I recently purchased a new ProMaster CF card with more memory for an event I was hired to do. I took over 650 images, downloaded them all to a cd and gave it to my clients, no problems. I deleted all the images off of the card, went out and took another 120 more images, then I got an error message telling me that the CF card needs formatted. It wouldn't let me look at my images I had already taken, it wouldn't let me take anymore either, I turned the power off and on and still the same message. After getting home, I turned the camera on to try again, and everything was fine, I didn't do anything else.
Has anyone had this happen to them? Does this sound like a problem with the new card, or a problem with my camera?
This happened on a Canon 40D, 8g ProMaster CF card. Any information would be much appreciated.
Tony, here is what i would recommend doing each time you delete your photos from a card. Format the card each time you stick it back into the camera. I had a problem similar to this yrs ago and then started formatting the card in the camera each time and have not had a problem since!
I will add to this. I NEVER delete images from the card while the card is "in" the computer. I ALWAYS wait to see that I have copied the images to the computer and that they are there. THEN I put the CF card back in the camera and ASAP FORMAT the card in the camera. I use multiple digital Nikons (D200 and D700). I have, so far, NEVER had a problem. We do not know the process the user was using. Maybe he could tell us!
I can only agree with all that has been said. Once images are off the card and on the computer always format the card in the camera, each and every time.
Yup, we're all following the same path. I never erase anything from a card. Evil lurks there, sooner or later.
I reformat to clear a card, and I do it in the camera. But I never reformat a card till I have the images backed up to a second drive at least, and preferably also to DVDs for critical shoots.
Thank you everyone. What I do is connect the camera to the computer with the cable and download my files using DPP. I then do the post processing using CS2 and LR3 and put the finished images on a CD for the client and also make an extra CD for back-up and put another back-up on an external hard drive. After all this, I make sure the customer is happy with there photos before I erase the images from my CF card, and I do this with the card in the camera by using the "erase all images" selection. I've been doing it this way for 3 years and never had a problem until I bought a new card, so it sounds like I have just been lucky up until now.
After thinking I had a camera or CF card problem, I see by all the answers above that I only had an operator error, oops.
That's what's so great about this site, so many knowleable photographers who are willing to share that knowledge with total strangers. I truly appreciate the help, thank you.
To re-enforce Hanks caution:
The ONLY time an image's file should be stored in only one place is immediately after it is taken when it's stored on your card. Until you have that image's file - or that card-full of files - in two other storage sites, don't even think of formatting that card!
Dave Graham in South Dakota ( who, having in such a manner lost a cardfull of image files of Aplomado falcons at Bosque del Apache last November, is like Anne Heiser of bawdy Limerick fame: sadder Budweiser!)
SanDisk makes a data recovery tool for corrupted CF cards called RescuePro. It's software that ought to ship with the media. It's spendy and it's an annual license you have to renew. But it works. I've been able to recover data from a couple of corrupted cards.
I didn't read every single post, but if you did lose images, I do have a couple different recovery utilities including RescuePro and I'll be happy to recover lost files for you. I've done it for a couple other NPN members, all successful so far (whew!). No charge at all, just the postage to send the card my way here in AZ. Shoot me an email if you need my assistance, glad to help!
And yes, broken record time: Copy to hard drive, verify & backup, then format card in camera.
Paul
(Edited because I'm way better at data recovery than typing... )
SanDisk makes a data recovery tool for corrupted CF cards called RescuePro. It's software that ought to ship with the media. It's spendy and it's an annual license you have to renew. But it works. I've been able to recover data from a couple of corrupted cards.
Yeah, the RescuePro software is miraculous. And I can verify the high cost of card recovery. In the brief period when microdrives were in the mix we had an alarming failure rate. It was $200 a pop to have a service recover the data, but when shooting pro that can be lots cheaper than a reshoot. We've had only a handful of CF cards fritz on us in recent years, and RescuePro saved them all. Hooray to Sandisc for packaging it with their cards!
Thank you all again for the help and info on the Rescue programs, I will save that for the future.
The strange part is that I didn't lose any images. When my original problem started, I had already taken alot of photos when I got the error message showing "CF needs formatted" and it wouldn't let me view my images that I had already taken, and it wouldn't let me take anymore. I turned the power on and off a few times, I took the card out and re-inserted it and still the same problem.
I went home, and a few hours later I turned the camera back on and everything was working fine, no error messages, I could now view my photos I had taken. I went outside and took some more shots and everything worked fine. I came back in and downloaded all the images to my computer and all of them were there with no problems.
That's what has me worried, I still don't know what happened.
Again, Thank you all for the help you've given me.
