Can't Open RAW (NEF) Files

[rwa757]

Over the years, I have backed up my images to an external hard drive.  While going through some reorganization, I found a file of RAW images, some of which would open, and some would not.  These would have been all from Nikon digitial cameras.  I attempted the Adobe Digital Negative converter with no success.  Any suggestions?

Edited November 28, 2023 by rwa757
typo

[mike_halliwell]

I'd try Nikon's own software for starters.

That's currently Nikon NX Studio.

https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/564/NX_Studio.html

9 hours ago, rwa757 said:

I found a file of RAW images, some of which would open, and some would not.

Is there an error message or anything to help ID the problem?

[joseph_smith3]

I also suggest NX Studio. If you happen to have Nikon NX D or Nikon Capture on your computer, you can try them too. They were predecessors of NX Studio. 

[hapien]

I faintly remember that sometimes NEF:s did not open, sometimes possibly due file corruption, sometimes possibly related to file ownership in Windows system, operating systems come and go, external hard drives often serve longer, possible workaround was to copy files onto computer internal drive and then back to external to solve ownership issues, and then Nikon imaging software would show those difficult images.

[rwa757]

Regarding error messages - Photoshop Elements 15 says "Could not complete request - not right kind of document".  NX Studio says "Failed to load images".  I copied the files to my PC hard drive and tried to access from there as well as accessing directly from the external hard drive.  Same error messages.  I remain befuddled.

[mike_halliwell]

Hummm, is it a random selection or sequential batches that Failed to Load?

Random would be individual file corruption, sequential is, errr, more complicated...!

It's interesting (?) that Windows was happy to copy them; from what I remember, if it didn't understand the format it refused to copy them over.