Topic: And another!!

[tim]

While ago, downloaded a large batch of photos onto a Memory Stick. All was well for a while, but now we have any of 3 problems on selecting photo.

1. The thingyMG sign - gives you "can't determine type"

2. The thumbnail thing gives you "Open With" which leads to a dead end.

3. Many of those with IMG open with half the photo blaked off.

Others open correctly.

[kenkew]

Could be the photo's have been created/saved in more than one format. If, for instance you try to open a PSP ext. file in MS photo editor, it will tell you it doesn't recognise the file.
I would select all pics that your prog will open and save them. Then try opening others with a different programme. If you right click on one of those files then go to properties, it will tell you the file extension and from there you should be able to find the right programme by selecting 'Open With'.
Ken.

[tim]

I did, of course, mean, blanked!

Do wish I understood all this. I've tried opening with eg Photo Editor & get nothing. Haven't tried the Properties bit yet.

And why should they all change in a month or so? Most were taken in one session.

[springbok]

Have you installed any other software in the past month.

Because as with your disk it was unable to read the pictures.

Just wondering if you had made any changes and being unaware that a program would change it across the system.

[tim]

Nice thinking.  Installed?  Like downloading Flickr etc?

BUT - why are they all fine on the PC's hard disk AND my main back-up disk??

And when I say ALL have changed, MOST. Many are still as was.

[springbok]

Installing some software could conflict with opening some pictures.

For example:  I installed Adobe and it wanted to open all my pictures, as it defaulted to opening all the pictures.  But it wouldnt open all of them.

What you need to do is RIGHT CLICK on one of the pictures you are having problems with, then click on OPEN WITH, choose the program that you want to use open the picture with. 

At the bottom of this box, theres a tick box, use this program to open all these kind of files.

See if that works, if not, back to the drawing board :D

[Pesky Wabbit]

Tim,

I'm thinking that something has upset your file associations.


Let me see if I understand this right.

You have a 'puter with some pictures on which display ok.
You have a stick with some pictures on which don't display.

Are these the same pictures ?

What version of Windows are you running on your 'puter?
Do you know what version of windows (or Mac o/s) was running on the machine that was used to copy the images onto the stick, or are these two puters the same one ?

I assume when you use the stick, your inserting it into the above same puter ?


IMG - is this the file extension (ie its a "Windows Image" file)
  - What file association do you have with .IMG files.    (in XP : If you right click on the file, what is listed against "Type of File:", and what is listed against "Opens with:" ) 

Some pictures (on the stick), when double clicked give "can't determine type" 
  - What filename extension do these have?
  - again what file associations do these have ?


Can you copy the images from the sick into a new folder on the 'puter.
- Does this now make any difference to the readability ?

When installing software, it can update the file association database and claim many file types for itself, although it has no right to and also it may not even be able to read/use them.

[tim]

Girlie - the selection (Photo Editor) doesn't register - zilch!

Wabbit - give me a while to try to figure that lot?

[timiano]

Hi Tim

Sounds an odd one this. I would hazard a guess at some file corruption somewhere along the way. What makes me think this, is that when you open up the file half of it is blanked. Corruption could also make your file extenstions for a bit odd too. That symbol you drawn, looks like the sign for 'Pi' - and I have never seen that before.

I'm assuming that all of these weird file extensions started their lives as jpgs. Why not rename all the file extensions back to jpg. Or, at least start with a few to see if it works and opens. But, if they are corrupted, then best bet is to get rid of them, and get the good ones from a backup.

the file extension IMG is normally associated with an image of a physical disk (floppy/cd/dvd). But, I think your extension is something like Φmg - which is very bizarre!

Tim

[tim]

That's the sign!

And 'properties' vary betwee jpg, ipg & JPG.

Grateful for all the help - hope it may be of interest to others - but it's now beyond me. I shall bin the stick & start again.

This is a belt & braces back-up - any ideas for a RELIABLE thingy? Like 1Gb.

[timiano]

Best thing for backup Tim is an external USB hard drive. And it also makes data more portable if/when you change computer. They're a bit dearer than memory cards, but they allow you to bung your digital life on them; which these days it getting more and more important.

I see you're a keen photographer. If you want to keep things simpler and faster, I'd whole heartedly recommend some form of photo organising software. Best freebie is Google Picasa 2.0. Best paid for is Adobe Lightroom. Lightroom is absolutely phenomenal in terms of what it does. I can rattle through 100s of photos an hour if necessary. Importing, Keywording, Rating, Processing, Cropping and final output. It costs a fair bit (£200), but how much value do you put on your time? They do an educational discount at £75 - maybe they do something for those who have retired? Picasa is well worth investigating if not.

Tim

[tim]

Such a great site.  SO helpful. To be more explicit -

1. Crash a year or so ago lost most of painter Daughter's life's work.
2. Yes - we had a back-up disk, but that failed on the same day. We don't do things by halves!!
3. For £400 we retrieved a few dozen photos.
4. So, belt & braces, I got a stick to back up our currently operative external hard drive. And that's now corrupted.
5. No great loss, but I don't want it to happen again. Was it the fault of the stick or, as suggested, an interfering download?
6. Rather than buy new, should I wipe the stick & start again?
7. Picasa - yes.
8. Money? No!!
9. For manip, I have Photoshop Element - or somesuch.

Does that help?

= Tim

[timiano]

Hi Tim

Not sure where the corruption came into play, I'd trust a memory stick less than a hard drive, due to the nature of plugging and unplugging all the time. There's no way to say for certain. Vista is usually clever enough to detect corruption on a memory stick on auto load - which is quite neat.

I'd format the data stick yes, and see how you get on with it. Don't trust it though at first, and the first sign of trouble - odd images, corruption, odd file extensions, get another one and see how it compares.

Photoshop Elements is great, so stick with that. The library features (organiser) are great. The only thing I don't like about it, is that it edits the source files directly and can be a bit slow. Having said that, it isn't that slow, it's just not lightning like I'm used to with Lightroom.

Look into Flickr if you wan't an online archive of images - although there's limits (not that stingy though) with the freebie account. Also, it's fun sharing and looking at other people's pictures.

Tim

[tim]

Thanks again. If I go for a 2nd hard drive, is it plugged in at the back, same as my present one? Not too silly a question, because I can't access the back of the PC without great difficulty.

[Pesky Wabbit]

Try adding a USB adapter/extension cable. that way, depending onthe length of the cable you could have your old drive and a new backup drive somewhere more convenient.

But you will have to get around the back once to plug it all in.

[tim]

Thanks.

[timiano]

Thanks again. If I go for a 2nd hard drive, is it plugged in at the back, same as my present one? Not too silly a question, because I can't access the back of the PC without great difficulty.

As Pesky Wabbit said, one of these http://www.ebuyer.com/product/106231

Sorry to keep linking to eBuyer - it's where I do most of my tech shopping. I'm in no way affiliated with them.

Tim