How can I recover RAW files from CTG? I took some pictures on a Canon EOS Rebel T6i and in RAW format but forgot to format the SD Card, so when I transport them to computer, they are...

Luigimax14 Loc: New Jersey

I took some pictures on a Canon EOS Rebel T6i and in RAW format but forgot to format the SD Card, so when I transport them to computer, they are in CTG files, how do I fix this, can I fix this?

Machinedoc Loc: Yorktown Heights, NY

Check out this link - suggest you remove SD card from the camera and use a reader connected to your computer as it sounds like you connected your camera to the comouter.

https://fileinfo.com/extension/ctg

Luigimax14 Loc: New Jersey

No, I took the SD card out of the camera and plugged it into the pc, any ideas on how to get these pics back?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

The problem may definitely lie in the comouter.
--Bob

Machinedoc wrote:

Check out this link - suggest you remove SD card from the camera and use a reader connected to your computer as it sounds like you connected your camera to the comouter.

https://fileinfo.com/extension/ctg

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Luigimax14 wrote:

No, I took the SD card out of the camera and plugged it into the pc, any ideas on how to get these pics back?

There's no directory structure with the pictures in a lower folder?
A CTG file is a data file that Canon uses that contains information ABOUT the images, not the images.

My T1i does not utilize CTG files, but the images are in a lower folder.
Did you look at the card contents with Windows Explorer?

Machinedoc Loc: Yorktown Heights, NY

Luigimax14 wrote:

No, I took the SD card out of the camera and plugged it into the pc, any ideas on how to get these pics back?

As the link suggests, the CTG is an index file but doesn't contain any images, so if you can see the images when the card is in the camera, they are on the card...somewhere.

I don't know what operating system you're using on the computer, but use the file explorer to look around the SD card to see if there are any folders above where the CTG file is located.

Good luck!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

An EOS T6i will create RAW images with extension CR2. Those are the image files to copy from the card to computer.

Luigimax14 Loc: New Jersey

Yes, I will try on a different computer though

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Luigimax14 wrote:

I took some pictures on a Canon EOS Rebel T6i and in RAW format but forgot to format the SD Card, so when I transport them to computer, they are in CTG files, how do I fix this, can I fix this?

please say what OS you are using and what program you are using to view the contents of the SD card.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Luigimax14 wrote:

I took some pictures on a Canon EOS Rebel T6i and in RAW format but forgot to format the SD Card, so when I transport them to computer, they are in CTG files, how do I fix this, can I fix this?

plug the SD back into the camera. Can you see the images using the camera?

If you can see them then they are there and you might have to configure your SD reader properly to see them.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

JD750 wrote:

plug the SD back into the camera. Can you see the images using the camera?

If you can see them then they are there and you might have to configure your SD reader properly to see them.

Curious, how (what) can one configure in a card reader?
The one in the desktop reads everything as does the external I plug into the laptop.
I never had to 'configure' a reader.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

JD750 wrote:

plug the SD back into the camera. Can you see the images using the camera?

If you can see them then they are there and you might have to configure your SD reader properly to see them.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Longshadow wrote:

Curious, how (what) can one configure in a card reader?
The one in the desktop reads everything as does the external I plug into the laptop.
I never had to 'configure' a reader.

configure the software part. He hasn’t said what software he is using. I was wondering if he was using a program that was only showing files with designated extensions and the raw files were not part of that.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

JD750 wrote:

configure the software part. He hasn’t said what software he is using. I was wondering if he was using a program that was only showing files with designated extensions and the raw files were not part of that.

Ahh, that is in the file viewer. not the reader itself.
You're right, some "viewers" default to "jpeg, jpg, png, ...." IMAGE files.
When that happens I change that option to select ALL FILES in that option box.
Windows Explorer is a "file viewer", but I believe it defaults to all files.

coullone Loc: Paynesville, Victoria, Australia

Longshadow wrote:

Ahh, that is in the file viewer. not the reader itself.
You're right, some "viewers" default to "jpeg, jpg, png, ...." IMAGE files.
When that happens I change that option to select ALL FILES in that option box.
Windows Explorer is a "file viewer", but I believe it defaults to all files.

This is correct and the same with MacOS.
For Windows get Faststone viewer (Free!!) and For Mac try Lyn (small charge) OR get the Canon free software.
Early operating systems may not read raw files - Windows 10 may not read .CR2 or .CR3 Files without help.
You may have to change the file display to show file extensions like .com, .jpg or .CR3.

Worth noting MacOS and Unix/Linux can be CASE SENSITIVE, and will differentiate between .jpg and .JPG - this can cause problems when you use different operating systems!!
Got caught on that one a couple of times when trying to work with files on Linux.

Martin Coull
Now retired and living in Paynesville, Victoria, Australia on the beautiful
Gippsland Lakes.
Time UTC = +10 hours