Corrupted raw / jpg files

Mike_J_Smith

Mike_J_Smith

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307
Name
Mike
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi All,

Approximately 10% of my raw files have become corrupted; with patches of orange / red lines across them and a small % of jpg files are corrupted with, for example with half the photo becoming darker / lighter and moved in relation to the other half.

Corrupted raw 1 (as jpg)

3228432255_33fdb4fe09_b.jpg


jpg of raw from camera:

3228432263_5a2905870f_b.jpg


Corrupted raw 2 (as jpg)

3228432267_18a93d8535_b.jpg


jpg of raw 2 from camera:

3228432269_9ddfdeae0c_b.jpg


Corrupted jpg:

3228441543_0e0248369d_b.jpg


This happened recently and was transferred to my back up files and to the DVD back-ups after it occurred (probably 2/3 weeks ago).

So far so bad you may be thinking and a lesson learnt – I had not backed up to DVD for 6 months and so any files corrupted since then are lost.

However, here is something even stranger; some of the corrupted raw files are still on the CF card. If I download these again and look at them in Adobe Bridge, the corruption is evident. However, if I open them into Photoshop, then the raw viewer shows the corrupted areas for a couple of seconds and then they disappear. It’s like there is a memory of the files being corrupted or something. Very strange.

Also weird is the fact that any corrupted psd files, when opened revert to a non-corrupted form.

My computer was playing up for a few weeks so has been reformatted and freshly installed, although I am now suspecting a RAM issue anyway.

Has anybody come across this before? Any suggestions as to whether the files are potentially saveable?

At the very least, take this as a warning – Back up regularly & to multiple formats.

Cheers,

Mike
 
That sounds more like a video card problem, tbh. Do you have a corrupted file you could post here?
 
I hadn't thought of a video card problem, if it continues to happen I was suspecting RAM?

I have put all the files on an external hard drive and looked at them on my laptop too and the same errors are there.

I will post files when I get back home.
 
I've seen files of mine do this, old JPEGs though.
Always just accepted it as the image beng on a dodgy sector of the hard drive
Not video card IMO - the video card is responsible for writing the image to the screen - it does no processing on the graphic file.
 
Is the corruption always in the same place on the same files? If it varies it would suggest a hardware problem rather than something with the files.
 
yeah, it varies but has regular patterns. Quite often its the bottom right hand corner, other times it is almost the whole image, but even then it seems to be divided into approximate quarters.

I've just taken about 30 shots with no problems; hopefully getting rid of my older hard drive and reformatting the other has fixed the problem. Still lost files though which is a drag.
 
Does it affect the embedded jpeg files (as opposed to a seperate jpeg) ? Wayne
 
Mike_J_Smith said:
yeah, it varies but has regular patterns. Quite often its the bottom right hand corner, other times it is almost the whole image, but even then it seems to be divided into approximate quarters.

I've just taken about 30 shots with no problems; hopefully getting rid of my older hard drive and reformatting the other has fixed the problem. Still lost files though which is a drag.
Click to expand...

But it is always in the SAME place on the SAME file?

Can you open one file and see the corruption, open it 10 mins later and it's fine but appears on another image? If that's happening then it's not the files but probably something to do with system or video ram.
 
RichardtheSane said:
I've seen files of mine do this, old JPEGs though.
Always just accepted it as the image beng on a dodgy sector of the hard drive
Not video card IMO - the video card is responsible for writing the image to the screen - it does no processing on the graphic file.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree, but I suggested it because it could have just been a display problem on the OPs PC. He confirmed later that it did the same on his laptop, so definitely not video card.
 
Does it affect the embedded jpeg files (as opposed to a seperate jpeg) ? Wayne

Sorry, but what is the embedded jpeg? How would I check this?

But it is always in the SAME place on the SAME file?

Yup, always the same place on the same file. Also the same place on same files in the back-up DVDs.

Thanks for all the replies.
 
I had a few like this last year. I found them when I was going through a mass conversion to DNGs. I have no answers as to how it could have happened. What I can tell you is that they all succesfully converted to DNG without any corruption visible.
 
Mike_J_Smith said:
Does it affect the embedded jpeg files (as opposed to a seperate jpeg) ? Wayne

Sorry, but what is the embedded jpeg? How would I check this?

[
Thanks for all the replies.
Click to expand...

Most digital cameras embed a jpeg in the raw photo this can be extracted usually with your cameras own make software (photoshop won't do this) although their are a few third party applications that will extract them.
Can you upload a faulty raw file so we can check it for you? at least that will narrow things down, if it's faulty for us as well you'll know it's not your video card. Wayne
 
swanseamale47 said:
Most digital cameras embed a jpeg in the raw photo this can be extracted usually with your cameras own make software (photoshop won't do this) although their are a few third party applications that will extract them.
Can you upload a faulty raw file so we can check it for you? at least that will narrow things down, if it's faulty for us as well you'll know it's not your video card. Wayne
Click to expand...

OK, I'll try to upload one when I get home. Will flickr accept raw files? If not, where can I put the file?

I put 30-odd phtotos onto my computer last night with no sign of trouble, so hopefully that is the end.

I think it may have been a RAM issue, as I have now tweaked my BIOS to supply the correct voltage / timings and everything is running much better. Also, I think my main hard-drive had corrupted - not sure if the two are linked?

Thanks, Mike
 
Hi Mike,

Seems strange that sometimes the corruption's there and other's it's not. I would have thought that if a file was corrupted, it's corrupted, end-of.......I wouls be inclined to think it's a non-file related issue and more likely software/hardware related.

If it helps feel free to email me a file. I'm happy to confirm for you if a completely different PC views it in a different way, although I'm guessing you could try that on a geographically closer mate's machine.

I have PS CS3 but shoot Nikon so all the Raw software I have is NEF orientated unless Adobe Camera Raw will open your Canon RAWs.

If you think it'll help solve the mystery, then I'm happy to try.

Guy
 
Thanks Guy, I may have not made it clear but it is always the same corruptions on the same files. It is just a random ~10% of files affected. I should be able try a corrupted file on a friends computer tomorrow, thanks for the offer though! If I can't get hold of him I may have to take you up on it!

To be honest there are not many files where both the jpg & raw are affected and even then I don't think I have lost any important files. I just wondered if there was anything I could do to prevent this happening again and to act as a warning to back up, back up and back up again!

Mike
 
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