Hacking Recover lost 3DS files from corrupted SD card

[kyogre123]

I'm a little desperate over this situation, but I hope someone could help me with this.

Basically, I was backing up the files from my SD card (2GB) through a very heap chinese SD reader, the problem is that I was cutting and pasting instead of just copying and while being in the process, the reader stopped working and this caused the SD card to get corrupted.

I have tried with a couple of programs with no success; I have only managed to recover jpg files and even some mp3 files that I deleted from the SD before beginning with the cut and paste process. The big problem with the 3DS files is that they are uncommon files and even worse, they need to be recovered keeping their original names so I'm afraid there may not be a solution for this.

Just in case, I uploaded the image of the corrupted SD, if someone knows how to recover the files and is willing to give me a hand.

*thanks for your help. I managed to recover some of the files with the whole folder structure using a free and a paid program.*

I don't remember quite well if it was formatted on FAT16 or FAT32, but for some reason all programs I used suggest FAT16, which may just be the preferred filesystem for the card (I don't know).

 

[migles]

well, usually that programs for finding lost files, can find it because they search for an indicator like an header of common files like pictures or mp3s...

i use recuva for generic files like pictures and movies

and i am doubting if that "sd" image is a "raw" image of the whole sd card... because it should be the whole 2 gbs.. if its not a raw image, changes are "lost" data is not there

if someone can help better than me go ahead, but if you are really really desperate, and could pay some moners, there are "professional" data recovers you can try.. in my country some specialized electro-domestic stores got services like this

 

[Amber Lamps]

It was written as raw so you can't expect to get it back in any other form. You'll have to dump the entire contents as raw data and then sort it out from there.

Imho it isn't worth doing. Just re-download your game and format and put it back on and game. Much much simpler that way. If you lost save games, tough. Just start over. Imagine how I felt when my V64 deleted my super Mario 64 save after I had played the game for quite some time. I didn't try to recover, I just move on.

 

[kyogre123]

well, usually that programs for finding lost files, can find it because they search for an indicator like an header of common files like pictures or mp3s...

Exactly, that's why they won't work with the files generated by the 3DS.

i use recuva for generic files like pictures and movies

and i am doubting if that "sd" image is a "raw" image of the whole sd card... because it should be the whole 2 gbs.. if its not a raw image, changes are "lost" data is not there

It's a ZIP file. I considered compressing the file to avoid wasting bandwidth.

if someone can help better than me go ahead, but if you are really really desperate, and could pay some moners, there are "professional" data recovers you can try.. in my country some specialized electro-domestic stores got services like this

I may pay if necessary, hoping that the offered price is not abusive.

 

[kyogre123]

It was written as raw so you can't expect to get it back in any other form. You'll have to dump the entire contents as raw data and then sort it out from there.

Imho it isn't worth doing. Just re-download your game and format and put it back on and game. Much much simpler that way. If you lost save games, tough. Just start over. Imagine how I felt when my V64 deleted my super Mario 64 save after I had played the game for quite some time. I didn't try to recover, I just move on.

I have a lot of valuable cards from SwapNote in there... and the Miis from Mii Plaza; I don't even know if my Mario Kart online records were saved in there.

By the way, I can only dump the data as a raw file so I'm not quite sure what you mean. I just added a .img extension to the file, which is not really relevant.

 

[migles]

I may pay if necessary, hoping that the offered price is not abusive.

thats the problem.. usually "professional" or "people who look like profissionals" recoverers abuse their prices, but you can try to find stores on your town and ask them the price before doing anything and check if its worth it..

but there is a second problem here, i think these people will charge even if they can't recover a thing...

 

[migles]

I have a lot of valuable cards from SwapNote in there... and the Miis from Mii Plaza; I don't even know if my Mario Kart online records were saved in there.

By the way, I can only dump the data as a raw file so I'm not quite sure what you mean. I just added a .img extension to the file, which is not really relevant.

well, when my HDD get corrupted\damaged i was searching everywhere for software to make a raw copy or 1:1 of my disk so i could try to recover what i could and make windows work again... all the software i did found, didn't saved the "empty data" from the disk, what i mean is, i wanted to save the whole disk because some partitions was messed up, the software i found, relied on the partitions and the file system..
basically all they did was saving the "working" or broken files which i could copy using the explorer, but the data which didnt was on the file system list was lost...

i am not great at explaining things and my english is what you can see xD, hope you can understand what i mean

 

[kyogre123]

well, when my HDD get corrupted\damaged i was searching everywhere for software to make a raw copy or 1:1 of my disk so i could try to recover what i could and make windows work again... all the software i did found, didn't saved the "empty data" from the disk, what i mean is, i wanted to save the whole disk because some partitions was messed up, the software i found, relied on the partitions and the file system..
basically all they did was saving the "working" or broken files which i could copy using the explorer, but the data which didnt was on the file system list was lost...

i am not great at explaining things and my english is what you can see xD, hope you can understand what i mean

I used Win32DiskImager to create the copy of the whole SD. Here's the actual summary of the file:

Filename: Discodanado.img
Size:1.83 GB (1,967,128,576 bytes)

I can recover the same files using this file and the actual SD card as well.

 

[Amber Lamps]

Oh you're talking about the actual SD and not a microSD. Yeah those would be files then. I guess I got too wrapped up in flash carts. I forgot what software I used for that. I think easyrecoverypro.