CFexpress Card Recovery: Recover Lost Files From CFexpress Memory Cards

If you’ve lost some (or even all) files from a CFexpress card, don’t be too quick to assume they’re gone for good. We’ve worked with every kind of memory card out there and seen just about every data loss case you can imagine, and yes, plenty involving CFexpress cards.

Today, we will lay out everything we’ve learned from real-world recovery work. You’ll see when CFexpress card data recovery is actually possible, which tools can get the job done, and how to recover your files step by step.

When Can You Recover Files From a CFexpress Card?

Not every data loss situation is the same, and not every one is fixable. But in most cases, you can recover files from a CFexpress card, especially if you act quickly and follow the right process.

Here’s a breakdown of common scenarios where recovery is possible:

While data recovery from CFexpress cards is possible, you should manage your expectations. These cards use the NVMe protocol and often support Data Set Management (DSM) commands, similar to TRIM. For example, Swissbit’s CFexpress datasheet explicitly lists TRIM as a feature. That means when files are deleted or the card is formatted, the data may be wiped immediately. Whether that command has already been executed or not depends on the card’s firmware and how the host device handled the deletion. If it hasn’t been triggered yet, recovery is still very possible.

The most important rule is simple: the moment you realize something’s missing, stop using your CFexpress card. If it’s still in your camera, stop shooting and remove the card safely. Don’t try to view, rename, or transfer anything.

From there, plug the card into your computer using a reliable CFexpress card reader. Then, install appropriate express data recovery software (we’ll go over it below), and scan the card. The less you do between the moment of loss and the recovery attempt, the higher your chances to restore files from CFexpress intact.

How to Recover Data Using CFexpress Recovery Software

Now let’s get to the practical part. We’ll show you exactly how to recover lost files from your CFexpress card using our go-to recovery tool: Disk Drill.

We’ve tested a lot of memory card recovery software, and Disk Drill fits CFexpress recovery really well, and here’s why:

Disk Drill has a bunch of other useful features, like session saving, file type filters, and smart scan modes. You can check them all in our full Disk Drill review, but for now, let’s see how to use it to recover data from CFexpress cards:

1. Plug your card into your computer using a compatible CFexpress card reader.
2. Download and install Disk Drill from the official website.
3. Open Disk Drill. You’ll see a list of available drives. Look for your CFexpress card, it might be labeled with the brand (like Sony, Lexar, or ProGrade), or just show as a removable device. If you see multiple partitions, select the full physical device.
4. (option step) If you see that your CFexpress card behaves oddly, we recommend one extra step before scanning: create a disk image and scan that instead. Head to the “Extras” section in Disk Drill, choose the Byte-to-byte backup option, select your CFexpress card, and pick a safe location on your computer to save the file. Make sure to store the image on a separate drive (not on the card itself). You’ll need a little more free space than the total size of the card. Once the backup is complete, you can mount the image in Disk Drill and scan it just like a normal device. To do that, click Attach disk image at the bottom of the main screen. This approach protects your original media and gives you a stable copy to work with.
5. Click Search for lost data next. Disk Drill will offer two scanning modes: Universal Scan (best for cards that were connected to a computer when files were deleted or formatted) and Advanced Camera Recovery (better for footage lost in-camera, like if a recording stopped suddenly, or files never appeared after a shoot). If you’re not sure, start with Universal Scan. You can always run another scan after.
6. As Disk Drill scans, it starts sorting files by type: Pictures, Video, Audio, Documents, and more. You don’t have to wait for the scan to finish, you can browse results in real time.
7. Disk Drill organizes results into a few main categories: Deleted or Lost (the ones you probably want), Reconstructed (for files found via signature scan) and Existing (files still on the card). If your file system is damaged or gone, Reconstructed can still pull usable media files based on type alone.
8. Use the left sidebar to filter by file type, like JPG or MP4. Or type into the search bar. You can search by name, extension, or just keywords.
9. You’ll notice preview thumbnails showing up on the right side of the window. Disk Drill can preview any file your OS can open natively or with a third-party viewer you already have installed. It also gives each file a recovery rating: High, Average, or Low. But honestly, the best predictor is the preview itself. If you can see a working preview, that means your file is 100% recoverable.
10. Check the boxes next to the files you want to recover, then hit Recover. Important: Always recover to a different drive, never back to the CFexpress card itself. Disk Drill will warn you, but it’s good to avoid corrupting anything that hasn’t been recovered yet.

On Windows, Disk Drill’s free version lets you recover up to 500MB of data. That’s plenty for a photo batch or a few short clips. If you’re dealing with 4K/8K video or full raw sessions, you’ll hit that limit quickly, but scans and previews are fully unlocked, so you can see exactly what’s recoverable before deciding to upgrade.

When to Use Professional CFexpress Data Recovery Services

As we said earlier, DIY recovery might not be on the table if your CFexpress card is in rough shape. Software works great for accidental deletion, quick formats, and light corruption, but it can’t fix physical damage or hardware failure.

