Lost data, need a recovery solution - can Lightroom recognise files after name change?

[Triggaaar]

I've just had a major PC problem when running some backup software (Windows inbuilt Robocopy). It deleted folders from a destination (which seems counter intuitive to me). I have more than one backup of most things I need, but I've still lost a chunk too.

I've just tried Recuva, which has found thousands of unimportant things on the drive I don't want, but it hasn't found one photo. Something weird is going on.

Any tips of software I can try etc?

Thanks

 

[neil_g]

What options did you have set? Robocopy won't just delete stuff.

If the data has been deleted and the drive space overwritten then it won't be recoverable.

 

[Triggaaar]

What options did you have set? Robocopy won't just delete stuff.

It was the /mir mirror option. The problem was I was re-organising my drives, and ran a batch back-up, and the drives were the wrong way round. I thought /mir would only copy new files (not re-copying ones that were already there), I didn't realise it would delete everything from the destination folder that wasn't in the source.

If the data has been deleted and the drive space overwritten then it won't be recoverable.

I've only just done it, so the space hasn't been overwritten at all. I think it should be easy to recover, but it hasn't been. I've run Recuva, which didn't find my files until I ran it in deep search mode on the whole drive, and then it found what looks like most of the files, but it didn't know their original location, and it's renamed them all My Name.nef. So I've recovered them, but Lightroom doesn't recognise them. I tried running GetDataBack, which is supposed to keep the file structure, and that couldn't find the files at all.

So I either need something to find the files, with file names, or I need a way of getting Lightroom to recognise the files, even though their name has changed - is that possible?

 

[Chappers]

Lightroom knows the files by their location and the file name. If either change then it doesn't have a clue where they are.

It looks like you have a major task ahead of you. You will need to identify which files are which. Provided the file structure is still the same , and you can identify which files are which. You could tell Lightroom to associate the old name with the new one. Find missing: option It will update it's database. Then you can batch rename back to the old names. I don't think there is any simpler method as the names have all been changed. I think it all depends on how screwed up the files are

 

[Triggaaar]

It looks like you have a major task ahead of you.

Yep.

You will need to identify which files are which. Provided the file structure is still the same , and you can identify which files are which. You could tell Lightroom to associate the old name with the new one.

I have no file structure, but I will start a new catalog and import the photos into that, putting them in date folder structure (according to metadata), so I should get most of my structure back. I'll only be able to associate old names with new if Lr has a preview for each photo in the catalog (and it looks like it does).

Then you can batch rename back to the old names.

How would I do that? The names I have now are random - my import will get them half way there, in this format: 20140523-DSC_, then I'll have no idea what the last few numbers are - so how can I batch rename them?

 

[Ozei]

Mike - I know it's not much use to you at the moment (i.e. identifying your recovered files) but why not ditch Robocopy and use FreeFileSync instead.

http://freefilesync.sourceforge.net/usage.php#features

If you click the 'Compare' button you can see what FFS is going to do (with every file!) before you commit yourself by clicking the 'Synchronize' button. You're much less likely to delete stuff by mistake provided you've got the settings right (you can test them first using dummy files & folders).

Some screenshots - http://freefilesync.sourceforge.net/screenshots.php


NB. If you download FFS from the 1st link above, make sure to choose 'Custom' at the 3rd install screen and untick this box, otherwise it'll add unwanted stuff to your browsers.

 

[Byker28i]

/mir is Mirror so it did what you told it to - mirror the folders. If they weren't on the source then deleted from the destination.

before anything else run file recovery software. Personally I use File Scavenger

 

[Chappers]

Mike

The last three letters are simply some form of file identification added by the recovery software.

To batch rename in Lightroom simply select the images you want to rename and press F2. This brings up a dialogue box, where you can enter your custom name and numbering sequence

 

[Triggaaar]

Mike - I know it's not much use to you at the moment (i.e. identifying your recovered files) but why not ditch Robocopy and use FreeFileSync instead.

Thanks, I'll take a look.

/mir is Mirror so it did what you told it to - mirror the folders. If they weren't on the source then deleted from the destination.

I know. When I read the description of /mir, I got the impression it would only copy new files that didn't exist on the destination drive, not also delete from the destination drive, without warning, and without using the recycle bin.

before anything else run file recovery software. Personally I use File Scavenger

First thing I did. I already have 4000 files recovered and stored while I try different methods. I could try File Scavenger later, but if Recuva and GetDataBack can't get the file names, I don't suppose FS will?

The last three letters are simply some form of file identification added by the recovery software.

