The other day I talked about recovering corrupt images from a memory card. In order to do this you’ll need a USB Card Reader or one built in to your computer or printer. Any of these allow you to access the memory card just like it was another drive. They show up in Windows Explorer or your Chooser as the next available drive letter: E:, F: etc.

Many digital photographers use card readers for downloading their images. I’ve been using one for years. Using a memory card reader instead of going through the camera gives you a number of advantages.

• Data transfer is usually faster
• Downloading from multiple memory cards is quicker and easier. With many cameras you’ll have to turn them off and back on to recognize the next card.
• The card reader can stay attached to your computer (or may be built in already). No searching for your camera’s USB cable.
• Since the card reader acts as another drive, you can copy files through the operating system software. No special software is really needed.
• Plug your USB card reader into ANY computer and transfer images. Great when traveling.

The average USB memory card reader will cost about $20 or so. Watch out for cheap ones; they transfer data using USB 1.1 and not USB 2.0 standards. They’ll be much slower getting your images to your computer. Most every computer now has multiple USB 2.0 compatible ports. Check the specs on your system if you’re not sure.

You will also find card readers that handle multiple card styles. Lexar and Sandisk both have good high speed multi-card readers. If you have digital cameras using different memory cards this is the perfect choice for you.