LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

Here's a tip I learned the hard way: If you bought a new card to use be sure to unwrap and test it before you need it. In 2001 I bought my first digital camera, a Kodak, for a cruise to Bermuda. It came with an 8MB CF card. To be sure I had enough capacity I also bought a Sandisk 16MB card. Never opened it. Just threw it in the suitcase. When it came time to use it I couldn't even get the camera to recognize it. Couldn't format it, nothing. Same story when I got home and tried it in my computer. It was junk. What made it worse was that I couldn't find a CF card any place on Bermuda. They had plenty of film but no cards. Sandisk replaced the card but they couldn't replace the shots I missed. Fortunately, I've never had another card problem of any kind since then.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Ouch.
The odds of that happening are extremely low.
Guess it wouldn't hurt to check new cards.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

So true. Turning a 30 second procedure into unending discussion. If it works continue the procedure. If not use other suggestions already posted that work for others.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

At the risk of continuing this ad nauseum, I would just like to examine the idea that has been propagated that continually formatting a storage device somehow confers immunity against file corruption or provides insurance against the same. If anyone can describe a mechanism or rationale for this belief (other than conventional internet wisdom), please post it, and if credible, I’ll be pleased to re-examine my position, but if it makes you feel better, by all means do it.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I’ve seen much worse... some so bad I volunteered to re-write the $#!t.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Goes to show you that everyone you talk to is not knowledgeable. Without going into specifics, formatting DOES NOT erase everything on the card, only things such as the FAT. That is exactly why it IS possible to 'restore' files that have been, so called, erased. Gene51s answer is informative. As far as formatting goes, I have been formatting the card in the camera being used, just before using a card. Has been working for me since Day 1 with no issues and I have no plans to change that procedure. Please, continue to do whatever you wish. Best of luck.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

My rule is always test a card new or old after formatting. That way you are good to go with a card in the camera that is working. Would hate to be out shooting in Bermuda or anywhere with a bad card. My second rule is to always carry a second (already formatted) card and an extra battery with a full charge.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

Lots of miss information being spread as fact, but that's life here on the HOG ...

Formatting is complete, erasing is partial.

Formatting is a fresh start. Neither formatting or erasing removes the images, just the access directory.

Formatting does not reduce the lifespan of a card. 100,000 cycles are typical, so you may never wear out a card.

Corrupt cards will mainly be caused by directory problems, and that is more than likely going to happen with a card that is simply erased.

In camera formatting is recommended when using the same card in several camera brands.

Here is some further great information:

Keep the card in the computer no longer than necessary.

Do the image downloading from the card, then extract it.

Left in the computer it will continuously access the directory, checking the byte order, to see if there are any changes etc. This action is identical to a write cycle so the life of your card is reduced.

Don’t work on the image while it’s still on the card. You could easily knock out half of the life expectancy of the card just by doing that with a single image.

Load your card, copy the images from it directly to your hard drive. Then take the card out.

After a shooting session, download the pictures, then reformat the card in the camera. The camera then writes a clean directory, dispensing with leftover and unrelated entries. Reformat the card frequently.

If you have accidentally erased or formatted the card in the camera or pc, the pictures may still be recoverable. It’s only when a camera or pc has performed a ‘long format’ that you may be unable to recover the images.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I know that, been a computer geek from 1972.
Logically - it's "erased", physically, not.
Physically it's not a "drive", logically it is...

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

I only format new cards or when an issue arises. I move the files off the card by cut and paste. Cards are not any different than your hard discs and backup storage devices so why treat them any different.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

This is good info and confirms what I suspected all along. I reformat only occasionally, particularly when switching a card from one camera to another or from another device.

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

... see, it only takes two posts for the mud to churn into another episode of lost in space...

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

You are so right with your first sentence!

Please show me where the above information about constant access came from.
I don't believe it in the slightest.
That would mean that the usage light for the card, your hard drive, would be constantly on.

Formatting the card DOES use read/write cycles, thus using a minuscule amount of its life.

"Keep the card in the computer no longer than necessary. "
WHY??? Should I remove the memory in my desktop also?

"Formatting is complete, erasing is partial.
Formatting is a fresh start. Neither formatting or erasing removes the images, just the access directory. "
Aren't thos two statements contradictory?
Low level format or CIPHER is complete!

Yes, I agree, don't believe everything you read!

bleirer

Now i know less than I did before starting to read this 100 post threads ago. Do I get 100,000 formats? If so I can format once a day for 273 years. If not, about how many times might one be able to format a card? About how many regular vs. Low level formats? About how many times can I erase files? Inquiring minds.... will we wear out uhh if we keep posting to this topic?