If your CFexpress card isn’t showing up at all in Disk Management, it’s bent out of shape, has a broken connector, water damage, or any other serious issue, you’ll likely need to turn to a professional data recovery lab.

Just a heads-up: it’s definitely more expensive than the DIY route, but when there’s no other option and the data matters, it’s often the only move that makes sense.

Additional Methods and Tools That Might Help With CFexpress Card Recovery

While the method we showed above will help you restore files from a CFexpress card in most situations, we also want to highlight a few additional tools and utilities that might come in handy in more complicated cases, like severe file system corruption or cards that need extra help just to become “visible” again.

These tools aren’t always necessary. In fact, you probably won’t need them unless you’re dealing with a specific problem. But since CFexpress issues can come in all shapes and sizes, we’ll include a quick note for each tool explaining when it might be worth trying.

Method 1: Run CHKDSK

Here’s how to use it:

If you’re sure your files are safe, open Command Prompt as Administrator, and type: chkdsk E: /f (Replace E: with the actual drive letter of your CFexpress card.) This tells Windows to scan the file system and fix any errors it finds.

If it works, your card might become readable again, and your files may show up normally, no CF recovery software needed. You can also run CHKDSK directly from File Explorer: just right-click your CFexpress card, go to Properties > Tools, and click Check under the Error checking section. Windows will scan the card for file system issues and offer to fix them automatically. Again, only do this if you’ve already backed up your data.

Method 2: Use TestDisk

TestDisk is a free and open-source project that works across Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can scan your CFexpress card for lost or deleted partitions and give you the option to restore them manually. If it finds a valid partition structure, it can rebuild it, which will make the card mountable again without even touching individual files.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Download TestDisk from the official website. Once it’s downloaded, unzip the archive anywhere you like.
2. On Windows, right-click testdisk_win.exe and select Run as administrator. The program will open in a command-line window with a simple text-based menu.
3. Choose Create to start a new log (or No Log if you’d rather skip it), then select your CFexpress card from the list using the arrow keys and hit Enter.
4. Next, select the partition table type. TestDisk usually detects this automatically, but for most CFexpress cards, you’ll want to stick with [Intel] for MBR or [EFI GPT] for newer setups.
5. Choose Analyse to scan the card for partition structures. It will show any current entries it finds. Press Enter to proceed.
6. Now select Quick Search and press Enter again. If the lost partition appears (you’ll often see something like exFAT, FAT32, or NTFS), highlight it using the arrow keys.
7. Press P to list files inside the partition. If your folders and files show up here, that’s a good sign.
8. If everything looks correct, press Enter again, then choose Write to restore the partition to the card.
9. Confirm the write when prompted, then exit TestDisk. Safely eject and reconnect the CFexpress card; it should now mount normally, with your data accessible again.

Method 3: Format the CFexpress Card

And this is probably the surest way to get your CFexpress card back to a usable state, as long as you’re done with recovery. Formatting will erase everything, so double-check that your files are recovered and saved elsewhere. If the card isn’t physically damaged but the file system is beyond repair, a clean format can give it a fresh start and restore normal function.

How to format on Windows:

1. Right-click the CFexpress card under “This PC” or “Devices and drives,” then select Format from the menu.
2. In the Format window, set the file system to exFAT. That’s the recommended format for CFexpress cards, especially if you’re using large media files.
3. Leave the allocation unit size set to Default unless you know you need something specific.
4. You can enter a volume label if you want to rename the card, but it’s optional.
5. Decide whether to keep Quick Format checked. For most cases, Quick Format is fine and much faster. If the card’s been unstable, uncheck it for a full format.
6. Click Start. You’ll get a warning that all data will be erased. Click OK to continue.
7. Once the format finishes, you’ll see a confirmation message. Click OK and close the window.

FAQ

Final Tips

Before you go, we want to leave you with this.

CFexpress cards are built for speed and performance. With PCIe 3.0 and NVMe under the hood, they’re ideal for handling massive 8K RAW video and high-burst photo sequences. That’s why they’re the go-to choice for professionals. But they’re not just for the pros anymore; plenty of serious hobbyists use CFexpress too, especially with newer Sony, Nikon, and Canon cameras that support Type A or Type B cards.

The difference is that professionals usually know how to protect their work. They back up their data after every session, sometimes in two or three places. But beginners? According to our own survey, over 50% don’t back up at all. No offload, just hoping the card doesn’t fail.

If that’s you, here’s the advice we give to everyone starting out:

• Always keep two copies of your work: one on your computer, one on a separate drive.
• Use cloud storage for anything important. It doesn’t have to be fancy; even free options work.
• Format your card in-camera once you’ve backed everything up. It helps keep the file system healthy.

Follow those three rules, and you’ll avoid most data loss scenarios entirely. But if something still goes wrong, now you know exactly what to do.