SD memory cards for cameras. Formatting.
Why is formatting so important? How is it different to "Select all" - "Delete"?
Formatting: installing a filing cabinet in the first place!
Unformatted card: empty, dark room. Try finding your paperwork in that!
Now think of fitting A3 sized paperwork into A4 sized drawers, and you'll get the idea behind different formatting options.
So if you always store A4 stuff in either A4 or A3 drawers, you're ok, but you could run into trouble if something doesn't fit one day. The good thing about formatting a card is that your filing cabinet is brand new again, no loose old paperwork or stuck drawers anymore, and if you format using the device that you want to use the card with, you'll be sure to get the right filing system
(Slightly low-tech explanation, apologies to any offended readers
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Almost all cards come formatted nowadays. Once photos are transferred to computer, moved rather than copied, the card is ready to re-use and there should be no need to format it.
I've had a couple of cameras, as well as family members with their cameras, and the only time I've had to format a card is after a screwup - wife taking the card out of the camera with the camera switched on!!!!!! daughet taking card out of the camera and laying it down near a magnet!!!!! Bith guaranteed to lose pictures and possibly screw the card.
Always formatted from within the camera.
I've had a couple of cameras, as well as family members with their cameras, and the only time I've had to format a card is after a screwup - wife taking the card out of the camera with the camera switched on!!!!!! daughet taking card out of the camera and laying it down near a magnet!!!!! Bith guaranteed to lose pictures and possibly screw the card.
Always formatted from within the camera.
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I, too, am a bit puzzled. I've bought a number of different card types for different cameras and never formatted. I just bung them in and they work. Same with the cards for my HP iPaq. I suppose like a floppy that's gone wrong, you can re-format if the card throws a wobbly, but so far it hasn't happened.
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Format in the camera!
Probably better to format card in camera. Reason being that you may find that camera adds a directory structure to the card once it has formatted the card. On my ancient Olympus, it creates a directory structure \DCIM\Olymp100 and the pictures are stored in the \Olymp100 directory. If you use a card that has not been formatted in the camera and doesn't have this directory structure, it will store the pictures, but it is totally impossible to access them. The "DCIM' sub-directory forms part of an industry standard for video (camera) and music devices - but I cannot remember where I saw the complete description.
Formatting a storage device such as a card (or for that matter, a disk) simply "prepares it to store data". A "Quick" format simply erases everything off it - a "Complete" or "Full" format also checks the integrity of the media (and will mark any bad sectors or clusters so that they cannot be used to store data).
Formatting a storage device such as a card (or for that matter, a disk) simply "prepares it to store data". A "Quick" format simply erases everything off it - a "Complete" or "Full" format also checks the integrity of the media (and will mark any bad sectors or clusters so that they cannot be used to store data).
Conan
Thank you for the suggestions. I haven't, so far, e-mailed San Disk, mainly because the card is useable as a transfer device but no use in the cameras.
I DID try the reformat option but only as FAT and FAT 32 because the NTFS option wasn't listed. On the one reader that works, it was fine, but, as before, the card was unreadable on any other reader or the cameras.
I have also tried transferring the DCIM plus sub-folder info onto the card and then trying in the camera but, again, no joy.
I have to say that I cannot see why a collection of 0s and 1s can so drastically change when looked at in different devices. Digital is very strange
Thank you for the suggestions. I haven't, so far, e-mailed San Disk, mainly because the card is useable as a transfer device but no use in the cameras.
I DID try the reformat option but only as FAT and FAT 32 because the NTFS option wasn't listed. On the one reader that works, it was fine, but, as before, the card was unreadable on any other reader or the cameras.
I have also tried transferring the DCIM plus sub-folder info onto the card and then trying in the camera but, again, no joy.
I have to say that I cannot see why a collection of 0s and 1s can so drastically change when looked at in different devices. Digital is very strange
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I just trawled this off the Dell Axim users group (I am awating delivery of one) and found this. Might be of particular interest to Cornish Jack.
