Oh No! P4P writing corrupt files to card.

JeffreyS · Jan 14, 2019

Issue: Nearly new P4P Pro V2 recording corrupt files. Not all the files are bad, however (only to add to the mystery, and fear). I made a 600 mile trip to vid and photograph a favorite area. Had some fine conditions over a five day visit. Camped remote, braved temps in the 20’s, and got up early for good light. After a couple days of performing well, the P4P began writing corrupt files to the card. I had many DNG and MOV files on the card (less than half full) already that were fine. Then at some random point every file was recorded bad. Downloaded all to my MacBook and using the Finder quickview, Preview, Adobe Bridge or Quicktime player all I got was the icon showing either DNG or MOV for the bad files. Was not able to import into iMovie. All file sizes show the proper numbers, around 34MB for DNG and variable for movies up to around 4GB each so I know the data is in there. I’m using Samsung EVO 64GB SDXC-1 class 10 cards, both new and identical. I got some very desirable video and stills I’d like to recover. When this happened to my first card (one I’ve been using successfully for a month), I immediately inserted a new card and formatted it in the AC. It worked fine (viewable files) for most of a day and then the same thing happened! I’m inclined to think it is the drone's problem though I’ve ordered new cards already. Too much time and expense put in to this to then lose it.

Can anyone here recommend a way to recover these files? Or explain how this could happen? Very unhappy now.

Ansia · Jan 14, 2019

Sounds like a SD Card problem. Not the drone.

With The Birds · Jan 14, 2019

Two cards with the same issue, particularly in circumstances where they worked as expected on earlier occasions does implicate the P4 as the culprit.

You also need to make sure your computer, card reader and cables are up to the task. I almost returned my Mavic 2 due to corrupt DNG issue. I suspected the MAVIC as the problem was repeatable with numerous Micro SD cards. In my case it was the USB card reader supplied by SANDISK. As seems to be your case the file sizes appeared to be correct and it wasn’t all files that were corrupt.

If you are by chance using one of the tiny Sandisk USB Micro SD readers hit it with a hammer before you do anything else. I felt better after I did that to mine.

Ansia · Jan 14, 2019

With The Birds said:
Two cards with the same issue, particularly in circumstances where they worked as expected on earlier occasions does implicate the P4 as the culprit.

You also need to make sure your computer, card reader and cables are up to the task. I almost returned my Mavic 2 due to corrupt DNG issue. I suspected the MAVIC as the problem was repeatable with numerous Micro SD cards. In my case it was the USB card reader supplied by SANDISK. As seems to be your case the file sizes appeared to be correct and it wasn’t all files that were corrupt.

If you are by chance using one of the tiny Sandisk USB Micro SD readers hit it with a hammer before you do anything else. I felt better after I did that to mine.

They could be conterfeit SD cards. Why would the drone record some correctly and others with corrupted sectors?

JeffreyS · Jan 14, 2019

When the problem persisted with a new card, I eliminated the card as the problem.

I just tried a new card reader and also used the SD slot that is in the Mac itself. Same issues. I am a professional photographer and know about and maintain quality gear and cabling.

OK, I just found out that the ebay seller is no longer registered with ebay, where I bought them. Perhaps they were counterfeit. Packaging looked authentic. Maybe that is the problem. Oh, how I hope so! I got both cards for $25. Seems odd!

Back to my problem, I need recovery software to restore the files downloaded on my computer. Anyone know about this type of item or a service that can do it for me?

Ansia · Jan 14, 2019

If those were counterfeit, you won't be able to recover the footage.

Ansia · Jan 14, 2019

With The Birds · Jan 14, 2019

Ansia said:
They could be conterfeit SD cards. Why would the drone record some correctly and others with corrupted sectors?

If it was the reader (as was my case) we wouldn’t need to worry about what fault might exist in the drone or if it was a bad sector issue. In my case some images had part missing and/or random colour lines which on close inspection at the pixel level which were, at least in part, from another part of the frame in the original capture. I don’t know what caused it however it was repeatable with any card used with that reader.

