Cannot access the built-in memory DATA RECOVERY

[DustedNuts]

I really need some help here, the last 12 hours have been a load of :hv20-smilie36:! I have a HF S10 and i cant access the built-in memory, you guys know how you lose some so important... yep i lost it.

This is how it happen, last night a record a party, it was fun party, hell i got paid, that was last night. Now i cant access it, i just had a problem where the it didnt want to turn on, every time i pressed the power the motion inside the camera made a very scare noise like the motor was jammed. Now that problem is fixed, i just turn the lens part of camera up and gave it shaken baby syndrome until the motor/gears stopped making noise.

But now i cant access the internal memory i did press the reset button to try the noise problem... didnt work.... BUT NOW I NEED MY DATA!

Help cause i have people on my ass cause of this footage,

Chris

[Daniel Rutter]

Well buddy, you've broken your camera.

In a nutshell, your HFS10 is a hard drive camera... right? You shook it... right? In which case, you've busted your cameras hard drive.

For future reference, never shake something just because it's making weird noises.

In the meantime, take your camera to a camera repair service (or ring Canon support), and hope to god they can replace the inbuilt hard drive. As your your original footage, I very much doubt you can recover it after you shook it. Give the money back, apologize for the bungle... and hope they hire you again in the future.

[DustedNuts]

Oh come on! This is frog crap...This is the third time this has happened I got camera off ebay. The first time, was when it came in the mail and after that every time I take a trip.... so come on please help.

[Daniel Rutter]

Well, you can try calling Canon Support... there isn't much else us forumers can tell you. Have you tried taking your camera to an IT friend? He might be able to pull the hard drive out of it and stick in in a docker...

[DustedNuts]

Pop out the hard drive ill try that I'm a network tech it should be easy enough... But dawn it, dawn it... Thanks man!

I don't like fixing my own stuff.

[Bif]

Hold it guys...

...The HF S10 is NOT a hard drive camera. It records to either 32GB of internal flash memory, or to SDHC flash media cards inserted into the SDHC slot. Shaking it likely did nothing to the internal memory.

Things to try: The manual tells how to copy data from the internal memory to an SDHC card in the card slot. I would try at least a 16GB SDHC card, 32GB if you feel the internal capacity is over half full.

Failing that, try to run recovery software on the internal memory. The best I've found (and the only one I can live with is the recovery software that a free download and year's subscription comes with some SanDisk media cards. RescuePro.

Two additional points: If recovery works, from now on do not use the internal memory. If you buy another internal memory camcorder, do not use the internal memory. Buy and use SanDisk Ultra Class (4) SDHC cards and use those. Format in the camcorder before use on any new project. Recording and deleting from the internal memory is most likely what set you up for this problem.

Second. Don't buy a camcorder off ebay. The seller likely had this problem more than once, hence his selling on ebay. I've sold 2 camcorders and one DSLR on these forums. None had any problems and had a problem surfaced within a reasonable amount of time (30 days or possibly more) I would have refunded full purchase price.

Bruce Foreman

[Daniel Rutter]

I would never recommend not buying camcorders from eBay. The truth is, you have to shop SMART on eBay. If you bought it used, expect issues. Bought it new? Different story. 95% of what I own in my shooting and editing kit is eBay sourced. Not a single issue with any of it.

[Dr. Benway]

The truth is, you have to shop SMART on eBay.

The oxymoron of the year.

[Daniel Rutter]

Well Doc, I haven't had any issues buying from eBay. Everyone else I know gets ripped off, but I don't. I bought my first HV30 off eBay years ago brand new... it still works like it did the day I bought it.
Same with the M-audio FastTrack USB, the Asus monitor, the Pentax 50mm 1.7, the 14-42 Lumix lens, the 3 Zoom H1's, the Rode VideoMic, the Sm58...
The point is, I only ever bought from Sellers who had absolutely top ratings and otherwise had a brick and mortar shop I could walk into and complain should I feel ripped off. And, with Paypal being buyer-sided... if I had any issues, I'd have gotten my money back no worries.

[Dr. Benway]

I know, Dan. I was being a flippant dick. These days I do prefer to buy big ticket items from a shop where I know I can accost people. Personally eBay is great for smaller items from trusted sellers such as DigitalRev.

