Cameras · Sony exFAT CFexpress Type A card
Recover supported Sony media from CFexpress Type A
Can File Recovery Hero recover files from a Sony CFexpress Type A card?
Short answer
Yes, if a desktop Type A reader mounts it as a readable exFAT volume: the card interface does not matter, the file system and file type do. Select only supported formats such as ARW, JPEG, HEIF-family images or MP4. Other recording formats, or a card that does not mount stably, are not covered.
The situation
Supported ARW, JPEG, HEIF-family, or MP4 assets are missing from readable media.
The card slot format decides nothing on its own. What counts is whether a desktop Type A reader presents the card as a stable exFAT volume and whether the missing files are of a type the scan can identify. On a Sony stills-and-video card both conditions are usually met.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Sony formats Type A cards as exFAT, the same file system used on SDXC media, and a reader attached over USB or Thunderbolt exposes it as an ordinary removable volume. Deleted or lost files then behave exactly as they do on any other exFAT card: the directory entry is released, the clusters are marked free, and the data stays put until a fresh recording lands on top of it.
A desktop Type A reader can expose an ordinary exFAT volume, but unsupported camera formats remain outside scope.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Put the card into a dedicated Type A reader instead of back into the body, and check that the volume appears and stays mounted.
- 2
Confirm in the macOS or Windows disk utility that the file system reads exFAT and that the reported capacity matches the card.
- 3
Select only the formats the camera actually wrote, ARW, JPEG, HIF or MP4, and scan the volume read-only.
- 4
Export the results to an internal or external drive and open each of them in the application you edit with.
Do not put the card back in the camera to browse what was found, and never accept a Windows prompt offering to format the drive before it can be used. Avoid readers that lose contact under load; a scan that keeps aborting and restarting squanders your best chance.
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.
The interface is irrelevant, the file system and the format are not. File Recovery Hero reads exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 volumes and covers a defined list of file types; a proprietary recording format outside it, an encrypted card, or one that refuses to mount stably falls outside that scope.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Check that the number of recovered files matches what the shoot should contain and that each one opens completely: ARW developing at sensor resolution, JPEG and HIF decoding to the whole frame, MP4 playing for its stated duration. A file that produces only a thumbnail has not come back.
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 CFexpress Type A card be recovered in this situation?+
The card slot format decides nothing on its own. What counts is whether a desktop Type A reader presents the card as a stable exFAT volume and whether the missing files are of a type the scan can identify. On a Sony stills-and-video card both conditions are usually met. 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 browse what was found, and never accept a Windows prompt offering to format the drive before it can be used.
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?+
Check that the number of recovered files matches what the shoot should contain and that each one opens completely: ARW developing at sensor resolution, JPEG and HIF decoding to the whole frame, MP4 playing for its stated duration.