The xD card, a common memory card used in digital cameras, is a small and powerful graphic storage solution for the consumer. Although it is not used in all cameras, many Olympus models come equipped with xD card storage slots. However, when those xD cards malfunction, the data may appear lost or irretrievable. Here are some ways to recover your xD card for free.
Instructions
1. Stop taking pictures. When your xD card shows an error, such as "xD Card error" or "xD Card needs to be reformatted," there is likely a problem with your file-allocation table.Taking more pictures could overwrite other data on the xD card. If you want the chance to recover your pictures, do not snap any more photos until you run photo recovery software.
2. Ensure the card is unable to read. Sometimes, the problem might be with your camera or computer. Try to insert the card into your computer, a different computer or another camera. If the card is truly in error, you should not be able to see any images on any processing system you use.
3. Install PhotoRec software. Visit cgsecurity.org and download the latest version of PhotoRec. This freeware will work even if you have already reformatted the disk; it can read FAT, NTFS or EXT2/EXT3 file systems. It ignores the head file system, and it searches for the underlying data beneath the system. After the download completes, install PhotoRec onto your desktop.
4. Run PhotoRec to recover your photos. Open the program, insert your xD card into a card reader and select the option to recover pictures from a drive. Select the save location as a specified folder on your computer; do not save the images to the same xD card, as this could overwrite images. Run the program, and allow it to pull any data from the card. The process could take anywhere from two minutes to an hour, based on the amount of data on your card.
5. Reformat your card and continue taking pictures. It is a good idea to do a clean delete of all images and data on the card to optimize space before reformatting. You will know if you have a fair amount of unused disk space by the free space available when you insert the card into your computer; the free space should be close to the data capability of the card.
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