How to try restoring damaged photos or videos
How to try restoring damaged photos or videos
Some image and movie files remain partially usable, though they lack complete data. The problem lies in the fact that missing details are probably beyond recovery, particularly for a computer lacking advanced AI capabilities. If you show someone a half-dog picture, they might try to reconstruct the other side. A computer given such an image would have no clue about the missing portion without AI training, and even then it wouldn’t know precisely what the missing part should have been. It could recognize a poodle’s appearance but might not understand specifics like a blue collar or facial features. You might have a photo of yourself beside Mr T, where the damaged section is black or distorted. The person can see Mr T, but how would the computer determine your appearance to restore the image?
One thing I wish you had learned from this, as most people do too late, is that any files you currently possess will be properly backed up and verified, stored in multiple locations.
Actually, I have already completed a standard and thorough scan using "Recuva".
https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva/download
None of those scans detected any files based on their criteria. Given that similar recovery tools likely work in the same way, I believe these types of programs can be disregarded.
As previously mentioned, I plan to try again using your Open Source link soon.
Hello once more,
I understand this discussion began some time ago, but just to be thorough and as I promised to return here with the outcomes of my Autopsy program, I wanted to inform you that I successfully scanned all the images and videos on my external hard drive using that tool.
Looking at the thumbnail pages for both images and videos, most appear to have working thumbnails and function properly in various applications. However, I noticed some corrupted files are displayed with broken thumbnails or the white page icon in Autopsy. Attempting to export these files and view them elsewhere fails, as does using the same method inside Autopsy’s “External Viewer” after right-clicking the corrupted items and selecting the feature from the pop-up menu.
In conclusion, it seems these files are unreadable and likely permanently lost, which I’ll have to accept.
The positive side is that this issue mostly occurs sporadically when I encounter corrupted thumbnails in Autopsy, while the negative aspect is that overall, these files still represent a significant portion—around 10-15%—of the image/video collection on my external drive.
I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this thread for their help and time in providing solutions.
Have a great day and thank you once more.
For future reference... What backup plans do you have at home? If not, why not? I frequently encounter discussions about recovering lost data or files, such as a dead drive, deleted photos, viruses, or accidental deletions. It’s important to consider these scenarios. forums.
There is a significant point being made here. The files were lost not because of carelessness or missing backups, but due to my own actions. I was trying to assist others with their IT problems, often quickly or even instantly. However, I allowed myself to be pressured into doing "a)" by someone who asked for help and took advantage of my kindness. Specifically, that person needed assistance with graphic programs to function properly after encountering issues, and she had to submit an assignment the next morning. The situation became worse because she had worked late and blamed my lack of responsibility, laziness, and stress on me. I was simply trying to help her recover quickly within a very short time frame. At that time, I ran an older operating system and needed to format and reinstall the newer one while also installing all the graphic programs she was struggling with. We were in the late evening, which was quite late. I always make sure to back up and copy important files before doing so. The same principle applied that evening, but because of her pressure, I made a small oversight regarding my digital camera folder, which was hidden deeper in the folder structure. After using the formatting tool for about five minutes, I remembered this and stopped the process, saving 85-90% of the image/video files that I can still locate today—even when scanning with Autopsy.
If I take one lesson from this, it is that I will never again allow others to pressure me to help within hours, so they can take advantage of my willingness to assist people in need, often without charge.
I still feel regret over this incident, but at least I now understand what not to do.