SD Card & USB Flash Drive Recovery in Ottawa
Camera cards showing 'blank' or 'needs formatting', USB sticks that aren't recognized, or files deleted by mistake. The assessment is free.
Recovery from $50 · Free assessment · Photos and video usually recoverable
SD cards and USB sticks fail without warning, and they hold things that matter: wedding photos, a trip's worth of video, a client's files. The good news is that a card asking to be formatted, or reading as blank or 0 bytes, very often still holds every file; the file system is damaged, not the data.
The one rule: stop using it. Don't format it, don't take more photos on it, and don't run 'repair' tools that write to it. Each of those can overwrite the very files we're trying to recover.
Cards and Sticks We Recover
Camera card says 'needs formatting'
A corrupted file system, not lost photos. Do not format it. Often everything comes back.
SD card blank or shows 0 bytes
The card is readable but the index is damaged. Photos and video are frequently intact underneath.
Accidentally formatted or deleted
Formatted in-camera or deleted by mistake. Recoverable as long as it hasn't been overwritten.
USB flash drive not recognized
Windows doesn't see it, or it appears without a drive letter. We check whether it's the port, the file system or the stick.
Corrupted files won't open
Photos with grey blocks, videos that stop midway. We recover what we can and verify what opens.
microSD from a dashcam or drone
Cards from cameras, dashcams, drones and action cameras, where the footage is time-sensitive.
From First Message to Fixed
Step 1: Stop using it
Remove the card, don't format, and don't put it back in the camera. Message us with what happened.
Step 2: Free assessment
We read the card and tell you what's recoverable and what it costs before any recovery begins.
Step 3: Recover and hand back
Files recovered, checked and returned to you on a drive or cloud link.
What Card & USB Recovery Costs
| Assessment | Free |
| Recovery (logical faults, deleted, formatted) | From $50 |
| Physically damaged cards / sticks | Quoted after assessment |
You approve the quote before recovery, and you're not charged if we can't recover anything. See full pricing.
SD Card & USB Recovery FAQs
Can you recover photos from a corrupted SD card?
Very often, yes. A card that's blank, unreadable or asks to be formatted usually still holds its photos. Don't format it. Message us for a free assessment.
How much does SD card recovery cost?
From $50 for logical faults such as deleted, formatted or corrupted cards, with a free assessment first and a quote before work begins.
Can you fix a USB flash drive that isn't recognized?
Often the data can be recovered even when the stick can't be repaired. We assess whether it's a file-system, port or hardware fault and tell you what's realistic.
My USB drive is not recognized on Windows 11. Are my files gone?
Usually not. Try another USB port (on the back of a desktop, not a hub) and another computer first. If it still doesn't appear, or Windows asks to format it, don't format it: the stick or its file system has a fault, and the files are often still recoverable. Message us for a free assessment.
I formatted my memory card by accident. Is it too late?
Usually not, provided nothing new has been written to it. Stop using the card immediately and message us.
Can you recover files from a cracked or water-damaged card?
Physically damaged cards are harder and quoted after assessment. We'll tell you the odds before you spend anything.
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Your Photos Are Probably Still There
Stop using the card and message us for a free assessment.