freeware file recovery software - help?

I've some jpg images that, when I'm trying to copy them from a folder on my mac book pro (I'm trying to copy the entire folder really - its only 256 MB in size) onto my jump drive for transfer to another computer (a windows PC for burning onto a DVD for backup purposes), I get message that says: "the finder cannot complete the operation because some data in "100_9777.jpg" could not be read or written. (Error code - 36). and this message dialogue has an OK button. When I click OK, I get another "error code - 36" message in the same dialogue that says the same thing about some data in "256 mb memory card photos as of 7 27 2011" folder again with another OK button, it transfers only 6 images (all were taken by my camera) out of the original 240 - some images. Yet I can see all of the thumnails of these photos on my MBP (this folder is stored in my MBP's hard drive.

This happened last night, I tried googling for a freeware data recovery software that is compatible for both my OS X (Leopard) and Windows 7/XP (on my 3 other laptops I use) but it seems the majority of this "freeware" is just demos/trails/shareware - yet I know that somewhere out there there's good, reliable freeware software that fits my needs that I can d/l yet I cannot find it. Can you folks help, please?

Last nite I tried d/l Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery software that I found online, it seems to be freeware, is both windows/OS X compatible (2 separate d/l) and I started a scan. It had every file on my MBP's 500 GB HDD checkmarked for scan, I tried to un-check the files I did not want it to scan, while only having the jpg box checkmarked for scan, my HDD is almost full, but the software would not let me un-check any boxes. I started the scan last nite, left it running all night, and just now when I went to check it I found it only like maybe at 1 - 3 % of the scan complete, since I figured it was going to take all day/all night, I aborted the scan, and quit the application - again, if I could use this software, if it's freeware, could you hep me with it, please?

Thanks in advance.

Do you have Time Machine set up?

ChrisMan287 said:

Do you have Time Machine set up?

Click to expand...

Yes, I did, but my LaCie 500 GB external hard drive got full. So I ejected/disconnected it from my MBP and now I'm starting to access its contents in Windows 7 by using HFS explorer that I found. It's a long process, but I hope to use it to extract all my important stuff from the EHD before reconnecting it to my MBP/setting up TM again, but this might take me a long time, since I'd have to buy the media (DVD's/BD discs/jewel cases).

Of course, could I check on my LaCie EHD using HFS explorer in my Windows laptop and see if I can get these files from there maybe (just thought of this now while eating breakfast - gonna try it & I'll let you know the results)?

EDIT - Yep, I tried it, accessed these photos on my Windows laptop with HFS explorer, & successfully extracted all these photos into folder I made on the Windows laptop - success!

Now that I discovered that I do have all these Nov 1, 2011 MBP backups on my EHD, can access 'em with HFS explorer, its time for more backing up stuff from accessing the drive in Windows until I have it all backed up on discs before I set up TM again.