Lost photos are normally still present on the card after it has been deleted, formatted, or received a ‘card error’ message, until something writes the photo area again. We restore pictures and videos from memory cards, cameras, phones, flash drives and other types of media in-house. Most formats including JPEG, HEIC and virtually every known RAW format.
Every time you take another photo there is an increased risk that the deleted photos will be over-written, and when you reformat the card again this will make data recovery even harder. Take the card out of your camera or phone and do not save any other files to it. Do not allow your device to ‘fix’ or format the card. Leave it as is and contact us; the sooner you stop, the better chance we have of recovering some of what has been lost.
Many photos are still stored on their original digital media (memory card or drive) but have no accessible path back to those pictures. Memory cards are most frequently recovered due to this reason.
Our team has experience recovering photos from memory cards of all types, brands, and devices including mobile phones, flash drives, and many different storage drives. If you have a device that will store pictures, we likely will be able to assist you.
Memory cards: SD, microSD, CFexpress and CompactFlash; cameras, mobile phones, drones and action cams; storage drives: USB sticks, hard drive, solid state drive and external drives; JPEG, HEIC, RAW and video.
This process is extremely meticulous and always involves an exact copy of your original card first. Never will we use your original memory card; we will create an image of it, then scan and extract your photos and/or videos from that image, in the correct sequence.
Tell us which device has failed and describe what has gone wrong. We will then evaluate if there may be some way to get back to some (or all) of the pictures on the device and give you a quote as to how much this would cost, in writing, generally within 48 hours.
We create a forensic image of your disk drive or card, and work exclusively off of that image; therefore, no changes occur to the original device nor do we overwrite anything.
The quickest wins are those files (photos) that have been identified or located via reference in the file system and were successfully recovered with folder and file name integrity.
In cases where the card or disk has been formatted or corrupted, we use ‘carving’ techniques to identify and extract photo and video files from raw data using signatures for JPEG, HEIC, RAW and video.
Prior to sending any results back to you, we verify that each restored image opens properly and isn’t corrupted in any way.
Your photos and videos are returned to you on new, clean media in an organised way and all ready to go.
We provide copies of your data to an external device, which is then posted back to you, or provided as a no-cost download (if it is under 75 GB).
We can extract photos and videos from memory cards, cameras, phones, USB sticks and drives, as well as JPEG, HEIC and all major RAW formats, including recovery of photos from formatted or corrupted cards, all using a forensic copy.
Tell us what you’ve lost and we’ll get back to you, usually within half an hour during the working day.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0191 406 1051.
There are no additional fees and there is no pressure sales tactic: we provide you with a free diagnosis prior to beginning any work and provide you with a written quote of what services we would like to perform.
A few examples of recently recovered photos, mostly from memory cards. All identifying details have been removed; each result has been verified.
The camera had done a quick-format which left all the data intact. After imaging the card, we were able to carve the JPEGs and Canon RAW files back out and retrieve nearly every picture taken.
After the card was yanked while writing to it, the card became damaged and unable to be read. We rebuilt the file system and were able to restore (HEIC) photos and video that the phone could not read.
The card has never been reused before. We used our forensic tools to “carve” the Nikon RAW (NEF) files based on signatures and we were able to recover all of the photos from this shoot completely intact.
When you send the unit in for its free diagnostic, let us know what happened with the unit. An engineer will review the unit and confirm your quote in writing prior to starting on your recovery.
Before you post or drop off your device, please get a quote from us by phone or with the form. Once we receive your device, our recovery process can start. Safely pack your device, include your name and contact information within the packaging and ship it to us. After performing your free diagnostic, we’ll send you a written confirmation of the exact price of our services prior to starting any work.
If you decide to post it, we would advise using a trackable and insured postal service. Or if you prefer to drop it off, we are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, and you don’t need an appointment. Just pack the unit as described in step one before dropping it off.
Would you like a little more background information prior to sending it? Fill in the form to provide more details about your problem; an engineer will evaluate it and reply with a customised quote.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0191 406 1051.
These are the questions we get asked most about recovering lost photos, but particularly with regards to memory cards.
Yes, this is probably one of the most common recovery projects we work on. When someone deletes a photo, they are really just deleting an entry in the database or catalogue, which tells their digital device where the photo is stored. The actual data remains on the card until another picture is taken that will overwrite it. If you stop taking pictures right after realising what happened and call us immediately, chances are good we’ll be able to recover your deleted photos.
Most likely not. Digital cameras typically have a “quick format,” which only resets the directory or catalogue and does not remove your pictures. So when we receive your formatted card, we rebuild the card and then “carve” or extract your photos and videos back out.
Yes, they happen all the time, and they’re typically caused by either pulling the memory card out while it’s still in write mode or if your camera has lost power during a shot. Our service will repair the file system on that memory card so you can access those photos again after we’ve recovered as many of them as possible.
Yes, we support recovery of nearly every type of photo format including JPEG, HEIC, and just about every RAW format available today. Some examples include Canon’s CR2 and CR3 formats, Nikon’s NEF format, Sony’s ARW format, Fujifilm’s RAF format, and Adobe’s DNG format. And, of course, the accompanying video files too.
We support recovering images stored on most types of removable media used to store digital data today. This includes SD, microSD, CompactFlash (CF) cards, CFexpress cards, XQD cards and Memory Stick media, from cameras, phones, drones, action cameras and dash cams. As long as there are photos saved on the device we can likely assist.
Often, yes. The more damaged the card (such as broken, bent, etc., or heavily damaged due to exposure to water), the less likely our ability to recover photos. In many cases however, despite the physical condition of the memory card itself, we may be able to access photos at a “chip” level and therefore recover them. Once we have completed the diagnostic process, we’ll let you know how much of what you need we are able to recover.
Yes, using the memory card of the telephone, as well as often from an internal memory of the telephone (or a backup). We will give you an answer regarding what is possible based upon the type and model of your telephone and exactly what occurred.
The cost for photo file recovery services is £250 + VAT for memory cards and USB sticks; and £300 + VAT for hard drive based media. All jobs come with a complimentary diagnostic service prior to starting work and in most cases you only pay if we recover your data; where a physical repair to the card is required (chip level), a higher price may be quoted, which would be confirmed in writing prior to commencing any such repairs.
Many photo recoveries take place within 1 to 3 working days. However, frequently this can occur much quicker, with the diagnostic typically being completed within 48 hours. If you need urgent assistance, please advise, and these jobs may also be given priority.
If you would like to drop off your item (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm), please visit our office in Newcastle upon Tyne or send by post (fully insured). A memory card can normally fit into a padded envelope for posting. Please ensure you include your full contact details (name, address, phone number and email) so that we can book it in. On receipt of your item we will carry out the free diagnostic and write to you with a quote detailing how we intend to proceed with the recovery of your lost files or data prior to proceeding with any work.
A complimentary diagnostic; in most cases you only pay if we recover your data, and photos recovered from any memory card, digital camera, mobile telephone, or computer hard drive. As quickly as possible, stop using the device; start recovering now.