Data and storage are an ever-important aspect of our modern lives. Much of the important information we deal with every day comes in the form of digital data that must be stored somehow.
There are many different solutions when it comes to file and data storage for you to choose from. What once was a complicated and sometimes unreliable way of storing this data has now become really easy and seems to improve every year.
One form of storage for digital photo files that are common is an XD card. This is a flash memory card that can be used to store images from different digital cameras that use this type of card. They are small and portable and really easy to use.
Even though an XD card is very convenient and a reliable method of digital storage, it can still be subject to issues. Here, we are going to look at how to recover deleted files from an XD card if you ever need to do so.
Contents
What is an XD Card?
An XD card as it is commonly known today is a type of flash memory storage that was originally developed by the brands Olympus and Fuji film.
These companies made cameras and they need a reliable method to store digital images that did not take up a lot of space and were easy to transfer from a camera to a computer.
These cards were first introduced to the public in 2002 and are actually no longer in production on current digital cameras.
XD cards proved to be a reliable and functional means of digital image storage for the next decade and became popular in a variety of different cameras.
Many people still use XD cards today even though they are not as common and in production by the same brands who created them almost 20 years ago. The memory capacity of an XD card can range from 16MB to 2GB and anywhere in between.
How Do Files Get Deleted From an XD Card?
Even though XD cards are a reliable and convenient method of flash storage for digital images, they are not immune to issues. Due to a variety of circumstances, files can become deleted from the cards.
If you happen to accidentally delete a file from an XD card, don’t panic. We will take a look at the steps you can take to recover these files shortly.
The data on an XD card can be affected if you take the card out of the camera without the power being turned off.
This can easily lead to a deleted file or files. This can also occur when the camera is trying to store information (known as the writing process) onto the XD card and the camera is powered off while it is trying to do so.
You also might accidentally manually delete the file with or without knowing it.
It is also a possibility that your XD card may become physically damaged or have internal disk errors or problems that result in data corruption or deletion. If an XD card suffers severe physical damage, it may be impossible to fix it.
This might lead to permanent deletion and it is not much you can do about the issue. The same is true for disk errors but that issue is not as imminent as physical damage.
How to Recover Deleted Files from XD Card
Regardless of the reason for a file being deleted from an XD card, there is the potential that you can recover it. It’s important to note that file recovery is not guaranteed and sometimes you may lose a file from an XD card permanently.
It’s always a good idea to make backups of all of your important files often to avoid losing a file outright. If you use XD cards make sure to transfer the files to another device or location in case of deletion.
Since there is no real way to directly access an XD card, the best option for recovering deleted files from the card is to use external software to complete the task. When a file on an XD card is deleted or encounters an error, it is not actually deleted completely. At least, not right away.
The disk space will still contain the information of the file until it is overwritten with other files. It’s important to act quickly with recovery software to make sure the deleted files don’t disappear.
XD Card Recovery Software
We recommend Stellar Photo Recovery because it’s very good at retrieving deleted or lost photos from a variety of data loss scenarios and it supports both XD picture card and SD card. The program is available for both Windows and Mac.
Other good options include Recuva and Recoverit. You can also check out our photo recovery software review for more. All of these programs are similar in their capabilities and offer easy to use solutions for photo recovery from an XD card or other similar devices.
Because data recovery software works with a number of different file types, be sure to check that the one you choose can assist in photo recovery.
XD Card Photo Recovery Guide
- Once you have decided upon a photo recovery software to use to help you recover deleted files from an XD card, you simply download and install the program to get started.
- After installing, open the program and follow the steps as they appear on your screen. You will have to insert your XD card into your computer either via included input ports or through some other means such as an XD card reader.
- When the photo recovery software reads and recognizes your XD card, it can run a scan of the storage and locate any deleted files that might be recoverable.
- Follow the prompts within the program and you will be able to restore your deleted files in a matter of minutes. If you do not see the deleted file after running the XD card through the recovery program, it is most likely unrecoverable.
Pro tips:
- When you attempt to save recovered items, remember not to select your xD card as the source drive. Otherwise, chances are partial data would be overwritten.
- Once you have recovered your pictures, be sure to back them up in multiple devices just in case. Also, it’s best to transfer your photos more frequently.
- Once again, to increase the chances of xd card recovery, try not to write additional data to the device before you start the process.
Final Thoughts
Recovering deleted files from an XD card is indeed possible but it will not work in every instance and is not guaranteed.
The only real way to attempt to recover these files is by using photo recovery software that can look at the flash storage on an XD card and attempt to recover any files that have not yet been overwritten.
Hopefully, you will be able to restore your files if you ever find yourself in this situation but remember that by backing up your files you reduce the risk of ever permanently deleting photo files off of your XD card.
Have you ever tried to recover deleted files from an XD card? How did you go about recovery, if so? Let us know in the comments below.
