Recover Pictures From A "smartmedia" Card

[caraloca]

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.