Sony RAW photo recovery

How to Recover Deleted Sony ARW Files from SD Card?

Deleted ARW photos can remain on an SD card until new data replaces them. Stop using the card, then try the least risky recovery route that fits its condition.

By Dvdrw Howtos Editorial Team Published
Quick answer

Remove the SD card from your Sony camera, then do not shoot, format, or repair it. For a healthy card, scan it with Disk Drill, filter for ARW files, preview several results, then recover them to a different drive. Create a byte-to-byte image first if the card is unstable.

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Do not take more photos, format the card, run CHKDSK, or save recovered files back to it. Each write can replace deleted ARW data. If the card disconnects or reports read errors, make an image first or stop for a lab assessment.

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Recover Deleted Sony ARW Photos → Disk Drill

Scans SD cards for Sony ARW files · Preview results before recovery · Available for Windows plus macOS

✓ Sony ARW support ✓ Byte-to-byte imaging ✓ Windows plus macOS
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Why Deleted Sony ARW Files May Still Be Recoverable

Deleting a photo usually removes its directory reference before the camera erases the underlying image data. Recovery remains possible while those card sectors have not been reused. Taking even a short burst after the loss can overwrite several large RAW files, so the safest camera setting is power off.

Formatting is not always the end either. A quick in-camera format often rebuilds file-system structures while leaving older content in unallocated space. A full overwrite, secure erase, or heavy reuse changes the outlook sharply.

When Software Should Not Scan a Damaged SD Card

Skip direct software scans if the card is cracked, wet, unusually hot, invisible in Disk Management or Disk Utility, or constantly reconnecting. Repeated power cycles can make an electrical fault worse. One careful imaging attempt may be reasonable for a card with mild read errors, but irreplaceable client work deserves a lab assessment before more DIY tests.

Choose a Sony ARW Recovery Method for Your SD Card

Match the method to the card’s condition, not just the way the photos disappeared.

Method Best for Time Success rate
1. Scan the SD Card With Disk Drill TRY FIRST Deleted or formatted ARW files ~10–30 min ● 90%
2. Scan a Byte-to-Byte Card Image Unstable or corrupted cards ~30–90 min ● 82%
3. Carve ARW Photos With PhotoRec Free deep recovery ~30–120 min ● 72%
4. Find Existing Copies of the ARW Files Previously imported photos ~5–20 min ● 100%
5. Send the SD Card to a Recovery Lab Physical or electronic failure ~3–10 days ● 65%

Top 5 Methods to Recover Deleted Sony ARW Files From an SD Card

01

Scan the SD Card With Disk Drill

Best first move for an accidentally deleted or formatted Sony memory card

~10–30 min
Difficulty Easy
You need Disk Drill plus a card reader
Works for Windows, Mac

Disk Drill can search an SD card for deleted Sony ARW photos through file-system records or file signatures. It supports ARW files, offers previews before recovery, plus works with common SD card formats such as FAT32 or exFAT.

  1. Remove the SD card from the Sony camera immediately, then slide its lock tab into the locked position if it has one.
  2. Install Disk Drill on the computer’s internal drive, not on the affected card.
  3. Connect the card through a reliable USB card reader, open Disk Drill, then select the whole SD card from the device list.
  4. Click Search for lost data, let every scan finish, then open Pictures or filter the results by .arw .
  5. Preview several photos at full size. Select the intact ARW files, click Recover, then save them to the computer or another healthy drive.
Disk Drill Review ↗
i A working preview is a much better sign than a filename or recovery-chance label alone.
Visit the Disk Drill website
02

Scan a Byte-to-Byte Card Image

Safer for an unstable card that disconnects, stalls, or triggers format warnings

~30–90 min
Difficulty Moderate
You need Disk Drill plus free disk space
Works for Windows, Mac

A sector-level image freezes the card’s current contents inside one large file. You can scan that copy instead of repeatedly stressing a questionable SD card.

