Step-by-Step: How to Repair Corrupted CR2 Files?

“Hello friends, I did a project shoot recently with my Canon EOS 1D. All the photos were shot in RAW CR2 file format. The photos were fine in the camera, but when I transferred them from the SanDisk Extreme Pro 32 GB memory card to my Windows PC, they showed up as corrupt or unreadable. Is there a way I can repair corrupted CR2 files? Please help.”

CR2 is a RAW file format for photos that Canon supports. CR2 files are uncompressed, so they are of high quality. But like other photo formats, CR2 files are not immune to corruption and can turn corrupt or inaccessible due to various reasons. The next section describes the reasons why CR2 files turn corrupt.

Common Reasons for CR2 File Corruption

• Improper insertion or removal of SD card from a camera, card reader, or computer
• Sudden system shutdown during CR2 file transfer
• A low battery in the Canon camera resulted in the improper saving of CR2 files
• The presence of bad sectors on the storage drive containing CR2 files
• Virus or malware in the computer damaging the CR2 files

Addressing the above, we have created a detailed list of the best and safest methods to repair CR2 file issues.

1. Set Photos as a default app for CR2 files

In case your CR2 files are not opening, set Photos as the default app for them.  Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps. Scroll down and click Choose default applications by file type link. Scroll down to find .cr2 CR2 File and click ‘Choose a default’ (if not set). Specify the Photos app.

2. Open CR2 files in a different photo-viewing software

When CR2 files don’t open in one photo viewing application, you must try a different one. For instance, if you are viewing your CR2 files in the Photos app, change the software to Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, or Canon Raw Image Viewer.

3. Update the software that you are using to open CR2 files

If you can’t open your CR2 files in Adobe Photoshop, IrfanView, Lightroom, or other software, ensure that the photo-viewing software is updated. If not, update the software and then open the CR2 files in it.

4. Convert CR2 files to another file format

When CR2 files don’t open or throw an error, try converting them to another RAW format, such as ARW, DNG, or JPEG. There are many free RAW file converter tools available online that can help you convert your CR2 file to another format.

5. Reduce noise in CR2 images by using an image editor

In case your CR2 images are grainy, blurry, broken, or pixelated, use an image editor like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom to resolve the issue. Although you may not be able to remove noise from CR2 images completely, the images can be edited to an acceptable form.

6. Repair corrupt CR2 files by using a CR2 repair tool

If your CR2 files are intact, you can use Stellar Repair for Photo to fix damage in CR2 files. This photo repair software repairs all kinds of errors and corruptions in CR2 files. It repairs CR2 files in JPEG format and thus saves you from losing photos. This photo repair tool repairs CR2 files stored on a memory card, hard disk, solid-state drive, or USB flash drive.

The step-by-step process to repair CR2 files

• Download and install the trial version of Stellar Repair for Photo on your PC.
• Launch the software, and click ‘Add File‘ on the main user interface.

• On the Add File dialog box, specify the location from where you want to select your CR2 files. Click Open.
• In the file list, select the CR2 files you want to repair, and click Repair. Wait till the repair is completed.

•  Once the repair is over, click any repaired file to preview.

Note: If a CR2 file isn’t repaired, click Advanced Repair and provide a sample CR2 file taken from the same Canon camera.

• Click Save Repaired Files to save the repaired CR2 files at your desired location. All repaired CR2 files are saved with their original names along with the number of thumbnails repaired per image.

• Navigate to the save location to check the repaired CR2 files.

Note: The trial version of Stellar Repair for Photo allows a free preview of the repaired files. To save your repaired files on your computer, you need to activate the software.

Conclusion

We hope that the blog has helped you to successfully repair corrupted CR2 photos on your Windows computer. You can choose Photos as the default application to open CR2 files, try a different photo viewing software, update the software, convert CR2 files to a different format, or reduce the noise in CR2 images with a photo editor – there are many ways to fix problems with CR2 files.

If none of the above methods work, try Stellar Repair for Photo to repair corrupted CR2 files. The software fixes all kinds of corruption and noise in the photos, regardless of the Canon camera model or SD card you are using. If CR2 photos are severely corrupted, the software manages to extract thumbnails from them. It is also available for both Windows and macOS.

Was this article helpful?

YES0

NO

About The Author

Harsha Alamchandani

Harsha is a technical expert who loves Mondays, technology and is a big time Apple fan. She knows her way around the data loss problems and is always looking for ways to help out people.