Vista - Vista Photo Gallery Has EATEN My Photos -- Now WTF DO I DO?

Please read this entire post.

Issue: Photo Gallery Has EATEN My Photos.

1. Took a pile of photos with my Nikon Coolpix 3200.
2. Plugged the camera into the USB and turned it on.
3. Vista shows the AutoPlay dialog. I chose 'Open folder to view files.'
4. Browsed to the photos. Selected all. Moved to my C:\users\<me>\Pictures\
folder.
5. Turned off and removed the camera.
6. Spent THREE F!@#$$ HOURS reviewing 200 photos from my first trip to India
using Windows Photo Gallery.
7. Had a beer.
8. Started IE 8. Logged into Windows Live Spaces. Navigated to my Photo
folders.
9. Created a new folder. Opened one of the folders I created during my THREE
HOUR REVIEW.
10. None of the photo thumbnails were good. Tried to view the photos with
various Windows photo programs. All said 'Cannot open, this file seems to be
corrupted.'
11. Swore.
12. Checked all the files from my THREE !@$#!@#$ HOUR REVIEW. All have the
same issue.
13. Checked other folders I've done it the past, previous to today. All have
the same issue. Tried to use Vista restore version but no go.
14. Swore. Spilled the beer. Kicked the cat. Explained what happened to the
wife. Had to endure TWO HOURS of 'HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID?'
15. Searched the web. Found that I'm not the only person to experience this.
16. Started 500mb download of Adobe Elements, which is *rumored* to fix this.
17. Searched Microsoft KB. No mention of this issue.
18. Resolved to contact MS Support. Got diverted to the forums.
19. Wrote this post.
20. Resolved that if I don't get a fix/satisfaction on this problem, my 3
laptops will be on linux and my server will be on Solaris within a couple
weeks, even if the wife is saying she doesn't want to learn a new OS.

Somebody please provide a viable fix. Essentially all I did was view these
photos as a slideshow in Visat Photo Gallery. There were a couple I rotated.
No added captions. A number of filename changes.

Environment:

a. Vista x64 latest updates.
b. IBM Intellistation MPro, 4gb, 300gb.
c. One very pissed off 20-year Windows user.

I am no sure what could have happened, but maybe you can retrieve them with Shadow Explorer ( ShadowExplorer.com - About) If you need operational details, watch this video tutorial ( Tutorial: Recover lost files with Shadow Explorer « How-To Geek Forums ). In addition I hope you still have the photos on the card in your camera. I never delete them from the SD card. With the low price of those cards these days, it is not worth deleting them.

this isnt free, but it has worked for me a couple of times.

Digital Photo Recovery software: Lost Picture Recovery, recover deleted pictures and digital photos

Image Rescue 3 Software
http://www.lexar.com/software/index.html

Art Plus Digital Photo Recovery
http://www.artplus.hr/adapps/eng/dpr.htm

PHOTORECOVERY® for Digital Media
http://www.lc-tech.com/software/prwindetail.html


For future reference, don't "move" your photos from your camera...
"copy" them.

When you are satisfied that you can access them on your PC format your
memory card in your camera.


atc wrote:

Thanks for the replies.

The main thing that fries me about this is that Windows Photo Gallery showed
all the photos just fine. But in dispaying them. it modified them and
overwrote them on disk, trashing them. I have some other photos that I hadn't
reviewed in that session -- they are viewable with other apps. I can open
them repeatedly with no issues. They are well behaved.

AFAIK, this is a fundamental design screwup. I'd bellyache about it, but
what's the point. I've simply told my friends and relatives to stay away from
Photo Gallery


"atc" wrote:

Don't be so quick to blame Photo Gallery.
I, and I'm sure many others, use it without problems.

You might have another program installed that is creating a conflict.

Do you run Norton or McAfee security software?


"atc" <atc@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1C2016A0-DD6D-4D46-A3DC-CE6756D00084@xxxxxx