How to Recover Deleted Files from a CF Card?

File Loss on CF Cards

CompactFlash (CF) cards are widely used in professional cameras, drones, and other digital devices because of their fast read/write speeds and reliability. Despite this, data loss from CF cards is still very common. The causes range from human error to physical damage, including:

• Accidental deletion while previewing or managing files
• Formatting the CF card without backup
• File corruption due to improper ejection or malware
• Hardware failure or card reader issues

In many cases, the files aren’t actually gone forever. When your files are deleted from your CF card, the space they occupied becomes marked as “free,” but the data still exists until it’s overwritten. This means that if you act quickly and avoid saving new data to the card, you stand a good chance of recovering deleted or lost files.

How to Recover Deleted Files from a CF card?

🚨 Before You Start

✔ Stop using the CF card immediately. Any new data can overwrite the deleted files, making them unrecoverable.

✔ Use a card reader to connect it to your computer for recovery.

Below are four proven ways to recover deleted files from a CF card. Let’s look at them in detail.

Method 1. Use Data Recovery Software (Recommended)

When you realize that files have been deleted from your CF card, using recovery software is often the best solution. A reliable option is AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, which features an intuitive interface and powerful recovery technology to help retrieve files from various storage devices, including CF cards. Whether your files were accidentally deleted or lost due to other reasons, you can easily recover them on Windows in just a few clicks.

Here’s how to recover files from a CF card using AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery:

Step 1: Download and install AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, and then choose the CF card to scan.

Step 2: Scan your card to find the deleted files. It offers two modes:

• Quick Scan: Quickly searches for recently deleted files.
• Deep Scan: Thoroughly scans your storage device to find lost data from more complex loss situations.

Step 3: Upon scanning completion, all missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the desired files and then click Recover.

Step 4: Specify a path for the recovered files and wait for the process to complete.

Note:

Avoid recovering files to the original CF card to prevent overwriting.

Deep Scan may take longer, but it finds more lost files.

If the card is physically damaged, consider professional recovery services.

Method 2. Check Your Recycle Bin

On rare occasions, certain CF cards or card readers may cause Windows to recognize the card as a local drive (like an SSD or HDD). In this case, deleted files might be sent to the Recycle Bin. If you're lucky, your deleted files can be restored by following these steps:

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin on your desktop.

Step 2. Look for your deleted files.

Step 3. If found, right-click and choose “Restore” to return them to their original location on your CF card.

Method 3. Recover Files via CMD

If your files are deleted from your CF card due to file system errors, you can use CHKDSK to fix the logical errors and attempt to recover some of the files. However, this method has limitations and does not guarantee that the specific files you want to recover will be restored successfully. Follow these steps to recover files from a CF card via CMD:

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box; then type cmd and hit Enter to open Command Prompt.

Step 2. In the CMD window, type chkdsk X: /f /r (replace "X" with the drive letter of your CF card) and press Enter.

Step 3. Then, type ATTRIB -H -R -S /S /D C:*.* and press Enter. This command will remove any hidden, read-only, or system attributes that might prevent access to your files.

Step 4. Check if the files have been recovered to your CF card. They are usually restored in a new folder. 

Method 4. Recover from Backups

If you regularly back up your files, recovery is straightforward. Backups can come from different sources, such as cloud storage, external hard drives, or backup tools. Here, we’ll use Google Drive as an example. If you have uploaded your CF card files to it, follow these steps to recover your files:

Step 1: Go to the Google Drive website and log in to your account.

Step 2: Click on "My Drive" to view all your uploaded files and folders.

Step 3: Once you've found the files you need, right-click on them and select "Download" to save them back wherever you like.

You can recover files from Google Drive if you accidentally deleted them.

Tips to Prevent Data Loss on CF Cards

While recovering files is possible, prevention is always better. Here are some practical tips to reduce the risk of data loss from your CF card:

✔️ Regular Backups: Create backups of important files on the cloud or external drives.
✔️ Proper Ejection: Always eject the CF card safely from your camera or computer to avoid corruption.
✔️ Avoid Full Capacity Usage: Leave some free space on the CF card to prevent write errors.
✔️Use Quality Card Readers: Faulty or low-quality readers can damage your card or corrupt files.

FAQs

Q1: What should I do immediately after I delete files from my CF card?

If you accidentally delete files, stop using the CF card immediately to avoid overwriting the deleted data. Then, use data recovery software or check any backups you might have.

Q2: Can I recover files from a CF card that was formatted?

Yes. AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery also supports recovering files from a formatted device as long as they haven’t been overwritten.

Q3: Is it possible to recover files from a corrupted CF card?

In some cases, you can use data recovery tool to restore files, or attempt to fix the corruption first using the CHKDSK. For physical damage, it is advised to seek professional help.

Final Words

Losing files from a CF card can be a stressful experience, especially when those files are irreplaceable photos or crucial work documents. Fortunately, with the right tools and methods, you can recover deleted files from your CF card quickly and efficiently. AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery is highly recommended for its ease of use and powerful recovery capabilities. Keep in mind, time is of the essence in data recovery – the sooner you act, the higher your chances of success.