Photos & RAW · exFAT photo card
Recover deleted RAW files without writing to the card
Can deleted camera RAW files be recovered?
Short answer
Yes, often: retained directory entries and format-specific headers identify CR2, CR3, ARW, NEF, NRW, ORF, RAF, RW2 and DNG files after deletion. Select only your camera's RAW type to avoid false candidates, export elsewhere and develop each file at full resolution, since a working embedded preview or paired JPEG says nothing about the sensor data.
The situation
RAW originals were deleted while thumbnails or paired JPEGs may remain.
RAW files are large and distinctive, which helps twice: their headers identify the format reliably, and their size makes a partial overwrite easy to notice. What decides the outcome is whether the camera has written new frames into the space they occupy.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Deleting a RAW file on an exFAT card releases its directory entry and marks its clusters as free, but the sensor data stays in place. Each manufacturer format has its own signature, so CR2, CR3, ARW, NEF, NRW, ORF, RAF, RW2 and DNG can be told apart during a scan even when the file names have gone.
Retained directory entries and format-specific headers can identify CR2, CR3, ARW, NEF, NRW, ORF, RAF, RW2, or DNG candidates.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Take the card out of the camera and keep it out, so no further exposure lands in the freed clusters.
- 2
Find out which RAW format your body writes and select only that one for the scan, plus JPG if you shot pairs.
- 3
Scan the card read-only through a reader and let the search run to the end rather than stopping at the first hits.
- 4
Export to a drive with plenty of space, since RAW files from a full card easily add up to many gigabytes.
Do not judge a recovered RAW file by its thumbnail or by the JPEG that sits next to it. Every RAW file carries an embedded preview that can render perfectly while the sensor data behind it is truncated, and a paired JPEG says nothing at all about its sibling.
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.
How much survives depends on what was written after the deletion and cannot be predicted beforehand. File Recovery Hero scans exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 cards and exports what it finds; it does not rebuild a RAW file whose sensor data is partly overwritten.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Open each file in a RAW converter and develop it: pull the exposure two stops in both directions and change the white balance. A complete file follows those moves across the whole frame. Compare the size with a known good file from the same camera and format.
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 exFAT photo card be recovered in this situation?+
RAW files are large and distinctive, which helps twice: their headers identify the format reliably, and their size makes a partial overwrite easy to notice. What decides the outcome is whether the camera has written new frames into the space they occupy. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not judge a recovered RAW file by its thumbnail or by the JPEG that sits next to it.
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 each file in a RAW converter and develop it: pull the exposure two stops in both directions and change the white balance.