urgent: compactflash card error

[Param]

Hi all, I have a Dell laptop with Windows XP Pro SP2. I attached a USB card
reader and I am trying to copy about 300 pics from my Kingston 1GB
Compactflash card, but Windows keeps saying please enter a disk into drive
d:\. The card is in there!! What could be the problem? I have tried 2
different machines and readers now. Please tell me I have not lost my pics.
Me and my wife would be devastated.

TIA!

 

[Tom from WI]

Have you tried putting the flash card back in the camera and connecting the
camera to the computer?
Tom

 

[bxf]

Tom's idea sounds about as good as possible for confirming whether or
not your pics are still on the card in a useable form.

If the camera indicates no errors and shows the images, you may want to
confirm that you have the latest driver for your reader. And then, if
necessary, try out some recovery programs.

I'll take this opportunity to remind people that this is one
disadvantage of very large capacity flashcards - if one goes bad, you
stand to lose much more than if your images were spread over several
smaller cards.

 

[Param]

It did not even strike me to try that. Well the bad news is that this turned
out to be the worst vacation ever because after a damaged CF card, someone
stole our camera!!! So now I cannot even try that. I am left with a damaged
card thats all. I have tried several recovery programs but they cant do much
when Windows doesnt even see the disk in the drive.

TIA!

 

[bxf]

It did not even strike me to try that. Well the bad news is that this turned
out to be the worst vacation ever because after a damaged CF card, someone
stole our camera!!! So now I cannot even try that. I am left with a damaged
card thats all. I have tried several recovery programs but they cant do much
when Windows doesnt even see the disk in the drive.

My sympathies. We all go through a bad stretch now and then. However,
don't let spoilt photos ruin the memories and experience of a good
vacation.

On the more technical side, you should be able to try the card in any
camera that accepts such cards, although it could be said that your
chances would be better if the camera were similar to yours. The
objective is to see if there is something odd with the computer or is
the card really screwed. Perhaps you can find somebody who'll let you
try your card in his/her camera.