How to Recover PNG Images from Flash Memory Card?

Flash memory cards are secondary storage medium that are based on the flash technology for storing digital data. They are compact in size and are portable non-volatile chips that are electrically programmable and erasable. They have an excellent ability to retain data without need of an external power. Flash memory cards have fast accessing speed and different storage capacities. Flash memory cards are classified into two types i.e. Type I and Type II. In general, memory card supports FAT (File Allocation table) file system, which contains complete details of files or folders along with their storage location. Flash memory cards are used for storing data like photos, audio files, and videos. Flash memory cards are used in portable electronic devices to increase the storage capacity.

PNG i.e., Portable Network Graphics format was created for transferring photos over internet. PNG image formats make use of lossless data compression technique without affecting the clarity of the image. PNG image formats were created to replace GIF image formats. PNG image format supports palette-based images, full-color non-palette and grayscale images. PNG format stores photos in .png file extension. Sometimes, due to file system corruption, the PNG images from flash memory card are inaccessible and result in loss of pictures. Hence, in this condition to retrieve lost PNG images from flash memory card you need to make use of appropriate picture recovery tool.

Scenarios for losing PNG images from flash memory card:

• Root Directory Corruption: In flash memory cards, root directory is a structure, which allows you to store only limited number of files i.e. approximately 256 files. If you have exceeded the limit of storing photos then the root directory of memory card will point to faulty location, which results in inaccessibility and loss of photos.
• File system corruption: If the file system i.e., FAT32 which is used for data organization in flash memory cards are infected from some harmful malware or virus then it results in corruption of memory card and PNG images from the card are inaccessible. If the same memory flash card is utilized in different electronic gadgets then the data structure of the card is corrupted, which result in inaccessibility of PNG photos. It can also recover images from corrupted memory card.
• Loss of PNG images during transfer: During the process of downloading or uploading images from internet if there is sudden power failure then the PNG images are lost. If while transferring photos between computer and memory card reader if you abruptly remove the interface cable or pull out the memory card from card reader then your card suffers from corruption and results in loss of pictures due to interruption in file transfer.

In order to avoid losing PNG format photos from flash memory card you must have complete copy of photos as backup to restore it when you suffer from loss. After the transfer process is completed, always remove the flash card safely by using safely removal hardware option from your computer. Regularly scan your flash memory card with an up to date anti-virus program to remove harmful virus. Never make use of same memory card in different electronic devices. In general, the data from flash card is lost due to logical failures, hence it can be recovered by using some image recovery software.

Photo recovery software is read-only software, which scans your entire flash memory card in few minutes to recover lost or deleted data such as photos, audio files and video files. With help of this software, you can even retrieve RAW images from Smart Media card. Get more info regarding the recovery process on media cards. Generally, memory cards supports FAT32 file format but, along with FAT32, this software can also recover from FAT16, NTFS, NTFS5 and ExtFAT file system. By using this software you can even restore lost photos from iPod. Know the complete process.

Follow the simple steps to retrieve lost PNG images from flash memory card:

Step 1: Download and install the free demo version of the software on a healthy computer and connect the affected flash memory card to it. Launch the software by double clicking on shortcut icon from the desktop or selecting it from the Program Menu. A main window appears from which you need to click on "Recover Photos" option as shown in Figure 1

Figure 1: Main window

Step 2: After selecting recover photos option, a new screen appears from which you need to select "Recover Lost Photos" option to recover your lost PNG images from flash memory card as shown in Figure 2

Figure 2: Select Recover Lost Photos

Step 3: After you select recover photos option, a new screen appears in which a list of physically connected drives is displayed from which you need to select the affected flash memory card drive to recover lost PNG images from it. After selecting the memory card drive you need to click on "Next" option as shown in Figure 3

Figure 3: Select Memory Card Drive

Step 4: The next windows displays a list of file types based on their unique signature as shown in Figure 4. You need to select the PNG file type to recover the PNG format photos efficiently and click on "Next" option. You can even skip this step by clicking on "Skip" option.

Figure 4: Select PNG file type

Step 5: After the scanning process is completed the recovered photos are displayed. The "Data View" or "File Type View" option will allow you to view the retrieved photos as shown in Figure 5

Figure 5: Data View / File Type View

Step 6: You can even preview the recovered photos with the help of this software by clickin on "Preview" option as shown in Figure 6

Figure 6: Preview Recovered Images