Corrupted and disappearing files.

[dscully4]

Hey Folks,

New to the Forum.

Topic: Corrupted and disappearing files.

iMac, 10.10.1. Have lots of photos, mostly in jpg / tiff. Slowly but surely, entire folders become empty or filled with generic file icons instead of thumbnails. I’m loosing everything. Files that were carefully named now have funky numeric titles. Folders are also renamed: ex: “dir393”. Picture files now named something like this: P4070160.JPG. Files named Christmas 2004 now contain pictures of my Mustang.

Files have come from Nikon 5400, Panasonic LX3, and Sony a55. Edited in PSE, Lightroom, Pixelmator, and Fotor. Preview is also used.

Error Message Window says The file “****.jpg” could not be opened. It may be damaged or use a file format that “APP NAME” doesn’t recognize.

Last night, I watched a file turn from a thumbnail to an icon before my eyes. I can’t remember what app I was using. Quick clicked on it and it came back. Transferred a few unreadable files to my A55 and let it rebuild the DB on the card. It worked. Tried it again today, didn’t work. Have disconnected all my external HDs for safety.

I don’t know what to do. Try and get 40,000 files up to my ImageShack account, switch to all shielded USB cables, uninstall all my photo programs.

But it’s happening on its own. Apple has reloaded my OS 4 times since getting the machine two years ago. It as if it has cancer. Tried StellarPhoenixPhotoRecovery. Apple is clueless. POS Time Machine never worked. Yes, I do use Avast, firewall is locked down, router is also.

Any ideas - migrate files to a new external, uninstall all programs? I’m loosing everything I worked 14 years to make.

Thanks,

Dana

 

[chscag]

That sounds very much like a hard drive that's developing errors and causing file corruption. Make a backup of all your files as soon as you can. You didn't mention which year model your iMac is but if it's a 2010 or 2011 model the hard drive that Apple used in them were made by Seagate. Apple recalled the 1 TB Seagate drives and replaced them because of premature failure.

 

[dtravis7]

Agreed, it really sounds like the drive is dying!

You said it was IDE? Is this an Intel Mac? All Intel Macs I have seen use SATA drives and not IDE.

 

[Rod]

That sounds very much like a hard drive that's developing errors and causing file corruption. Make a backup of all your files as soon as you can. You didn't mention which year model your iMac is but if it's a 2010 or 2011 model the hard drive that Apple used in them were made by Seagate. Apple recalled the 1 TB Seagate drives and replaced them because of premature failure.

Just one thing, if you have an older backup eg before the corruption occurred don't overwrite it by doing a new backup. Just put it aside. If you are using time machine then it is probably OK but may be no advantage. It depends entirely on how you have been backing up.
If on the other hand you have never backed up (heaven forbid) then by all means do it now.