Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Broken Hearted Son...Help please.

B

Boca

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 13, 2008
291
4
All his summer trip pix gone. Here's what he did: Is there any hope of getting them back?


1. plugged in phone to PC.

2. opened up iTunes

3. right-clicked phone in iTunes sidebar

4. chose to restore from back-up (had not backed up vacation pix)

5. picked back-up titled iPhone 4

6. received a pop-up stating that only the contacts, messages, notes, would be affected, and nothing else

7. phone restored from back-up

8. when I checked the phone, I had my contacts back from the previous restore, and my current apps, but only 204 of my 550-600 pictures.

I checked Picasa and there wasn't anything there

I had iCloud enabled

I'm not sure if I had iCloud backup enabled.

Any help, directions to software or experts who can help save his memories would be greatly appreciated.
thank you.
 
Boca said:
All his summer trip pix gone. Here's what he did: Is there any hope of getting them back?


1. plugged in phone to PC.

2. opened up iTunes

3. right-clicked phone in iTunes sidebar

4. chose to restore from back-up (had not backed up vacation pix)

5. picked back-up titled iPhone 4

6. received a pop-up stating that only the contacts, messages, notes, would be affected, and nothing else

7. phone restored from back-up

8. when I checked the phone, I had my contacts back from the previous restore, and my current apps, but only 204 of my 550-600 pictures.

I checked Picasa and there wasn't anything there

I had iCloud enabled

I'm not sure if I had iCloud backup enabled.

Any help, directions to software or experts who can help save his memories would be greatly appreciated.
thank you.
Click to expand...

iCloud does not store photos. You might be in luck if you had PhotoStream enabled. If not, chances are the restore wrote over the memory spaces. I cold be wrong but I think they are gone. Maybe someone else can provide additional info.
 
You need to check your iCloud photo stream to see if they were backed up there... otherwise it looks like you're out of luck.
 
This would probably be better suited to the iPhone section of the forum, not the digital photography. While it has the do with pictures, the people that would really know about this would be the ones that know the file structures of the iPhone and iTunes in and out. I would request to a mod that this be moved or maybe even start a new thread there.

I wish you luck and hope you can get your stuff back.
 
Find a Mobile Forensics Examiner

If you can find a computer forensic examiner who specializes in mobile devices (particularly iPhones), you can probably get back a good number of your pictures that are missing from the iPhone's physical memory. This process takes a while and is probably going to be expensive, but the hit rate is pretty high. Good luck.
 
Thank you all for your info. I will keep exploring and post what I find.
 
I sorry for the loss of the pictures.


Take this as a lesson. It is important to back up photos off your iphone because you never know what will happen.
 
Thank you all. It's a lesson learned....the hard way; but learned.
 
JohnIrvine said:
If you can find a computer forensic examiner who specializes in mobile devices (particularly iPhones), you can probably get back a good number of your pictures that are missing from the iPhone's physical memory. This process takes a while and is probably going to be expensive, but the hit rate is pretty high. Good luck.
Click to expand...

This. Depending on your local PD, they may be willing to do a "practice" exam if they've got their own lab.

Paul
 
Since you posted in the Digital Photography section, might I suggest a real camera as well? At least with a real camera you, your son, will be taking better pics and always have a SD card, or other, as back-up.
 
If you can take a block level dump of the device's storage (copy the raw contents of the phone's flash memory into a file on your computer), you could use data recovery software on the dump image to extract the images that haven't been overwritten by the backup restore.

I'd imagine making the image would involve jail-breaking the phone.

If this sounds too complicated then I'd go with the earlier suggestion of contacting a forensic specialist in mobile devices.

I'm sorry this has happened to you, I wish you best of luck in recovering your son's pics.
 
Last edited:
Dornblaser said:
Since you posted in the Digital Photography section, might I suggest a real camera as well? At least with a real camera you, your son, will be taking better pics and always have a SD card, or other, as back-up.
Click to expand...

That the pictures weren't on SD from a "real camera" is not the problem. Poor file management and/or lack of proper backup procedures for precious files is.
 
Dornblaser said:
Since you posted in the Digital Photography section, might I suggest a real camera as well? At least with a real camera you, your son, will be taking better pics and always have a SD card, or other, as back-up.
Click to expand...


Why isn't an iPhone a 'real camera'?? Ridiculous statement.
 
If you had iCloud backup enabled it should have backed up your camera roll. Try restoring from an iCloud backup but ensure you have a backup of your system as it is now on the computer first.
 
sapporobaby said:
If you can't see the difference between a camera phone and a "real camera" then his statement was lost on you because you have no clue. Stick to automatic mode and a point and shoot.
Click to expand...

Well, there are some who would say no digital camera is a "real camera," so be careful where you point 'n snoot.
 
sapporobaby said:
iCloud does not store photos. You might be in luck if you had PhotoStream enabled. If not, chances are the restore wrote over the memory spaces. I cold be wrong but I think they are gone. Maybe someone else can provide additional info.
Click to expand...

Yes it does. It backs up the whole camera role.

gHUs2.png
 
MonkeySee.... said:
Yes it does. It backs up the whole camera role.

Image
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I rarely use the camera and don't backup to iCloud. Much of my stuff is local to my Mac. I will go take a look. Well if what you say is correct then the OP might be in luck.

----------
MacCruiskeen said:
Well, there are some who would say no digital camera is a "real camera," so be careful where you point 'n snoot.
Click to expand...

Swing and a miss...

Considering many pro shooters (some even bothered to answer in this thread) use DSLR's to make money, I will go with their opinions rather than someone who actually compares a camera phone to a "real camera". Even the Nokia 808 with PureView which has the best camera ever included in a camera phone would not be used a primary camera for professional work. Anyway, back on topic, there might be hope for the photos if the OP backed them up to iCloud.
 
The comments regarding a forensic specialist are spot on. If you go that route, refrain from adding or removing content to your iPhone until you give it to the forensic people.
 
sapporobaby said:
Considering many pro shooters (some even bothered to answer in this thread) use DSLR's to make money, I will go with their opinions rather than someone who actually compares a camera phone to a "real camera". Even the Nokia 808 with PureView which has the best camera ever included in a camera phone would not be used a primary camera for professional work. Anyway, back on topic, there might be hope for the photos if the OP backed them up to iCloud.
Click to expand...

The irony is that those very same pros will be the first ones to tell you that a camera is a camera, and the person tripping the shutter is where the "real" or "pro" part comes in.
 
sapporobaby said:
Until they try to go shoot in almost darkness and they need something like a D4 or D3S, then it comes down to the camera no matter how good they are.
Click to expand...

"Pro" photographers shot slide film with ISO/ASA of "only" 800 or 1600 for decades and didn't have much trouble.

Yes, newer/higher end/more expensive cameras are more capable, but at the end of the day they're all tools and it's up to the user as to how to effectively utilize them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back