Windows XP Scanner and Camera Wizard messes up jpegs

[jacquster]

Hi - I'm BRAND NEW to your FORUM! Please help! I've been followng the steps in the automatic "Scanner and Camera Wizard" when I put my camera chip into the reader. It asks for a directory name - and that's where we've concluded messes up the jpegs.

The file TYPES become Quicktime! You can still see that they are jpg files, and the folder thumbnails show the actual photo - but they will NOT open in ANY type of viewer we've tried.

I know better NOW to cancel out of that wizard and do it myself - but how do I "restore" the photos which are already on my harddrive? Thanks - they'll all the Christmas photos from this year!!!

 

[floppybootstomp]

What's the current file extension?

You could just rename the file extension to jpg on each one but that will take a little time.

And if you can find out how to do it, disable Quicktime as your current default jpg viewer.

 

[muckshifter]

Uninstall Quicktime ... or better still, restore the original File Association.

Here is an easy way to do that ...
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

 

[jacquster]

Dear MUCKSHIFTER: Thank you for responding! I went to the dougknox site and dowloaded/ran the file association fix for jpgs. I then UNinstalled QuickTime. I rebooted and went back to my pictures. Still, I cannot open them. I usually use IrfanView to view all my photos, and that program says can't open header. I tried Explorer, and I get that little "x" where the photo should be. I know they're there - I can see their file names..... thanks - Jackie

 

[muckshifter]

Hmmm, strange ...

OK, back to basics ... go to IE Tools and delete all the Temporay Internet Files.

 

[jacquster]

Dear Muckshifter - Thank you again... I'm going to delete temps.. In the meantime - do you know anything about the rundll32.exe application that I keep seeing in my search for answers???? jackie

 

[muckshifter]

Dear Muckshifter - Thank you again... I'm going to delete temps.. In the meantime - do you know anything about the rundll32.exe application that I keep seeing in my search for answers???? jackie

Yes ... you did the same thing with the "fix" from DougKnox's reg file ... it is easier that way.

Also ... right-click any picture ... go to Properties and there you'll see "Opens with" & and a button "Change" ... you can use that to reistablish IrfanView as the default viewer.

 

[jacquster]

Still no luck...

Dear Muckshifter: I tried every one of those options to change viewer, and each program says it can't open the photo. Mind you - these pictures had all been viewed before (I ususally use filmstrip). So something weasled its way in here to make my life crazy!

Also - get this... when I go to MY PICTURES, I see all my cute little yellow folders, and can actually SEE four tiny photos on each folder - so THEY ARE IN THERE - aren't they?????

PLUS --- when I hover over these folders they list/show Size: and Files: (with jpg extension!)

I hope you stick with me on this - Thanks.... Jackie

 

[muckshifter]

Dear Muckshifter: I tried every one of those options to change viewer, and each program says it can't open the photo. Mind you - these pictures had all been viewed before (I ususally use filmstrip). So something weasled its way in here to make my life crazy!

Also - get this... when I go to MY PICTURES, I see all my cute little yellow folders, and can actually SEE four tiny photos on each folder - so THEY ARE IN THERE - aren't they?????

PLUS --- when I hover over these folders they list/show Size: and Files: (with jpg extension!)

I hope you stick with me on this - Thanks.... Jackie

Yes, I would say so to ...

OK, I'm getting a little confused now ...

Have you installed any software recently ... if so, what?
What, if any, is the exact error message?
Did it all work at one time before?

 

[jacquster]

Recently, I downloaded a program called Blaze Media so that I could rotate my MPEG files - but this type of situation happed another time in my life (about 6 mos ago) and I just chalked up those unreadable photos as "corrupt" and told myself I must have messed something up. Now it just happened again.

Are you familiar with the "Scanner and Camera Wizard" screen that comes up when you put in a SD Chip? I should have bypassed that darned thing because I'm almost sure it created the problem.

I did an experiment by just directly copying files from the drive that contains SD chip directly into MY PICTURES directory - and no problem.

When you use that "Wizard" thing it asks for you to name the files so they are grouped together. So, instead of just having img001.jpg in my "Christmas 2005" directory, I would then get, for example, XMAS 05 001.jpg. (XMAS 05 being what I put as my "group" name). However, I also have files such as IM000498.jpg that won't open as well.

