Damaged Memory Card (Page 2): I'm almost certain that is wrong. If it were true, you could not take the card out of your camera, plug it directly into your computer and read it. There...

JamesCurran Loc: Trenton ,NJ

singleviking wrote:

HINT: cards need to first formatted in the camera you intend to use them in. Every camera has it's own format method and file system for photo storage header on the card.

I'm almost certain that is wrong. If it were true, you could not take the card out of your camera, plug it directly into your computer and read it.

There might be an outlier whose does things it's own way, but I'd say about 99% of camera makers use the same file system/format and about 90% use the same folder layout.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

JamesCurran wrote:

I'm almost certain that is wrong. If it were true, you could not take the card out of your camera, plug it directly into your computer and read it.

There might be an outlier whose does things it's own way, but I'd say about 99% of camera makers use the same file system/format and about 90% use the same folder layout.

Try this. Format a card on your computer.
Put it in your camera. While you watch the memory writing activity light, turn on the camera. Tell me it's not lighting up.

JamesCurran Loc: Trenton ,NJ

Wall-E wrote:

While you watch the memory writing activity light, turn on the camera. Tell me it's not lighting up.

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here. Are you suggesting that it's reformatting that card? If so, you have to deal with my first point, How could I then read it from my PC?

If you format it on a computer, it will be completely blank, which means the camera will have to recreate the folder structure on it, notably the DCIM folder. (This structure is standardize across camera makers : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_rule_for_Camera_File_system)

Try this : Take a memory card with photos on it. Insert it in your computer. Copy the entire folder structure to your hard disk. Reformat the card from the computer. Copy the folder structure (with photos) back onto the card. Put the card back into your camera. Then do your "watch the light while turning it on" test.

The light will not flash, and you will be able to review the images on the card.

amehta Loc: Boston

Wall-E wrote:

Try this. Format a card on your computer.
Put it in your camera. While you watch the memory writing activity light, turn on the camera. Tell me it's not lighting up.

LAURI, DO NOT FORMAT THE CARD THAT IS DAMAGED!!!

amehta Loc: Boston

Wall-E wrote:

Try this. Format a card on your computer.
Put it in your camera. While you watch the memory writing activity light, turn on the camera. Tell me it's not lighting up.

The camera is not formatting the card, it is creating the directory structure it wants to use, like making a "DCIM" folder and a folder within it based on the folder counter I can set.

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

Wall-E wrote:

If it wasn't formatted for the camera, the image counter wouldn't have incremented.

This is not necessarily true. All SanDisk cards come pre-formatted. They will generally work in your camera, but it's not the best practice. Singleviking is suggesting a best practice.

David Kay Loc: Arlington Heights IL

Wahawk wrote:

Stop using it, use Google to search for Recuva and it should help.

Then either replace the card or make sure you format it in the computer and then reformat in the camera before trying to use it again.

I would not even attempt to use it again.

alfeng Loc: Out where the West commences ...

Lauri Buchanan Folkins wrote:

Hi I'm new to this forum and have a question/problem. I went out and took pictures all day yesterday. Almost through the day and my memory card reads damaged and I can't access anything now. Does anyone have any suggestions on the possibility of retrieving the photos? I have a Nikon D7000, a Mac and the memory card is a PNT 16GB. I am very low tech, so the simpler the solution, the better for me. I am very grateful for any suggestions. Thank you!! I enjoy this forum!

Could you clarify:

Are you certain that your memory card is actually damaged?

Have you used the particular memory card before?

If/When you remove the card & put it back in your camera AND THEN turn the camera on, does the camera tell you that there isn't a card in the camera OR that the card is not formatted for the camera OR something else?

BTW. When you read/(access) a memory card directly through your computer (vs. a USB cable), you may have to find the CORRECT FOLDER on the card which has the files.

georgeschroeder

I use "Image Capture" on my Mac. Works great. Not expensive.

tomw

It sounds like you are trying to read it by connecting the camera to the computer.

Get an adapter and plug the card directly into the USB port. If it isn't recognized, try several more times unplugging everything and putting it back. Clean the gold contacts with alcohol on a "Q" tip. Make sure none are bent or twisted. Sometimes these are mechanical problems and the stars may align on one of those attempts.

TLConner Loc: Haslett, Michigan

Make sure that the little switch on the side of the memory card has not been moved. Your card may not be damaged.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Wall-E wrote:

And their comment about PNY is just garbage. They're just as good as any of the other second tier suppliers.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

JamesCurran wrote:

I'm almost certain that is wrong. If it were true, you could not take the card out of your camera, plug it directly into your computer and read it.

There might be an outlier whose does things it's own way, but I'd say about 99% of camera makers use the same file system/format and about 90% use the same folder layout.

Then why do they tell you to format IN-CAMERA????
I have known a number of people that have LOST photos by swapping SD cards between camera, especially when swapping between different brands!! NOT worth taking a chance!!

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

georgeschroeder wrote:

I use "Image Capture" on my Mac. Works great. Not expensive.

And here is one that is FREE to try, $39.95 to buy (specifically for MAC):
http://download.cnet.com/Card-Data-Recovery/3000-2242_4-75622556.html

And FREE from the MAC APP Store:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/data-recovery-free/id509071310?mt=12

And other options for MAC:
http://www.google.com/#q=sd+card+recovery+for+Mac

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

I will share the one time this happened to me. I had taken many pics and looked at them during lunch and deleted some in camrea. After lunch I continued to shoot, after a while I got the error message. I switched cards and continued to shoot. When I got home, put the cards in the card reader and downloaded the images, reformated the cards in camera (as always). The point is, the card may still have images that can be downloaded without other software.