SD card images lost - recoverable?

[scenario8]

Afternoon all.

Hopefully someone will be able to help - and save my bacon. I have an SD card in a little compact camera my wife uses. She's had the same SD card in it for around five years and while I back up these images sporadically onto a pc she likes to keep all the images on the card "just in case". Anyway, I took a photo the other day and immediately the screen on the back of the camera said "folder contains no images" (or similar). I ran to a pc and sure enough all the images were still on the card. Fast forward a week and now the pc's card reader can't detect any images either. Are they all permamnently lost?

I have around a month and a half of images on the card that haven't been backed up. Naturally I have a 6 week old first child asleep in its moses basket. Am I going to be in the dog house?

Thanks in advance.

[Mr Pointy]

Try Recuva (free):

http://www.piriform.com/recuva

[Simpo Two]

Always transfer the images to a computer after each use. Then if the card corrupts you have the copy. Think of the card as the back-up, not the computer.

[scenario8]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I just borrowed a card reader and I've been able to find the files without the need for any drastic surgery.

Phew!

The camera really is only the wife's handbag camera - and one might suggest not entirely my responsibility - but let's face it that isn't the point and I was always going to be held to blame for any losses. I'll try to get her into the habit of backing up more often. Indeed, at all.

[abbotsmike]

There is a fair bit of anecdotal evidence that pulling images off the card and formatting before each use prevents card corruption. As I don't trust SD cards all that much I do that to be safe!