Photos App issue - pictures gone but thumbnails there

[jtstp17]

Scenario:

SD memory card was connected to iMac (yosemite). Images/videos (~800) were imported to the Photos App. Afterwards, the sd card was ejected and then wiped.

Issue:

I went back to check on the 800 or so images and videos and they are not in the Photos App. However, pictures and videos from another a previous and later imports are showing up.

I checked the package contents of the Photos App. I checked the masters folder and I found the folders with the date I imported them on. However, all the folders are empty besides thumbnails of the actual pictures.

Where did my pictures go?!

I tried doing a repair on the photos app (command + option key) but that did restore the pictures.


Please help!! Any solutions are welcome. I am stressing over losing these pictures.

 

[mrnorwegian]

Not sure about what happened in Photos, but word of advice: Don´t use the SD card as recovery software may be able to recover something from it.

Check album -> Recently deleted photos. Anything there? (this might require iCloud Photo Library, not sure)

Are you using Time Machine? Might be able to recover something from there.

Are you using iCloud Photo Library or photo stream? Apple might be able to recover something from there if they where uploaded before they vanished.

Someone on this forum probably has advice on recovery software you can run on the SD card to see if the pictures can be rescued.

Do the thumbnail filenames contain the names of the original files? If so do a spotlight search on the filename to see if the originals are on you hard drive somewhere.

 

[jtstp17]

Not sure about what happened in Photos, but word of advice: Don´t use the SD card as recovery software may be able to recover something from it.

Check album -> Recently deleted photos. Anything there? (this might require iCloud Photo Library, not sure)

Are you using Time Machine? Might be able to recover something from there.

Are you using iCloud Photo Library or photo stream? Apple might be able to recover something from there if they where uploaded before they vanished.

Someone on this forum probably has advice on recovery software you can run on the SD card to see if the pictures can be rescued.

Do the thumbnail filenames contain the names of the original files? If so do a spotlight search on the filename to see if the originals are on you hard drive somewhere.

i appreciate all your suggestions!

i tried all and nothing work. So i investigated SD recovery software. I found CardRaider from Ecamm. $20. It found all the photos and videos even with the SD card being reformatted!

Thanks again for your help.

 

[mrnorwegian]

Wow, that´s great. Glad it worked out!

 

[The Bad Guy]

One of the reasons I just won't use Apple software for my photos any more. In my years working retail / service for Apple I have seen countless issues with iPhoto / Aperture databases resulting in clients losing their data.

 

[Cheese&Apple]

One of the reasons I just won't use Apple software for my photos any more. In my years working retail / service for Apple I have seen countless issues with iPhoto / Aperture databases resulting in clients losing their data.

So you were one of the happy, cheerful and smiling faces behind Apple retail? Who would have guessed.

 

[Ray2]

I have seen countless issues with iPhoto / Aperture databases resulting in clients losing their data.

Totally agrees with my experience as a long time Aperture user. The data base can be pretty flaky at times and the tools to repair it are weak, at best. I've since moved away from Apple's photo's apps other than for syncing to iOS devices.

To the OP, never wipe a card before you check your last import.

 

[The Bad Guy]

So you were one of the happy, cheerful and smiling faces behind Apple retail? Who would have guessed.

Hehe...yeah, something like that. Although that's not quite how I'd describe myself.

 

[jtstp17]

Totally agrees with my experience as a long time Aperture user. The data base can be pretty flaky at times and the tools to repair it are weak, at best. I've since moved away from Apple's photo's apps other than for syncing to iOS devices.

To the OP, never wipe a card before you check your last import.

agree. but software ended up recovering all the videos and pictures!