Losing cherished digital photos is all too easy. One wrong move and that perfect shot might be gone forever. ImageRecall 2.0 is a simple but powerful wizard-driven utility that can recover images—as well as audio, data, and video files—from any kind of removable memory card. Recovered files are saved to a folder on your computer's hard drive or burned directly to a CD, while the original data on your media card is protected. This new version of ImageRecall can also check your memory card for errors and perform a secure erase to remove all data.

A similar program that also works well is LexarMedia's Image Rescue ($39.95, www.lexarmedia .com). But ImageRecall is risk-free. Download the trial version from www.flashfixers.com; it will recover up to ten images from a memory card. If the software does not work on your card, you can send it to FlashFixers Image Recovery Labs, which will attempt the recovery using more-advanced tools. The lab fees start at $59.95 for a 16MB card, but if the lab fails, you're charged only $10 for shipping and handling.

Of course, no image-recovery software is guaranteed to work every time, but ImageRecall gives you a fighting chance to save those important memories.