rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Unbelievable!!! You've posted an inquiry regarding a process. In it, you never mentioned anything of a problem, just a narrative of your process. Yet, you generated 5 pages of replies without once mentioning the problem or issue that the "doing wrong" part of the subject should address.
--Bob

blackest Loc: Ireland

Ok one thing that people do from time to time is pull a card from a drive when the computer / camera is still writing to it.

This can corrupt the file system on the card.

If you put the card in the camera at home and format it then any possible file system corruption should be removed or the format fails.
if the format fails use a different card. If it succeeds you are ready to go. Card is in its slot the cover is closed and away from the temptation to pull the card out of its slot.

If you format on the computer there is a risk of pulling the card at a bad moment corrupting it and then put it in your camera where it may not work (unless you format it).

This is best practice in order to reduce the chances of taking a photo and it being corrupted. Some cards are labelled with a higher capacity than they really have e.g a 4GB card sold as an 8 or 16 GB card. If you format the card you can store photos in the first 4GB which works. Leaving old photos on the card mean using the supposed free space sooner than later.

Of course all your cards are genuine and you always ensure your cards are inactive when you pop them out of the drive. Other people may not be so careful. Best practice has to cover those people as well as the sensible ones.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

What are you doing wrong? I would say your major problem is not listening to the majority of suggestions (tally them up) you have received over the last 5+ pages of responses.

polonois Loc: Lancaster County,PA.

I would say nothing. That's exactly what I do. Never had a problem.

pbradin Loc: Florida

I am not sure why you are asking a question since you don't seem to have any problem that needs "fixing". I know that I always have taken the cards out of my camera and uploaded the images onto two separate external hard drives, the put the card back in the camera and then "reformatted the card right away. The only reason I reformat it right away is so I don't go out to shoot a week or so down the road and find that I am out of room on my card because I didn't reformat it to get rid of the old stuff. I reformat the card in the camera because that is what the camera manufacturer recommends (Canon 7D, Canon 7D II and an ancient Canon 20D). I have never had a memory card problem in spite of running them through the washer and dryer a couple of times when I left them in a shirt or a pants pocket. That is what convinced to go with a digital boot drive in my computer.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Not formatting Your card in the camera like it instructs You to do in the manual!

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

While there have been some informative comments on these six pages – so far – and some totally unresponsive to my post, the best I have seen was by chuck1376 on page 2. One small note – it might be helpful to a few respondents to read not just my original, but my subsequent posts on these pages, especially my response to Chuck.

Loren – Palm Springs, CA; Glendale, AZ; Baguio City, Philippines

Ed Greding Loc: Texas

In reference to a memory card, what does "reformat" mean. How would one do it?

Mrsbitts Loc: St. Louis, Mo

When I first started using a digital camera I would transfer the pictures onto my computer. I would then delete them from the card while it was still in the computer. When I put the card back in the camera it would say no images, but if I put the card back in the computer some of the images would still be there even though there was no file name. I was told by photography store to never delete them on the computer but to put the card back in the camera and then delete them because the computer and the camera have different types of operating systems. They also told me to format the card which will actually get rid of all the images instead of overwriting them. You do not have to delete before formatting, as formatting will delete and format all at the same time.This is the same concept of a computer. I hope I was able to make sense out if this and did not confuse anyone.

Joexx

This is the CORRECT answer. Also the safest. Just because you don't have issues by not doing an in camera format, does NOT mean it is true for all cards, and computers. Btw, a quick format does not significantly increase wear of the ssd, it only cleans up the directory. And also may check for bad sectors and possibly repair them.

Retina Loc: Near Charleston,SC

Memory cards are shipped formatted. The format used is a well established standard and should not give any problems to the operating system in the camera. Normal operations do not impact the formatting in any way. Hard drives hundreds of times larger than SD cards and with far more complicated and ever changing contents usually live out their lives on their original formatting. One reason camera manufacturers recommend re-formatting is to limit the problems that occur when a user unknowingly removes a card while it is still being written to. With any care at all, reformatting is rarely, if ever necessary. To answer your question, it appears you are doing nothing wrong. You seem to be following the manual's instructions of not removing the cards while they are being written to. (I started this reply much earlier but got interrupted--my apologies to the other respondants who offered excellent replies. There are other subleties to address, such as what is exactly meant by "formatting" as described by a camera menu, but that is beyond the scope of your question assuming it is a straightforward one.)

foxfirerodandgun Loc: Stony Creek, VA

Again, I ask this question: What is the difference in doing, and the procedure, of quick formatting, and deep formatting a memory card? Inquiring minds need to know. Thanks.

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

So, do you format your hard drive on your computer for no reason as well?

If you find it easier to format your card than erase the files some other way, go for it. There is no reason at all formatting the card is somehow better for the life of the card than other methods, just as there is no reason to format your PC hard drive every time you delete one or a bunch of files.

I never format my cards, I erase the photos with my computer, same as with any file on any drive. I had one card go flaky, my computer could only read it intermittently. I formatted the card in my camera, didn't help. I formatted the card in my computer, didn't help. The camera recorded files just fine, but the PC card reader was having trouble, but only with that card. I took the card and put several thousand mp3 files on it and stuck it in my wife's car radio that has had no trouble reading it for the past 5 years.

Joexx

There is a big difference. A quick format just deletes the directory entries and marks the data areas ( pictures)they point to as available. ( that is why it is quick). A full format may also delete data and check every sector and/or fix bad sectors. Takes much longer. May fix problems. Depends on the camera or computer O/S you are using for the formatting software. Should usually be fine with Windows, but you could mess up things if you don't use default settings and change sector size.

foxfirerodandgun Loc: Stony Creek, VA

Thank you. If you format a card in the camera is that considered a quick or full format? A better question may be how do you do both, quick & full? Many thanks.