Banding occuring on older digital images

[Jansos]

Hi all, I'm getting horizontal banding on some of my older digital pics. Any idea what may be causing it or how to remedy? Normally the bottom half of the image becomes totally unreadable and displays as multicoloured, blocky, bands. What may be causing digital deterioration?

[MDM]

It sounds like the media is deteriorating. I doubt you can fix the corrupted files. I would suggest rescuing what you can on fresh media asap. 

 

A search for digital image degradation gives this on data degradation

Edited April 15, 2021 by MDM

[Betty LaRue]

I’ve lost some of my older (2005-7 images that were on disk. Not all, but some. It pays to recopy them or just put them on HDs which is what I’m doing. I knew the disks, even the expensive golds, would deteriorate from info I read a long time ago. I told myself that in a few years I’d recopy. Then I never thought to do it, one just gets caught up in the here and now and it can slip the mind. Mine, anyway, and not from being deliberately neglectful.

The 2009 ones I’m working on from disks right now are ok. I’m going through them fast as I can.

[Jansos]

Thanks MDM & Betty, I've started to create multiple backup copies but it is always the one file that you didn't manage to copy that is the one you need! Scary thing is that it highlights just how transient digital media can become, even after a relatively short period of time (<10 years).

[MDM]

16 minutes ago, Jansos said:

Thanks MDM & Betty, I've started to create multiple backup copies but it is always the one file that you didn't manage to copy that is the one you need! Scary thing is that it highlights just how transient digital media can become, even after a relatively short period of time (<10 years).

 

No problem Jansos. I hope you manage to rescue most of your images. As a matter of interest, what type of media is degraded?

[Betty LaRue]

48 minutes ago, Jansos said:

Thanks MDM & Betty, I've started to create multiple backup copies but it is always the one file that you didn't manage to copy that is the one you need! Scary thing is that it highlights just how transient digital media can become, even after a relatively short period of time (<10 years).

It’s a bit gut-wrenching to find out you’ve lost images.