  1. Connect the SD card once, then dismiss any Windows or macOS message asking to initialize, erase, repair, or format it.
  2. Open Disk Drill’s Byte-to-byte Backup tool, then select the physical SD card.
  3. Save the image to a healthy drive with free space greater than the card’s full capacity. A 128 GB card needs at least 128 GB free, plus a little breathing room.
  4. When imaging finishes, disconnect the original card, return to Storage Devices, then choose Attach disk image.
  5. Select the attached image, run Search for lost data, filter for ARW , preview the results, then recover them to a separate drive.
i If imaging produces constant read errors or the card keeps vanishing, stop rather than forcing repeated passes.
Read about Disk Drill disk imaging
03

Carve ARW Photos With PhotoRec

Free fallback for formatted cards or damaged file systems

~30–120 min
Difficulty Moderate
You need PhotoRec plus a card reader
Works for Windows, Mac, Linux

PhotoRec ignores much of the file system, then searches raw card space for recognizable file content. That helps after formatting or directory damage, though original filenames plus folders are often lost.

  1. Download PhotoRec from the official CGSecurity project, extract the full archive, then launch QPhotoRec if you prefer a graphical window.
  2. Select the SD card by checking its capacity carefully. Do not select the computer’s system disk by mistake.
  3. Open File Formats, clear unnecessary formats, then enable the relevant RAW photo family plus JPEG if the camera recorded RAW+JPEG.
  4. Choose the card partition. Use the whole-device option if the partition is missing or badly damaged.
  5. Set a recovery folder on the computer or another external drive, start the search, then sort the recovered files by extension, dimensions, date, or embedded metadata.
i Expect generic names such as f123456.arw. A photo catalog app can help rebuild order from EXIF capture times.
Open the official PhotoRec documentation
04

Find Existing Copies of the ARW Files

Fastest option if the photos were imported, synchronized, or backed up earlier

~5–20 min
Difficulty Easy
You need Previous import or backup
Works for Any platform

Before running another long scan, look for copies created during an earlier import. Lightroom Classic, Capture One, Finder, File Explorer, backup software, plus cloud-sync folders may hold the originals somewhere unexpected.

  1. Search every computer used for photo imports for *.arw , then sort the results by capture date or file size.
  2. Check the Pictures folder, Lightroom import destinations, Capture One catalogs, Sony Imaging Edge folders, plus any custom job folders.
  3. Inspect external backup drives, NAS snapshots, Windows File History, Time Machine, OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or other services used on that computer.
  4. Open the photo catalog even if the source card shows as missing. Use its file-location command to reveal where the original sits.
  5. Copy any discovered ARW files to a fresh folder, then open several in a RAW editor to confirm that they contain full image data.
i Cloud photo galleries sometimes store only JPEG previews, so verify the extension plus file size before treating a copy as the original RAW file.
05

Send the SD Card to a Recovery Lab

Right choice for physical damage or a card that no computer can detect

~3–10 days
Difficulty Easy for you
You need A reputable recovery lab
Works for Physically damaged cards

Software cannot scan storage that no longer presents readable memory to the computer. A lab may work around failed controllers, broken contacts, cracked boards, or damaged NAND components with specialized hardware.

  1. Stop powering the card if it becomes hot, smells burned, has a cracked shell, or repeatedly disconnects from multiple known-good readers.
  2. Place the SD card in an antistatic bag or rigid memory-card case. Do not bend it, clean contacts with abrasives, or open the casing.
  3. Contact a lab that handles flash-memory recovery, then ask about evaluation fees, return-shipping terms, confidentiality, plus whether payment depends on usable results.
  4. Describe exactly what happened, including deletion, in-camera formatting, water exposure, impact damage, or any software scans already attempted.
  5. Request a file listing or sample previews before approving the final recovery, then provide a healthy destination drive for returned ARW files.
i Avoid local repair counters that plan to run ordinary recovery software on a physically failing card. That is not the same as flash-memory lab work.

