Recover Pictures From A "smartmedia" Card

hi, this is the second time that when I try to download my pictures from a "SmartMedia" card the card gets damage or something, i can't tell exactly , but I can't get the pictures and the card is useless after. If I put it back in my Olympus, D-220L camera, it only shows in the screen a big "?" in the middle and I can't use it anymore.
I think I read somewhere but I do not remember where that there are programs that are able to get those pictures and also to format the card if this is the case with mine.
Like I said is the second card with the same problem.
This is what I did before the problem. I tried to get the pictures directly from the camera to my pc with a cable to the game port (I think that is the name) with not luck, then I tried with a card reader that I have to plug to an usb 2.0 port and I think is here where my card gets damage.
Any help to find that program or any ideas to resolve this, please?.
I would like at least to be able to use those cards again.
Thank you

 

You could also give either PC Inspectory Smart Recovery or Zero Assumption Image Recovery a shot found on this link, there are more out there I am sure but these freewares are a good starting point. Basically if you have not saved any new data on the media, you have a much higher chance, once new data is saved, that is when the actual data loss occurs.
Also keep this in mind the memory media you are using could be defective/damaged as well....

 

Hi, sorry I did not post back yet, I was out of town and also I didn't get any replies notifications..
Ok , I already tried PC Inspectory Smart Recovery and about 3 more with no luck, so now I'll try with Zero Assumption Digital Image Recovery from your link..
Just for the record I did not overwrite anything in the cards but all the progranms that I tried they said that the cards are very bad to recover but they will try.
so if I can't do anything at least I will try to format them and use them again.
My cards are from Olympus.
Thank you all.