Q: Windows explorer see's multiple "Local Disk" files in the iphone DCIM folders

I have had this issue before with all kinds of internal storage being taken up by "nothing" with no ability to retrieve it. You have to backup your iPhone, complete a factory reset or whatever apple calls it, then restore from your backup.  Wiping and resetting the phone is the only way I have been able to accomplish fixing the issue and getting back valuable internal storage. I am not sure what to do about accessing photos that you can't transfer to PC prior to backup. While flipping through explorer screens, the icons briefly look like photos that cannot be accessed and then they switched to those windows hard drive icons. So I am now wondering if they are photos that became corrupt or if it is a compatibility issue of some sort.

The iPhone camera behaves exactly as a digital camera. So open Help and Support from the Windows Start menu, enter the search terms "Import photos" and click on How do I get pictures from my camera to my computer? This is based on Windows 7, but the basic steps are the same for any version of Windows.

Thanks for your suggestion however, the issue is not with what you have described. I am able to do that no problem. The issue is that there are files in the DCIM folder that are simply inaccessible but add up to large amounts of space and they can't be deleted. I have solved this in the past by completing a backup, factory reset and then restoring from backup. It is what apple has told me to do and they have no other answer. Thank you again.

Different problem, then. Go to Settings/General/About. Does the number of photos listed agree with what you think should be there? If not, see: Why does my iOS device say I have more photos than I can find?

I will try that ... thank you!

Temp Solution...

Step 1: Install iexplorer

Step 2: mount the picture folder. It will create a link to Windows Explorer for only Iphone pic and videos.

Step3 : Go to Window Explorer and now you see all Iphone pic and video in one single folder (location). No more ghost disks in the folder due to photo edits or Iphone browser temp files etc..

Why would anyone pay $40 for software to do something that Windows will do for free?

Windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-pictures-camera-computer#1TC=wind ows-7

Windows 8: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/import-photos-videos

SIMPLE SOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I used Total Commander to open the photos folder on the phone „DCIM” and managed to copy the photos from there. I tried to used windows explorer but I could see only local disks.

Hope this helps!

Use iFunbox to export your camera roll and do a full reset..

Thanks Zeusal, this fixed it for me

Ok, i had the same problem on a "clean" windows 7 installed pc.

Installed iTunes, and connected the Phone, but no iphone in explorer.

My fix.

sync your iPhone, just make a backup of something else... when the sync is running remove your cable from the Phone.

and reconnect.

wait for it.. .now explorer will pop up with an import photo message.

open explorer and you see you iphone.

This trick worked on 2 computers for me.

The "local disk" problem in the photos,  as PuffinMoose, suggested, did remove some local disks but not all.

remove-ing the "undeleted photos' also remove some local disk but not all.

so, im use on the import photos funtion from windows and i at least got al my photos.

but now i dont have the orginal date als time stamps of the fotos

REALLY APPLE !!

For me, next time a windows 10 Phone.

<Edited By Host>

There is nothing to fix, except in Windows. iOS 8 allows editing of photos on the phone. To protect the originals, it puts the edits in a separate "XMP" file with the same name as the original photo, but with the extension .AAE. This is a worldwide ISO standard that everyone except Microsoft understands. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Metadata_Platform). So Windows Explorer displays the legitimate XMP files with the extension .AAE as "Local Disks." This is 100% a Windows problem, because Microsoft refuses to implement a standard that the rest of the world recognizes. Believe it or not, the world does not revolve around Microsoft (although apparently Microsoft believes it). But what you are asking is for Apple to cripple their product so you can use Windows Explorer for a purpose that even Microsoft doesn't recommend.  The Windows photo import application DOES understand the standard, as do dozens of other Windows photo management apps from 3rd party developers, just not Windows Explorer. So the solution you discovered is a good one.

See: What to expect when you import edited photos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to your Mac or PC - Apple Support

Lawrence...

You are totaly right.. i take back my words.. d.a..mn.. .. MS... ..

i hate to import with the photo importer.. it changes all my file dates..  :-(  .

so next time as suggested above im using total commander..

learn again something today..

Thank you for your detailed reply!

In my case, I discovered the lock files were recently deleted photos on my iPhone.  Once I permanently deleted them on the device, the icons disappeared.  I disconnected the device before I deleted them, so I can't say as to whether or not they would disappear while connected to a PC, but they were gone when I reconnected.

i had this trouble since ios 5, my previous solution was to delete all photos, thank you, it was that, cropped edited photos directly from gallery