Photos & RAW · Sony exFAT card
Sony ARW RAW: recover after a quick format
Can deleted Sony ARW originals be recovered after a quick format?
Short answer
Often yes, if the body has not written anything since the format. Formatting rebuilt the exFAT records and the camera's image database, while ARW data stays until overwritten. Take the card out before any test shot, and if the second slot recorded a backup, check that card first.
The situation
The medium now has a new empty directory, while the previous deleted Sony ARW originals is missing.
After a format the camera reports an empty card, yet a quick format only rewrites the exFAT records and the body's own database. The raw files stay in place until new frames are written, which is why the next shot matters far more than the format did.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Formatting in a Sony body creates fresh file-system structures and a new image database, and it resets the folder numbering. The raw files remain where they were, identifiable by their TIFF-derived headers. Since the database is gone, recovered frames come back unnumbered and have to be sorted by capture time and by the slot they came from.
A quick format can replace file-system records without immediately overwriting every older content block. For Sony ARW RAW, this matters because ARW is TIFF-derived and combines Sony metadata, previews and sensor data at separate offsets.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Eject the card at once and do not take a confirmation shot; that single frame lands exactly in the released space.
- 2
Note the body, the compression mode and whether the second slot was recording a parallel copy of the same shoot.
- 3
Scan the card read-only from a reader for ARW signatures across the full capacity rather than only the new folder tree.
- 4
Export the hits to another drive and sort them by capture time, then check the second card as well if one exists.
Do not put the card back into the camera before the scan, because the body writes its image database as soon as the card is mounted. Do not format again either; a second pass merely lays more new records over the frames you still want.
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.
Folder numbering, in-camera ratings and the image database do not return after a format. File Recovery Hero reads the formatted exFAT card without writing to it and exports once licensed; a card already refilled with new frames is beyond its reach.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Judge the frames by content and metadata: full resolution in the converter, a capture time that fits the shoot, and file sizes that match the compression you used. A file far smaller than its neighbours was partly overwritten before the scan reached it.
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 card be recovered in this situation?+
After a format the camera reports an empty card, yet a quick format only rewrites the exFAT records and the body's own database. The raw files stay in place until new frames are written, which is why the next shot matters far more than the format did. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not put the card back into the camera before the scan, because the body writes its image database as soon as the card is mounted.
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?+
Judge the frames by content and metadata: full resolution in the converter, a capture time that fits the shoot, and file sizes that match the compression you used.