To batch rename in Lightroom simply select the images you want to rename and press F2. This brings up a dialogue box, where you can enter your custom name and numbering sequence

It's not that simple. There are 4000 images, in date order, taken from 2+ cameras, with different file names. I don't imagine anyone has every photo in Lightroom with a sequential file name, with no missing files - ie, delete one file and suddenly they're not all perfectly numbered. So if I run something to give them all a file name xxxxx1, xxxxx2 etc, that won't match the old file names.

 

[Byker28i]

So if you've got them back, although not in folders, can you right click on missing images and say find image then browse to where they are?
Once lightrom has them found again you could, if needed, move them into new folders within Lightroom.

 

[JonathanRyan]

It's not that simple. There are 4000 images, in date order, taken from 2+ cameras, with different file names. I don't imagine anyone has every photo in Lightroom with a sequential file name, with no missing files - ie, delete one file and suddenly they're not all perfectly numbered. So if I run something to give them all a file name xxxxx1, xxxxx2 etc, that won't match the old file names.

Ooo I like a tech challenge......

1. It's easy to split them up by camera. The exif contains the serial number of the camera so even with identical bodies you can split into 2 folders.

2. The exif should also contain the actuations of the camera. If you know (or can work out) the name of one file then you should be able to calculate the names of the others. It won't be a quick job but the odds are you'll have runs of numbers making it easier. Some kind of fancy rename which decodes the actuation number will do it. Hint: to get a know filename and actuation match, just take a new picture.

When I ingest pics, I stamp the original file name into the exif just in case it would be handy later. So that's something to think about for next time. It's possible the filename is actually in there - have a good dig around in the exif. If anybody knows then Jeffrey will - http://regex.info/exif.cgi

You're not the first person to delete files when trying to back them up. But it does highlight a weakness in your workflow

 

[Triggaaar]

So if you've got them back, although not in folders, can you right click on missing images and say find image then browse to where they are?
Once lightrom has them found again you could, if needed, move them into new folders within Lightroom.

It seems Lightroom won't recognise them unless the file names are identical.

Ooo I like a tech challenge......

1. It's easy to split them up by camera. The exif contains the serial number of the camera so even with identical bodies you can split into 2 folders.

2. The exif should also contain the actuations of the camera. If you know (or can work out) the name of one file then you should be able to calculate the names of the others. It won't be a quick job but the odds are you'll have runs of numbers making it easier. Some kind of fancy rename which decodes the actuation number will do it.

I don't think that's a good plan, because if I use a routine to rename them, I'll end up with a load of files that have correct looking filenames, but they'll be 1 or 2 out (as some files will have been deleted on purpose from the memory card, or after importing to Lightroom), and Lightroom will now think it's found the files - and it will apply editing I did to one file to the new one that's stolen it's name, and I'll be none the wiser.

You're not the first person to delete files when trying to back them up. But it does highlight a weakness in your workflow

It was a new workflow as of yesterday. I was restructuring my drives, and which I use to backup etc, and I got it wrong. I haven't lost any client photos, as I've got more backups of them, it's all the personal stuff that's being a pain.

I've now got two sets of recovered photos - one that's missing half of the year, but has all the file names in tact, and one without file names that appears to have more files. I've not been able to open all files either. This is going to take some time to work through.

 

[Furtim]

It seems Lightroom won't recognise them unless the file names are identical.

I don't think that's a good plan, because if I use a routine to rename them, I'll end up with a load of files that have correct looking filenames, but they'll be 1 or 2 out (as some files will have been deleted on purpose from the memory card, or after importing to Lightroom), and Lightroom will now think it's found the files - and it will apply editing I did to one file to the new one that's stolen it's name, and I'll be none the wiser.

It was a new workflow as of yesterday. I was restructuring my drives, and which I use to backup etc, and I got it wrong. I haven't lost any client photos, as I've got more backups of them, it's all the personal stuff that's being a pain.

I've now got two sets of recovered photos - one that's missing half of the year, but has all the file names in tact, and one without file names that appears to have more files. I've not been able to open all files either. This is going to take some time to work through.

If it's a question of searching through the two sets of files to identify the unique ones (ie. remove the duplicates), tools such as Unik (Mac OS) do a good job of finding duplicated images based on image content rather than size, name etc.

 

[JonathanRyan]

I don't think that's a good plan, because if I use a routine to rename them, I'll end up with a load of files that have correct looking filenames, but they'll be 1 or 2 out (as some files will have been deleted on purpose from the memory card, or after importing to Lightroom)

That's why you need to look at the actuation number.

But basically, you've got a lot of work ahead of you.

 

[Triggaaar]

Not impressed with these recovery programs. Recuva doesn't keep the original file name, and GetDataBack doesn't find as many files as Recuva, and both return a lot of dud files - files that haven't ever been over written, they were only just removed from the look up table.