RAW converter.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Open every CR3 in Canon's own software or a RAW converter that supports the format and let it decode the full image, not the preview. The file size should match what this body produces, and the metadata should still name lens, shutter speed and the original capture time.
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 memory card be recovered in this situation?+
CR3 is not a flat RAW file but an ISO-BMFF container, the same box structure used by MP4. A result is only usable when those boxes are complete and in order, which is why a familiar file name in a result list proves very little here. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not let the camera or the import software try again on the same card, and do not rename recovered files before they have been opened.
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?+
Open every CR3 in Canon's own software or a RAW converter that supports the format and let it decode the full image, not the preview.