"Note about defragmenting: Defragmentation refers to the process of reorganizing data on a hard drive in order to maximize speed and performance of the system. It is not possible to defragment your Axim’s main memory but a few commercial programs such as Flash Format, StorageTools for Pocket PC and Pocket Mechanic will allow you to defragment, scan and reformat your storage cards. You can also reformat your cards through your desktop PC using a card reader. It should be noted, however, that storage cards (not including microdrives) work differently from hard drives and do not benefit either in speed nor performance from defragmentation. If you are having trouble with flash memory, try reformatting the card. If that doesn't work, it could be the memory card itself that is the problem. Many Axim users have found Sandisk brand Secure Digital cards to be problematic, and have experienced serious card failure that could not be resolved without losing data.
I also seem to remember an issue with SanDisk CF cards a few months back on a camera forum. Don't use them myself so have no views. For camera use, I would still NEVER format through other than the camera though.
Conan
"Note about defragmenting: Defragmentation refers to the process of reorganizing data on a hard drive in order to maximize speed and performance of the system. It is not possible to defragment your Axim’s main memory but a few commercial programs such as Flash Format, StorageTools for Pocket PC and Pocket Mechanic will allow you to defragment, scan and reformat your storage cards. You can also reformat your cards through your desktop PC using a card reader. It should be noted, however, that storage cards (not including microdrives) work differently from hard drives and do not benefit either in speed nor performance from defragmentation. If you are having trouble with flash memory, try reformatting the card. If that doesn't work, it could be the memory card itself that is the problem. Many Axim users have found Sandisk brand Secure Digital cards to be problematic, and have experienced serious card failure that could not be resolved without losing data.
I also seem to remember an issue with SanDisk CF cards a few months back on a camera forum. Don't use them myself so have no views. For camera use, I would still NEVER format through other than the camera though.
Conan
Last edited by Conan the Librarian; 5th Nov 2005 at 13:19.
Thanks again, Conan
I've just downloaded trial versions of all three of those progs but they pose a slight problem in that they require a PDA interface to access the CF card - nothing there which works with camera cards.
As follow-up to these problems. I have just bought a job lot of 5 used CF cards and 2 unused similar. Trying them in the cameras, the used ones registered accurately on insertion and formatted in camera. The new ones both failed to register initially on one camera, but WERE subsequently formatted and recognised OK on the other (both Minoltas, by the way). They were accepted in the original camera after that.
The previously mentioned problem card still fails as a camera card but is fine in other applications.
"Curiouser and curiouser," said Alice
I've just downloaded trial versions of all three of those progs but they pose a slight problem in that they require a PDA interface to access the CF card - nothing there which works with camera cards.
As follow-up to these problems. I have just bought a job lot of 5 used CF cards and 2 unused similar. Trying them in the cameras, the used ones registered accurately on insertion and formatted in camera. The new ones both failed to register initially on one camera, but WERE subsequently formatted and recognised OK on the other (both Minoltas, by the way). They were accepted in the original camera after that.
The previously mentioned problem card still fails as a camera card but is fine in other applications.
"Curiouser and curiouser," said Alice
Final update on this - from me, at least.
Have just purchased a multi card reader from Maplins. It was recognised without any driver installation and reacted instantaneously to a card being inserted ... sooooo .. decided to try the 'problem child' card. Recognised for correct size and the mp3 files were seen OK. Used Power Desk to attempt a reformat. Specified it as FAT and it completed in little more than a second. Put it into my main camera and it was instantly recognised. Just to further check, I switched it to Setup and Format and OK'd that. ... Perfect !!
So the card is universally usable again AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WTHIH!!!
Exit left mumbling and grinning, idiot-like!
Have just purchased a multi card reader from Maplins. It was recognised without any driver installation and reacted instantaneously to a card being inserted ... sooooo .. decided to try the 'problem child' card. Recognised for correct size and the mp3 files were seen OK. Used Power Desk to attempt a reformat. Specified it as FAT and it completed in little more than a second. Put it into my main camera and it was instantly recognised. Just to further check, I switched it to Setup and Format and OK'd that. ... Perfect !!
So the card is universally usable again AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WTHIH!!!
Exit left mumbling and grinning, idiot-like!