[chipgallo]

Bruce, upon what do you base your recommendation to not use internal memory? I have a working HF-G10 with 32GB of internal memory that I am using for production. This is my first AVCHD device but I have recorded to memory cards for years with audio equipment. It seems like a wired-in memory from the camera manufacturer would (in a known working camera) be the most reliable storage and cards the second due to mechanical connectors and such.
TIA,
Chip

[Bif]

My recommendation is likely based on personal prejudice. Flash memory can become corrupted and can become damaged. It's possible such damage may "take the camera out of action" until repaired. If all one uses is media cards and one "goes south" the camera lives to work another day.

In "Dusted's" case, he's had two previous incidents of this nature regarding the internal memory, I darn sure would not go for a fourth if he can recover from this one.

If I had a cam with internal memory, I would primarily use separate media cards and would reserve the internal memory for "emergency" use such as running out of cards yet still having material to cover. When I got back from that assignment I would copy the "take" from the cards to the computer, format enough cards in the camera to copy from the internal memory to cards in order to get those files into the computer.

Then "reformat" the internal memory so it's "clean" and ready to go if needed.

I guess I just don't trust "built in".

Bruce Foreman

[Dr. Benway]

would reserve the internal memory for "emergency" use such as running out of cards

Exactly.


I guess I just don't trust "built in".

Me neither.

[Rainer]

Dusted, the important thing is not to panic. Work slowly and methodically to make sure you haven't done something obviously wrong. Can you give us some more information? Does your camera power up at all, and if so how does it behave? Were you able hook up the camera via USB before the problem occurred? If so, hook it up to external power and and connect to computer. Can you see the camera? If you previously couldn't connect via USB, get back to me. Ultimately, Canon can recover data from internal memory.

[DustedNuts]

Dusted, the important thing is not to panic. Work slowly and methodically to make sure you haven't done something obviously wrong. Can you give us some more information? Does your camera power up at all, and if so how does it behave? Were you able hook up the camera via USB before the problem occurred? If so, hook it up to external power and and connect to computer. Can you see the camera? If you previously couldn't connect via USB, get back to me. Ultimately, Canon can recover data from internal memory.

Rainer, the camera works the same here is a second by second of everything that has happened:

Pulled in DC adapter, turn on camera, phone rings, reach for phone and DC adapter gets pulled out leaving camera lens covers open.
Pulled in DC adapter and battery this time.
Turned camera back on, camera making humming and sounds from the AF motor, "can't turn camera off", no response controls, lcd is on but all gray not showing anything.
Pulled out DC adapter and battery to get the camera to turn off
Switched batteries, before i turned it on, start shaking the camera make sure is could hear the AF thing was moving around, while is was shaking it i turn the camera back on, same problem from AF motor, noise again, pull out the battery.
I tried that few time before just taking out the battery and just using the power adapter and just trying some more time to get it to come back on and while I was doing this pressed the reset button a few times.
I was shaking the camera different ways up and finally i turned the camera lens side up, and start shaking it like it was hold a semi-auto machine gun.
I was shaking it pressed the power lens cover closed and opened back it was working, camera was reset, all data gone.


Thank you Bif, im glad to finally get some help... And thanks to everyone else too. I have plenty of SD around the laying house, I just dont know why I just did copy the file over to one of my external hard drive when I had the chance, things where just going to good for me Friday night.

Now I still have the problem where my computer cant access the data on my camcorders internal storage. When pulled in it shows up like a semi-transparent drive in My Computer, doesnt show storage space, its acting as tho its a disc drive with a disc in it, and yes it does recognize as a video camera. Does anybody have a straight forward solution from my situation?

If there was simply a way to format the memory I could use RescuePro to recover the and all would be fixed. I know somebody, somewhere on this forum has had this problem and fixed it, I need that person

[Rainer]

OK, that's not sounding too good. You still might be able to get it back via USB. I didn't ask what system you are using. If it's Windows, I guess you already tried uninstalling your camera in the device manager, unplugging the USB and plugging it back in? How does it show up in your disk manager? (plug in, turn on, rt click my computer>manage>Disk manager>action>rescan disks) Sorry if you already went through this.

[DustedNuts]

Im using win7 ultimate when I connect it windows knowns its my camera. Comes up as a mass storage in device manager, when I tried the recovery software Bif told me about rescuepro deluxe it can't do anything. No accessible storage, im going to try some more things do some more test and tell you what comes up.