Photos (JPEG) corrupted after transfer from SD Card

[cu4ever]

Hi,
I've recently returned from holiday and took photos on my digital camera using a mini-SD card in an adaptor to make it normal sized. When I came to move these pictures on to my laptop, I did this by putting the mini-SD card into my phone and connecting it. Before copying all the files on to my laptop I browsed through them on the laptop screen but still stored on the phone (acting as a mass storage device), which I now wish I hadn't! Suddenly the pictures stopped previewing and the system crashed, and on reloading the SD card had become unreadable, Windows and my phone telling me it was unformatted. I recovered the files using PC Inspector File Recovery, but my main problem now is they won't open - opening them in any application comes up with a message along the lines of "No preview available" or "This is not a valid bitmap file, or its format is not supported". I've tried some programmes on the basis that the files' attributes have been corrupted in some way, but as yet no luck. I'd really like to be able to open the files - it's annoying having them available but not being able to open them or even preview them, so any ideas would be appreciated.

To sum up my problem: I have a host of unopenable JPEG files - is there any way I can get them open in any form?

Thanks in advance.

 

[raybay]

What photo editing software do you use?
Have you had any luck downloading any of the images.
If it is the chip, you have little hope, as those mini SD chips can be so very fragile. If it was caused by the camera, you may have.
Have you attempted to download them through a good USB card reader, or a system mini SD reader apart from the Camera

 

[cu4ever]

What photo editing software do you use?

I've only got access to the basic Microsoft offerings at the moment as I'm in between computers (last one was stolen, new one comes on Tuesday ). As such, I've tried opening them in Paint, MS Photo Editor, MS PhotoDraw and Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, none have which have been able to open any of the files.

Have you had any luck downloading any of the images.
If it is the chip, you have little hope, as those mini SD chips can be so very fragile. If it was caused by the camera, you may have.

Not quite sure what you mean by this? I could browse through the images and open them fine until my system crashed, and since then using the recovery programme I've been able to get the photo files off the SD card saved on to my laptop, but can't open them.

Have you attempted to download them through a good USB card reader, or a system mini SD reader apart from the Camera

Like I say, I used the mini SD reader on my mobile phone to put them on to my laptop originally (or at least tried to...), but I have no other means of doing so (my current laptop is very old and doesn't have a card reader).

I hope those answer your questions. Just to clarify, it's opening the files I'm interested in as I now have these on my computer. Thanks.

 

[raybay]

Any luck yet?
There are many online stores which sell card readers for as little as $14.99 with free shipping... Try www.directron.com, or for free shipping, www.zipzoomfly.com... starting at $14.99 16.00, $20.99 and so on... well worth it if your images are indeed valuable to you.
If not valuable images, then just put the mini SD chip in a friends reader, or a demo rader at Radio Schack or Wal-Mart and reformat the chip.
Better look into that device that caused the trouble.... Alwasy be sure you have fresh batteries when you transfer files on manipulate images.