frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

OK.....Now I have a question.....When I copy and delete the files on my sd card, some can not be deleted. They are locked. This only happens to a couple each time, and just started. I have to format the card to delete. I do not think this is a good idea, as I have heard it will make the card not last as long....I have searched settings and found nothing, and if I did it woiuld probably apply to all files not just random ones.
any ideas?

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Frank. Formatting the card, in the camera, is the preferred way to delete and set the card back to it's original form. There is never harm or a limit to doing that. I have cards that are 11 years old that still function perfectly. They have been reformatted countless times.
Mark

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

One can lock individual files on a memory card. I just did that the other night while poking buttons on the camera in the dark. I unlocked it, intentionally, pushing the same button.

As for formatting a card in camera does not shorten the life expectancy of the card. I'm not sure where you got that information, but it just isn't true.
--Bob

Just Trying To Focus Loc: Jackson County, Michigan

Is it possible that you have "protected" those images from inside the camera software, and can go back in and uncheck the "protected" box?

Also, I always reformat my cards rather than deleting the images. My cards have been reformatted hundreds of times, because I reformat every time I dump the images to the computer. No problems so far.

Sandy

Pegasus Loc: Texas Gulf Coast

Reformatting a card or a disk drive, or an SSD for that matter, is a simple operation whereby a few bytes of information are wacked (sorry for the technical term) and rewritten and the device made to believe it has nothing on it.

The OP might be conflating a reformat with a defragmentation, which is far more onerous.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Thanks folks....I don't remember where I heard that but I have been formatting now that this prob occurred. I will just keep it up....

SS319

When you erase an image, you scratch its name out of the Table of Contents, leaving all the 0s and 1s behind. When you format, you erase the table of contents. I always perform a low level format, in camera to write a zero into each storage location and truly clean the entire storage system.

StanRP Loc: Ontario Canada

When the camera saves a new image on the memory card: All the directory info is read from the card into computer memory. This is updated with the new image info and the whole directory is written back to the memory card. When the card is formatted - an empty directory is written to the memory card. As far as the memory card is concerned, there is no difference between saving a new image and formatting.

ikaush Loc: Medford, MA

If you use Nikon, the AE-L/AF-L button on the back of the camera also serves to protect images. If you accidentally press it when you look at the LCD screen right after the shot it will put a protection flag on image. To unprotect switch to play mode and press on that button again.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

Don't believe everything you hear!!!!
I have been shooting digital for I think, about 18 or 20 years now.
Right from the start, I have formatted the card as soon as I had put it into the camera.
Didn't matter if I had only 3 images on it to store on HD, or 3000!
Never in all those years have I had a card give up, and yes, occasionally I am still using 2 and 4 GB cards! I don't think they're even sold now, but they still work fine, including re-formatting in-camera after I copy the photos from these cards to HD.

Oh, and if I go on vacation and know I'll need more than one card, I format all of them before I leave home. Just to have them ready. Once home again, I go back to "regular" routine: format as soon as the card goes into the camera. Result is that some cards may get formatted 2 or 3 times before I actually take photos with them! No problem for longevity or anything else.

Oh, wait, one other thing comes to mind: Are formatting your card on the computer or in-camera?
Many people never seem to have a problem when formatting on the computer. Going by my brother's experience, he had no end of problems -- till he started to format in-camera and in-camera only!
If you're formatting on the computer, that could well be the cause of your locked photos.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

I do use Nikon, but I use the AE-L/AE-F button for BBF. Ill check it out and see if that's the problem, just out of curiosity, since I now format.