Tony,
I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I feel I must tell you that it "could" still be either camera or card for I have had both. Yes, I know the cards are solid state and nothing to wear out but nevertheless, cards do fail sometimes. Thankfully only once for me but it did happen. On another occasion it was indeed the camera and ended up being some sort of electronic board failure inside. This camera had some rough usage so I don't really blame it.
That said, it probably is just procedural as noted. The problem with only erasing images is that it does not delete the file/folder structure on the card which remains to take up space. In addition, fragments of files, stray bits, and who knows what all else can remain and the only way to be sure you've gotten all the junk out is to reformat in the camera. Doint it in the camera is key also. Reformatting with the computer can open up a whole new can of worms.
Regarding Rescue Pro, it has not worked flawlessly for me. Guess I'm living under a dark cloud. The good news is I found another tool, free, called PC Inspector Smart Recovery that worked when Rescue Pro didn't. Just google the name and away you go.
Regarding Rescue Pro, it has not worked flawlessly for me. Guess I'm living under a dark cloud. The good news is I found another tool, free, called PC Inspector Smart Recovery that worked when Rescue Pro didn't. Just google the name and away you go.
I think you've brought up a key point, John. Don't give up on a card just because one method of recovery fails. Thanks for the pointer to Smart Recovery. One more tool in the tool box.
Discussion
14 repliesHas anyone had this happen to them? Does this sound like a problem with the new card, or a problem with my camera?
This happened on a Canon 40D, 8g ProMaster CF card. Any information would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Tony
Troup
I reformat to clear a card, and I do it in the camera. But I never reformat a card till I have the images backed up to a second drive at least, and preferably also to DVDs for critical shoots.
After thinking I had a camera or CF card problem, I see by all the answers above that I only had an operator error, oops.
That's what's so great about this site, so many knowleable photographers who are willing to share that knowledge with total strangers. I truly appreciate the help, thank you.
The ONLY time an image's file should be stored in only one place is immediately after it is taken when it's stored on your card. Until you have that image's file - or that card-full of files - in two other storage sites, don't even think of formatting that card!
Dave Graham in South Dakota ( who, having in such a manner lost a cardfull of image files of Aplomado falcons at Bosque del Apache last November, is like Anne Heiser of bawdy Limerick fame: sadder Budweiser!)
I didn't read every single post, but if you did lose images, I do have a couple different recovery utilities including RescuePro and I'll be happy to recover lost files for you. I've done it for a couple other NPN members, all successful so far (whew!). No charge at all, just the postage to send the card my way here in AZ. Shoot me an email if you need my assistance, glad to help!
And yes, broken record time: Copy to hard drive, verify & backup, then format card in camera.
Paul
(Edited because I'm way better at data recovery than typing...
Yeah, the RescuePro software is miraculous. And I can verify the high cost of card recovery. In the brief period when microdrives were in the mix we had an alarming failure rate. It was $200 a pop to have a service recover the data, but when shooting pro that can be lots cheaper than a reshoot. We've had only a handful of CF cards fritz on us in recent years, and RescuePro saved them all. Hooray to Sandisc for packaging it with their cards!
The strange part is that I didn't lose any images. When my original problem started, I had already taken alot of photos when I got the error message showing "CF needs formatted" and it wouldn't let me view my images that I had already taken, and it wouldn't let me take anymore. I turned the power on and off a few times, I took the card out and re-inserted it and still the same problem.
I went home, and a few hours later I turned the camera back on and everything was working fine, no error messages, I could now view my photos I had taken. I went outside and took some more shots and everything worked fine. I came back in and downloaded all the images to my computer and all of them were there with no problems.
That's what has me worried, I still don't know what happened.
Again, Thank you all for the help you've given me.
Tony
I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I feel I must tell you that it "could" still be either camera or card for I have had both. Yes, I know the cards are solid state and nothing to wear out but nevertheless, cards do fail sometimes. Thankfully only once for me but it did happen. On another occasion it was indeed the camera and ended up being some sort of electronic board failure inside. This camera had some rough usage so I don't really blame it.
That said, it probably is just procedural as noted. The problem with only erasing images is that it does not delete the file/folder structure on the card which remains to take up space. In addition, fragments of files, stray bits, and who knows what all else can remain and the only way to be sure you've gotten all the junk out is to reformat in the camera. Doint it in the camera is key also. Reformatting with the computer can open up a whole new can of worms.
Regarding Rescue Pro, it has not worked flawlessly for me. Guess I'm living under a dark cloud. The good news is I found another tool, free, called PC Inspector Smart Recovery that worked when Rescue Pro didn't. Just google the name and away you go.
I think you've brought up a key point, John. Don't give up on a card just because one method of recovery fails. Thanks for the pointer to Smart Recovery. One more tool in the tool box.