With The Birds · Jan 14, 2019

Ansia said:
If those were counterfeit, you won't be able to recover the footage.

That is not necessarily true. Particularly with respect to the video files where a file repair utility may well make the file accessible with minimal data loss.

Ansia · Jan 14, 2019

With The Birds said:
That is not necessarily true. Particularly with respect to the video files where a file repair utility may well make the file accessible with minimal data loss.

Lets hope he can recover his files. To my understanding, conterfeit sd cards usually are hacked to pretend they are bigger than they really are. When the SD card becomes full, what it does it starts recording on top of already recorded data, which end up corrupting both data files.

With The Birds · Jan 14, 2019

JeffreyS said:
When the problem persisted with a new card, I eliminated the card as the problem.

I just tried a new card reader and also used the SD slot that is in the Mac itself. Same issues. I am a professional photographer and know about and maintain quality gear and cabling.

OK, I just found out that the ebay seller is no longer registered with ebay, where I bought them. Perhaps they were counterfeit. Packaging looked authentic. Maybe that is the problem. Oh, how I hope so! I got both cards for $25. Seems odd!

Back to my problem, I need recovery software to restore the files downloaded on my computer. Anyone know about this type of item or a service that can do it for me?

Just search data recovery for a utility. There are many free ones however they are mainly for windows (should run as a virtual machine on OSX without issue).

As a professional photographer you might instinctively realize that your best chance of recovering your images/videos isn’t to work with the files on your computer. You should run the utility on the subject SD cards attempting to repair the volume in the first instance (if errors are detected) specifying a location on your computer or another storage volume for repaired files to be saved.

JeffreyS · Jan 14, 2019

Ansia, very good job sleuthing and finding that video. Who would've thought it would exist? I no longer have the packaging, but a few other things in that vid convinced me that I have fakes. On one hand, I hope so, and that my drone is fine. A few things about the performance of the cards, now that I've seen that vid, are apparently not good. But, I more than anything I want the content recovered. So, I'll do that search as With the Birds suggests, and I'm not writing or reading those two fakes again at all. Good tip. BTW, I just ordered two Lexar 1000x 64GB super fast cards. I hope they will be real!

Ansia · Jan 14, 2019

The guy on that video also forgot to mention. All Samsung SD cards have a serial number. Sorry for the blurry pic. Kinda hard to focus in low light.

Ansia · Jan 14, 2019

JeffreyS said:
Ansia, very good job sleuthing and finding that video. Who would've thought it would exist? I no longer have the packaging, but a few other things in that vid convinced me that I have fakes. On one hand, I hope so, and that my drone is fine. A few things about the performance of the cards, now that I've seen that vid, are apparently not good. But, I more than anything I want the content recovered. So, I'll do that search as With the Birds suggests, and I'm not writing or reading those two fakes again at all. Good tip. BTW, I just ordered two Lexar 1000x 64GB super fast cards. I hope they will be real!

I would go for Class 10 U3 SD Cards.

Edit: I fly with this one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07F24QJ44?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_pd_title

JeffreyS · Jan 14, 2019

Ansia said:
I would go for Class 10 U3 SD Cards.

Edit: I fly with this one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07F24QJ44?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_pd_title

Mine were a copy of that one but at 64GB. Not going there again!

JeffreyS · Jan 14, 2019

OK, got the cards sorted out. Now how about my file recovery?

Ansia · Jan 14, 2019

JeffreyS said:
Mine were a copy of that one but at 64GB. Not going there again!

I bought that one and was 100% genuine.

JeffreyS · Jan 14, 2019

Good luck bad luck. A learning experience for me.

With The Birds · Jan 15, 2019

JeffreyS said:
Good luck bad luck. A learning experience for me.

The clue is the price. At least in the large majority of instances. As a professional photographer you would know you can’t afford to cut corners with your equipment- looking for a too good to be true bargain price on essentials might cost you a lot more in the long run.