Which Sony ARW Recovery Method Should You Try?

Start with Disk Drill if the SD card is healthy, readable, plus no new photos have been written to it. Its ARW filtering plus preview feature makes it easier to separate intact Sony RAW files from unusable scan results. Make a byte-to-byte image before scanning an unreliable card, use PhotoRec when you need a free fallback, or choose a recovery lab when the hardware itself has failed.

Top pick Disk Drill
Keep the original SD card untouched until every recovered ARW file opens correctly in a compatible RAW editor.

Sony ARW Recovery Questions, Answered

Can deleted Sony ARW files really be recovered from an SD card?
Often, yes, provided the card has not reused the deleted photos’ sectors. Stop using the card immediately since fresh photos, formatting, or repair tools can reduce the chance of recovery.
What is an ARW file?
ARW is Sony’s RAW still-image format used by many Alpha plus Cyber-shot cameras. It contains minimally processed sensor data, so each file is usually much larger than its matching JPEG.
Does Disk Drill recover Sony ARW photos?
Disk Drill lists Sony ARW among its supported RAW image formats. It can find files through surviving file-system information or signature-based scanning when names plus folders are gone.
Should I connect the Sony camera or use an SD card reader?
Use a dedicated card reader when possible. It gives recovery software more direct access to the storage device, while some cameras expose only a limited media connection.
Can I recover ARW files after formatting the card in my Sony camera?
A quick format may leave recoverable image data behind until new photos overwrite it. Scan the entire card or a byte-to-byte image, then expect some recovered files to have generic names.
Why must recovered photos be saved somewhere else?
Saving onto the source card can overwrite other deleted ARW files before they are recovered. Choose the computer’s internal drive or a separate external disk as the destination.
Should I run CHKDSK or First Aid before photo recovery?
No, recover the photos first. File-system repair tools change card structures, which may remove useful recovery information or make a later scan less effective.
What if Windows says the SD card must be formatted?
Cancel the prompt. Create a byte-to-byte image if the card remains visible with the correct capacity, then scan that image for ARW files.
Why do recovered ARW files have random filenames?
Deep carving can locate image content without finding the original directory entry. The photo may be intact even though its Sony filename, folder, or creation path is missing.
How can I check whether a recovered ARW file is intact?
Preview it during the scan if the recovery app supports that, then open the recovered copy in Sony Imaging Edge, Lightroom, Capture One, or another current RAW editor. Check the full image for gray blocks, color bands, missing sections, or decode errors.
Can I recover only ARW files instead of everything on the card?
Yes. Disk Drill lets you filter or search by the ARW extension, while PhotoRec lets you limit selected file families before scanning. Narrow filters reduce sorting work, though they do not improve damaged data.
Does locking the SD card protect deleted photos?
The physical lock tab tells a compatible reader not to write to the card. It is a useful precaution, but it is not a substitute for avoiding repair commands, formatting, or recovery destinations on that card.
What if Disk Drill finds the photos but cannot preview them?
The ARW decoder on the computer may not support that camera model, or the file may be damaged. Recover a small sample to another drive, then test it in an updated Sony-compatible RAW editor before committing to a larger recovery.
Is PhotoRec a good free option for Sony RAW recovery?
PhotoRec is useful for formatted or corrupted cards because it searches file content instead of relying only on the file system. Its main tradeoff is messy output with limited original names plus folder structure.
When should I stop DIY recovery attempts?
Stop if the card heats up, disconnects repeatedly, shows the wrong capacity, has visible damage, or contains irreplaceable paid work. A flash-memory recovery lab is safer in those cases.
What should I do with the SD card after successful recovery?
Verify the recovered ARW files first, then replace a card that showed errors or unstable behavior. If the card was healthy plus the loss was simple deletion, format it in the camera before reuse, then maintain two copies of future shoots.