JPG Can't Be Opened: May Be Damaged or Format Preview Does Not Recognize

[PGB1]

Hi All!
Please pardon the post if it is inappropriate or in the wrong section. I'm using OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan on a 2007 MacBook Pro

Here's the situation:

I took a dozen photos with my Android phone. I'll call them "Group A". Later in the day, I took more. I'll call them "Group B".
Looking at them on the phone was OK.

A few days later, I moved them to the computer with an application called Android File transfer.

Group A opens fine.

Group B gives problems-
The computer's Preview application gives the error message" JPG can'be be opened. It may be damaged or in a format that Preview does not recognize".
Highlighting an image in Finder and pushing the space bar gives a grey box with a forever spinning wheel. No image appears.

Next I moved them back to the phone. They don't open there either and there is no thumbnail. (On the day of taking, they did open on the phone.)

This topic has many posts on the internet, but no solutions worked for me. Those solutions gravitated toward permission or unidentified source errors, which isn't the problem today.

Do any of you know a procedure I can try to get these photos to open, or is it hopeless?

Thanks for your advice. it is much appreciated!
Paul

 

[krs]

I tried Android File Transfer on ElCapitan and a Samsung S4 phone, but could never get it to work at all.

Which Android phone do you have?
Samsung has their own application called Kies that worked for me - or the other option I use is to make sure the picturesare on the microSDcard in the phone and then just read the card directly with the Mac.

What you can do depends on the phone and where on the phone the images are stored.

 

[chscag]

@Paul:

I suspect the transfer of the "B" photos somehow became corrupt which is why Preview doesn't like them. Moving them back to the Android only moved corrupt photos back, not the original. Member "krs" may well be right about the Android File Transfer app.

You may be out of luck to get your photos back. Can you take them again?

 

[PGB1]

Thanks Guys for replying!
I use an El Cheapo ZTE Maven phone and Android 5.1, so I don't have the latest & greatest to work with.

That was a good suggestion to read the photos on the SD in the computer, KRS. It didn't work for the photos, but I was able to read a pdf document that I had downloaded which didn't open on the phone.

Unfortunately, Chscag, I can't take the photos again, but they weren't of any great importance- so no big loss.

From what you guys said, Android File Transfer may not be the best option. I'll search for a better app. I tired ES File Manager, but it slowed the phone way down, even when closed.

Next time I take photos, I think I'll try these steps:
a) Take the SD out and connect it to the computer. (Skipping Android File Transfer all together)
b) Locate the photos in OS X Finder.
c) Make copies on the SD
d) Copy the originals to the computer
e) Delete the copies if the moved photos are OK.

Someday, if I decide I need a "real" phone, I'll probably buy an iPhone. That way at least I'll be somewhat familiar with the operating system.

Thanks Again Guys.
Enjoy This Day!
Paul

 

[krs]

Paul,
I'm glad something is working, ie the pdf
When you say it didn't work for the photos, reading the SD card directly, did you mean it didn't work for all the photos or only the "B" photos?
If it's only the "B" phptos, then these are corrupt as chscag already mentioned, but if you feel these are of any value, there are a number of Mac applications available to recover images that have been corrupted.
You can check via google or perhaps some member here has a suggestion - I have never had to use an application like that.

 

[PGB1]

Thanks KRS.
Just the B photos didn't work. The photos aren't sentimental or anything very important, but perhaps I'll experiment with a photo recovery application any way. It never hurts to learn something new.
Thanks Again!
Paul

 

[hirussellsmith]

Hi, The best way to repair jpg photos with the help of jpeg repair software for mac, but it's happen when I transfer photos from android phone to mac sometimes jpg can't opened due to image extension doesn't supported on mac. Although some tools like Stellar Photo Repair to manage repair corrupt or unable to open jpeg files.

 

[PGB1]

Thanks, Hirusselsmith for taking time to reply.
I tried a couple of repair softwares, but no luck was to be had. I guess when the files got corrupted, they got ultra-corrupted.

A lesson to be learned from this will be, when taking photos of important things, copy them immediately to another folder (if I can figure out that trick on the phone). Hopefully one copy will work out.
Plan B: Swap SD cards & retake them. It's not a good solution for impromptu photos, but for business photos it should work. (I hope)