Rescuing tiff and cr2 image files

I copied a folder of images from a failing mechanical drive and the files appear intact - the right sort of file size reported etc. However Lightroom, whilst displaying thumbnails often refuses to open them, or if exported for edit in Photoshop, PS reports damaged file. A few will open in LR Develop but show sections missing.

Also, Fast Raw Viwer is often able to open a TIFF file that PS says is damaged and then I can successfully save it under a new name and import it into LR.

All this leads me to hope that these "damaged" images simply have an EOF or similar missing and are recoverable. However Googling found a limited number of image repair programs, many being rebadged versions of Solar (?) and the trial version failed anyway!

So. Has anyone any suggestions for image file repair apps that might work, hopefully free as funds are limited. Or maybe a way to manually edit such files myself in a hex editor?

I'm sorry to hear about the issues you're facing with your image files. Corruption in files can occur due to various reasons, and it's good to explore options for repair. While there are commercial software solutions available for repairing damaged image files, I can provide you with some suggestions for both free image repair software and manual approaches using a hex editor.

Here are a few free image repair software options you can try:

• JPEG Repair Toolkit: This toolkit provides a set of tools for repairing JPEG files. It can fix common issues like invalid markers, corrupt headers, and more.
• File Repair: It's a general-purpose file repair tool that supports various file formats, including images. It can help repair files damaged due to corruption.
• PhotoRec: It's an open-source data recovery software that can recover various file formats, including images, from corrupt or damaged drives. It's primarily designed for data recovery but can sometimes help with file repair.

Now, if you prefer to try manual approaches using a hex editor, please keep in mind that this can be a complex process, and it requires a good understanding of the file format and the underlying structure of the image files. Here's a general outline of the steps involved:

• Make a backup: Before attempting any manual edits, it's essential to create backups of your original image files. This way, you can always revert to the original state if something goes wrong.
• Choose a hex editor: There are several hex editors available, such as HxD, Hex Fiend, or 010 Editor. Select one that you are comfortable using.
• Analyze the file structure: Open a file in the hex editor and try to understand the structure of the file format. Look for any obvious patterns or anomalies.
• Compare with a healthy file: If you have access to a healthy version of the same file format, compare the hex code of the healthy file with the corrupted one. Look for differences or missing sections.
• Make targeted changes: Based on your analysis, you can attempt to make targeted changes in the corrupted file using the hex editor. For example, you could try adding or modifying specific bytes to fix headers or markers.
• Test the repaired file: After making changes, save the file and attempt to open it with the appropriate image viewer or editing software to see if it's repaired. Be prepared that this approach may not always be successful, and there's a risk of further damage to the files.

Remember, manual editing using a hex editor can be intricate, and it's crucial to proceed with caution. If you don't have prior experience with file formats and hex editing, it might be challenging to achieve satisfactory results.

I hope these suggestions help you in your quest to repair your image files.

Great advice, thank you. Will try those apps first.

If you are comfortable editing files in a hex editor, you can try to manually repair the damaged images yourself. However, this is a risky process and it is not guaranteed to be successful. If you are not comfortable editing files in a hex editor, or if you are unable to repair the damaged images yourself, you can try using a photo repair tool like Stellar Photo Repair or Repairit. These are the professional free photo repair software helps you fix various corrupt and damaged photos. It uses smart algorithms to repair even severely damaged videos too.

I hope this helps!