Even when I change the default viewer, the picture icon seems to stay at one I don't know - it's a sea setting with ship on the ocean - who's icon is that? Seems on a google search for that "Scanner and Camera Wizard" - others have problems and solutions - but nothing to tell me how to UNDO the bad photo files!

Thank you for staying with me!

 

[jacquster]

I just deleted Blaze Media (just in case).

The dates on all the offending files are Jan 2, 2006. What if I were to restore back to Jan 1? Those pictures will remain on my harddrive, right? (I no longer have them on external media source).

Also - these offending files (when hovering) only show Type and Size. Whereas, in my "normal" older photos files, the hover information has Dimension, Date, Camera Type and Size! Any of this helping you?

My husband copied those "unreadable" files to a media stick and tried them in his machine, and gets same "can't preview" etc, issues. Thank you so much - Jackie

 

[muckshifter]

I'm sorry to say but It looks as though those pictures may well be corrupted, especially as you can view the others.

Yes I am familiar with Scanner and Camera Wizard ... it is one of the 'tools' I advise people to use instead of their camera program. I also tell them to "back-up" their pictures to a CD/DVD. Data on a PC will/can/does get corrupted. If it is important then back it up.

I do not know of any XP icon with a ship & sea .

Try these recovery programs, use the Trial download, do not buy it if it cannot show you your pictures ...
http://www.mediarecover.com/image_recovery_win.html
http://www.photosrecovery.com/

You will be able to download a demo to determine that our software will work before you order a full version. Please try our free demo (839KB) to see how many images you may expect to recover with the full version. The demo will display thumbnails of images found on your media

... I don't know how good these things are but you have nothing to loose by trying. Again, do not buy if they do not work.

We need Quad to have a read here, he is our resident photo expert.

The only other sugestion I can make is to check the hard drive for any errors using CHKDSK ... click Start & Run type in chkdsk /f (note the space) ... follow the XP instructions to reboot and it will run automatiautomatically.

I do not think "Restore" will work, no you will not loose the pictures, but hey, no harm in trying.

Sorry I cannot be of more help.

 

[jacquster]

Still working at it....

Dear Sir - thanks again for keeping with me! This totally stumps me because now I can't run my AVI or MPEG files either! Seems "it's" affecting more and more of my media files!!

Microsoft has had no problem showing my mpegs, and in fact, as of 12/27/05 I was using BlazeMedia to rotate them and all was happy.

I restored back to Jan 1 - but will try an earlier date.

Right now I am running one of the programs you suggested, but it seems it will take DAYS for it to scan thru files (MediaRecovery). I may let it run overnight and see.

The other program didn't bring up anything pertinent.

Tomorrow I will check on MediaRecovery - see if it found any "corrupt" media files.

I will then do run the CheckDisk and do a restore to beginning of Dec.

I would like to send you some "screen prints" of what I am seeing. Is this ok with you?

Thank you again.... I believe you are in the U.K.?! Well, my daughter went to London over Christmas. I copied those jpg files WITHOUT the "Camera/Scanner Wizard" and they are just fine. You'll see in my screen shots that the files that were named "LONDON" using the "Wizard" are unable to open.

I will make some sreen prints for you and hope this might help.... Thank you SO SO much - Jackie (Chesapeake, Virginia)

 

[jacquster]

p.s. it seems that any media file that I had renamed won't open!

 

[muckshifter]

I would like to send you some "screen prints" of what I am seeing. Is this ok with you?

Yes, please do ... may help.

 

[jacquster]

Some .zip files with WPdoc screenshots

Dear: muckshifter

I sent 2 screenshots. I have 3 more to send - they are too large - so I'm working on it.... Thanks again - Jackie

 

[muckshifter]

Hmmm, I cannot open them ... they seem to be a WordPerfect Doc ... I don't have/or use that program.

 

[jacquster]

Another screen shot ...

Thanks, Muckshifter...

 

[jacquster]

How should I save file after I "screenshot" it?

I brought them into WP, then zipped them. How should I do this? Thanks!

 

[muckshifter]

Just zip and send ... no need to use a wordprocessor. If the file is small enough just upload it.

You may be able to send a larger file direct to my email ... as long as my security doesn't rip 'em out.