Frequently asked questions
Can I select the specific file to recover?
Unfortunately the answer to this question is no. But there is a good reason for this.
When a chip has been (accidently) formatted, or files deleted, and maybe partially overwritten, the original directory structure is no longer valid. For this reason, the first operation for GPR is to scan the complete memory chip. Only when this has been done will the potential locations of all the file fragments be known.
The exFAT mode of recovery tries to make use of the remaining file system, and so is fast, but cannot always find the existing/deleted/corrupted files - hence the slower, but comprehensive recovery option.
Many recovery programs show a directory of file names - which looks impressive, but then falls rather flat when these files will not actually play. GPR recovers files that will then play.
I cannot view .demomp4 video files.
This is correct. When the demo runs the files saved are encrypted, and called demomp4, demolrv etc. These files are used to generate the thumbnail, but will not work wioth programs such as VLC. When a licence is purchased, the demo files can be converted very quickly to playable videos.
It is slow, should I stop the scan?
Speed can be an issue at times. It is partly dependant on the speed of the card reader, and the PC, but also there is a lot of processing going on to reconstruct the videos. In stage one, if you 'Cancel' there is an option to continue processing what has been found. So if you want a quick assessment of files so far, Canel can be useful. Generally speaking, the screen should never freeze for long, a number should be seen moving and this indicates that the program is still processing.
Can I run the program on a Macintosh
There is not a specific Macintosh version. To run the program on a Mac
you require a Windows emulator, such as Parallels.
Why can I not connect my GoPro directly to the PC for recovery?
GoPro uses a Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) USB interface. This is a connection that allows files to be transfered, but does not allow access to the memory device (sD card). It means that an external device does not need to understand how the files are saved, eg with FAT32 or exFAT. For data recovery to work, it is essential to be able to access each memory chip sector individually. For this reason, it is necessary for the memory chip to be removed, and read in a card reader. Some cameras, such as the Boblov, allow block access to the storage chip, and so can read at the same level as a chip reader.