Image-File Recovery
From Digital Camera Memory Cards
And IBM, Hitachi & Magicstor Microdrive™

The next time you scramble a memory card (CompactFlash, SmartMedia, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, SD, XD, etc. or IBM/Hitachi/Magicstor Microdrive) and can no longer copy your pictures to your computer.... call us! Do NOT re-format the card. Do NOT attempt to shoot more pictures on it. As soon as you realize that there's a problem... STOP! Do NOTHING else!! As long as you haven't messed things up too badly, we will probably be able to recover most of your images.

Hitachi has announced a new, 4GB, Microdrive. If you have one and are unable to recover files from it.... send it to us!

Here is a "magicstor" microdrive... 2.2GB. We can recover files from these, also.

Here is a slightly different style of "magicstor" drive.

IBM, Hitachi, Magicstor and others, make a device called the Microdrive. It is available in several capacities up to 4GB!! The pictures above are of the IBM 1GB version and the Hitachi 4GB version, and the Magicstor 2.2GB version. But when disassembled, all the drives look alike. In order to recover files, we have to disassemble the drive and un-stick the little arm that passes over the spinning disk. We have been 95% successful in recovering files from these devices. There are some types of electronic failure that we cannot get past to make a recovery. However, please do NOT attempt to shake or jar the arm loose and do not attempt to write more files over the ones already there, and do not attempt to re-format the drive.

These drives typically are very sensitive to excessive "G" force and will frequently stop spinning if dropped. If you have such a drive, DO NOT subject it to FURTHER "G" force thinking that you can "jog" it into spinning. You will only make it worse. If it fails to "show up" as a removable drive when you put it into a memory card reader, or if it fails to show up when you load it into your camera.... send it to us. Maybe we can recover your files. There is no charge if there is no recovery. However, in the case of the IBM/Hitachi/Magicstor Microdrive we may have to disassemble it in order to make a recovery. Once the Microdrive has been disassembled it should not be used again. By sending it to us for recovery, you are granting permission to disassemble it with the knowledge that it will no longer be reliable when we return it to you, and that we might not be able to make a successful recovery.

All hard drives are manufactured and assembled in a "clean room" where people wear gowns and face masks to prevent air-bourn dust from getting into the mechanism. Once we open the drive, it should not be "trusted" again since we do not use "clean room" practices.

Package it in something padded to protect it from further damage during shipment and send to: ColorBAT, 173 W. Frederick Street, Millersville PA 17551. We recommend you use FedEx or UPS as opposed to the US Mail, since we are not sure what kind of "screening" practices the Post Office is using these days (they don't like to talk about the subject). If the Post Office runs packages past a magnetic metal detector or other magnotometer device, it would only make recovery of files more difficult if not impossible.  Include your credit card number (MasterCard, VISA or Discover Card only) and expiration date, along with your return shipping information. If you need over night return shipment, be sure to state that. If you have a FedEx shipping account, we can perform return shipment against your FedEx account number if you prefer, but you will have to give us your FedEx account number. If you'll give us your Email address we will notify you as soon as recovery has been successfully accomplished.... so you can stop worrying!

You need to understand that about 80% of the MicroDrives that we see have been damaged by excessive "G" force, or a corrupted File Allocation Table (typically caused by trying to write too large of a file to the disk when the disk is already full of files... or by removing the disk from the camera... or by removing the batteries from the camera.... while the camera is still writing the last picture that was taken). There is also a type of failure caused by a failure in the internal electronics of the device. When it is the electronics that have failed and/or the disk has stopped spinning, then we will not be able to recover files. There is no easy way to tell the difference between these two types of failures until after we open the device and look at it.

1) Never write to the full capacity of your memory card. Always leave the last 2-3 pictures un-recorded... un-taken.

2) Never delete specific pictures on the camera and expect the camera to back-fill those spaces with new pictures. When it is time to delete pictures, delete them ALL.

3) Never use the computer to delete pictures from the memory card or to re-format the card. Always use the camera to perform a full delete of all pictures or to perform a re-format of the card. Never use the computer to write picture files back onto the memory card.

4) Never remove the memory card from the camera while the camera is still writing a picture to the card. Always turn the camera OFF first and wait about 10-15 seconds before removing the memory card.

5) Never remove the batteries from your camera while the camera is still writing the last picture to the memory card. Always turn the camera OFF first and wait about 10-15 seconds before changing the camera' batteries. If the batteries die completely while the camera is in the process of writing the last picture that you took to the memory card.... you'll have a BIG problem.

6) While solid-state memory cards are very hardy and can be dropped with no ill effect, IBM, Hitachi and Microstor  MicroDrives cannot be dropped or excessively jarred in ANY manner. They are very delicate... much like an old fashioned pocket watch... because they have very delicate little moving parts inside of them.

7) Never take your digital camera and/or memory cards through the metal detector at the airport. Always place the camera and/or memory cards on the moving belt of the X-Ray machine instead. Like wise, never allow the digital camera or memory cards to get close to a strong magnetic field... like the motor on your home vacuum cleaner or other large and powerful electrical motor.

8) While it is perfectly OK to cable the camera directly to the computer to transfer image files, over time, the practice will put excessive wear on the tiny and fragile electrical connector on the camera, resulting in the need for expensive camera repairs. We strongly recommend that you use a USB Memory Card Reader to transfer images to your computer. All USB devices will work with better reliability when used with more recent motherboards and Win-2K or Win-XP operating systems. Never try to use ANY USB device of any type with Win-95 operating system. Some Win-98 operating systems will work OK, but Win-98SE is a bit more likely to work correctly with USB Card Readers. Very few Memory Card Readers offer drivers for Win-95 or Win-98. A few Readers offer drivers for Win-98SE. Win-XP does not require any drivers!

9) If you cannot read the pictures from your memory card.... STOP immediately and be very sure that you know what you're doing from there on. Unfortunately, many folks do more damage than good from that point forward, making it difficult or impossible for us to make a recovery of the images. If we are unable to recover your images, then the next step is to contact someone like: DriveSavers, 800-440-1904, http://www.drivesavers.com 400 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato CA 94949. They are not cheap (like us), but they can frequently recover files that no one else can. They DO use "clean room" practices that I mentioned above. Expect the price for file recovery to start around $1,000.00 and go up from there.

10) We recommend that you use memory cards of 1GB or less. The larger cards are nice, but if you scramble the files on one of them... you've maybe lost a LOT of images. It is best to not put all of your eggs in one basket.

11) Different manufacturers offer versions of memory cards that can record images from the camera faster than other cards. But, in all cases, the factor that most controls how fast the camera can record images to any card is... the camera! While there are several different manufacturers of memory cards, always check with your camera owner's manual to find out the recommended cards to use. There's nothing wrong with buying a super fast-recording card, it will work just fine..... but if your camera can't write that fast, you've wasted the money.

12) Read and follow the instructions that come with your media card and your camera. duh...!