Windows Photo Viewer can't read photos?

K

KatKim

New Member
Hello,

Long story short, I had a folder with family photos and what not that had suddenly disappeared from my 1TB External HDD.

After many methods of trying to hunt this folder down, I eventually managed to restore it with the 'RecoverMyFile' program. Then copied them into my OTHER 2TB Passport.

Turns out that the folder (had a lot of sub-folders) had become ORPHAN folders (which I didn't even know could happen).

But now, I can't view them because it always says that "Windows Photo Viewer cannot read this format" even thought almost all of them are .jpeg!

I tried opening with pain - no luck.
I tried reading the photo with Google Picasa - no luck.
I tried recovering it with JPEG Repair program - no luck.

The folder itself is around 32 GB worth of photos, so I'd really like a solution to this problem.

Please and thank-you.

P.S: I had extended relatives over who used my PC - but I highly doubt they were the ones who deleted my folder, which makes me think - is it SAFE to use my 1TB HDD? Something similar to this happened to a video folder (much smaller) that I had, and I never recovered it, it just disappeared.

I always have my HDD connected to my PC - should I not do this?

Is my HDD dying?

-------------------------

Details:

Window 7
Relatively new PC (only around 3 years old).
 
Hi Kat

Well the first thing I'd do is set a new file association with the pictures.
  1. Open Default Programs by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, and then clicking Default Programs.
  2. Click Associate a file type or protocol with a program.
  3. Click the file type or protocol that you want the program to act as the default for.
  4. Click Change program.
  5. Click the program that you want to use as the default for the file type you selected, or click the arrow next to Other Programs to show additional programs. (If you don't see Other Programs, or your program is not listed, click Browse to find the program you want to use, and then click Open. If no other programs are installed that are able to open the file type or protocol, your choices will be limited.)
 
It sounds like the files may be corrupt. Unfortunately that can happen. I would try and recover them again.
 
But if the state of the original folders (from which I recovered them from) is orphaned, wouldn't the results (unseeable pictures) be the same even if I re-recover them?

(Thank you for your speedy reply)
 
Possible. Its hard to tell from here without seeing everything. Orphan files aren't actually the jpeg, but part of the file necessary for the jpeg to work earlier. It sounds to me that you haven't recovered the pictures, but associated files.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top