Had a client at his wits’ end with his iPhone. He was transferring photos and movies from his iPhone PhotoStream to his desktop computer and he did the Cut/Paste he always had done, but this time it failed.
The error message said “Invalid parameter” and all the files deleted from the directory he was transferring, all 1,000 files, GONE.
So, checked out a couple software solutions. A program called iFoneBox was able to transfer files from the SMS directory to the desktop (which was a good way to save any files which had been sent via text message).
But what about the Photo Stream?
Well, the internet is very sparse on data about the iPhone. Most of the Data Recovery companies want you to send your device in for an “evaluation” which may or may not cost you $. I polled a couple of the major players in the data recovery space, and I determined that you should save your money and just kiss those photos goodbye.
Why?
Well, the iPhone 4s and above uses encryption keys to store the data on the chip, which means that if the data is deleted, it isn’t able to be recovered because you lose those encryption keys along with the actual data. One company described this as “No full logical support”. If the error is file system related, then just let it go and in the future be better about your data backup. Setup iCloud backup, transfer data off the device more frequently, only do Copy/Paste and only select smaller groups of files at a time, not the full directory.
What if I had a physical error? (Dropped the phone in the toilet)
Those are recoverable according to each company. But be prepared for costs of around $1400 for a recovery and a wait of about 7-10 days.
Side Note: Flash Fixers had the most reasonable rate for recovery, but they are located in New Hampshire….
