Photos & RAW · formatted exFAT image card
Recover PNG images after formatting removable media
Can PNG files be recovered after an exFAT format?
Short answer
Often yes after a quick format, before anything new is written: PNG starts with a fixed 8-byte signature and ends with an IEND chunk, so a scan can reject truncated files. Scan the card read-only for PNG, export to another drive and keep only images that have a valid IEND and decode completely.
The situation
PNG graphics or still images disappeared after a quick format.
PNG is unusually cooperative here. Every file starts with the same eight-byte signature and finishes with an IEND terminator, so a scan of the formatted card can separate a complete image from a fragment without having to guess where the file was supposed to end.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
A quick format on removable media replaces the file-system records and leaves the data area as it was, so PNG images written before the format remain readable byte for byte. Between the signature and the IEND chunk sit further chunks, each with its own length field and checksum, which is why a truncated candidate is detected rather than exported as a silently broken picture.
A complete PNG has a fixed signature and IEND termination, which helps reject truncated 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
Unmount the card and keep it away from the device that formatted it, so that no new files reach the freed area.
- 2
Scan the medium read-only for PNG and let the scan require a valid IEND chunk before it accepts a candidate.
- 3
Export the results to another drive, keeping fragments separate from the images that passed the structural test.
- 4
Open the accepted files in an image viewer and check them against the names or subjects you expect from the shoot.
Do not copy replacement files onto the freshly formatted card while the recovery is still open, and do not let a synchronisation tool treat it as an empty target. Anything written now consumes exactly the blocks the PNG chunks occupy, and their checksums then fail.
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 recovers whole PNG files from readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 media and exports them read-only to another drive; it repairs nothing. A full format, or new files written after the quick format, puts the affected images permanently out of reach.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A recovered PNG is good when it decodes from the signature through to the IEND chunk without a checksum warning, shows its original width and height, and renders without a colour-shifted lower section. Transparency, if the image had any, should survive; a flat background suggests the alpha data is gone.
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 formatted exFAT image card be recovered in this situation?+
PNG is unusually cooperative here. Every file starts with the same eight-byte signature and finishes with an IEND terminator, so a scan of the formatted card can separate a complete image from a fragment without having to guess where the file was supposed to end. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not copy replacement files onto the freshly formatted card while the recovery is still open, and do not let a synchronisation tool treat it as an empty target.
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 PNG is good when it decodes from the signature through to the IEND chunk without a checksum warning, shows its original width and height, and renders without a colour-shifted lower section.