Memory card Error..Help

[MTV]

I have a brand new camera Cannon SD790IS, I filled up a 1GB Verbatim memory card. Put in another 1GB Verbatim card and half filled that card. Viewed the pictures on the second card numerous times no problem. Took a picture of a flower went to view and the camera said, " memory card error". I put the card into the printer and same message (memory card error). Anyone have an answer to why this happened or how I can retrive the pictures off the card???? Hoping the pictures are still there...

Thanks

MTV

[Rhys]

It's easy - download PC Inspector Smart Recovery and it'll recover your files. This is one of the big problems with digital cameras using the FAT32 filing system. The FAT32 system is unreliable, hence Microsoft went with NTFS and Apple went with HFS+ and Linux went with ETH0.

[AlexMonro]

It's easy - download PC Inspector Smart Recovery and it'll recover your files. This is one of the big problems with digital cameras using the FAT32 filing system. The FAT32 system is unreliable, hence Microsoft went with NTFS and Apple went with HFS+ and Linux went with ETH0.

Err... eth0 is the first Ethernet port on Linux systems. You're probably thinking of EXT3, a widely used journalling filesystem for Linux.

This question often appears on the Memory Cards forum on this site, if the OP still has problems, it might be worth looking there.

I beleive there are several other data recovery programs that have had favourable reports.

For future reference, a particular weakness of FAT32 as implemeted in many cameras is dealing with fragmentation - when you take a load of pictures, delete a few, then take some more. The camera has to fit the new pictures into the spaces left on the card, and if they don't fit exactly, they end up being split into chunks all over the place. Sometimes the camera gets confused trying to find space to fit all the bits in.

To avoid this problem, it's best to never delete single pictures on the camera, but to upload a complete card full to the computer, and edit them there. Then prepare the card for new pictures by doing a Format operation in the camera. This will totally re-initialise the card, leaving fewer things for the camera to get confused by. I've been using this method for the last 3 years, and I've never had a memory card problem (fingers crossed :) ) (Have you ever found how hard it is to type with your fingers x'ed) :)

[re.ac.tor]

For future reference, a particular weakness of FAT32 as implemeted in many cameras is dealing with fragmentation - when you take a load of pictures, delete a few, then take some more. The camera has to fit the new pictures into the spaces left on the card, and if they don't fit exactly, they end up being split into chunks all over the place. Sometimes the camera gets confused trying to find space to fit all the bits in.

To avoid this problem, it's best to never delete single pictures on the camera, but to upload a complete card full to the computer, and edit them there. Then prepare the card for new pictures by doing a Format operation in the camera. This will totally re-initialise the card, leaving fewer things for the camera to get confused by. I've been using this method for the last 3 years, and I've never had a memory card problem (fingers crossed :) ) (Have you ever found how hard it is to type with your fingers x'ed) :)

Thanks for that information Alex. I have just upgraded to a Sony DSC-H50 and purchased a 4GB Duo stick for it. This information will help me manage that stick better. Will probably take a long time to fill it up though - looks to hold ~ 1000 images.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a184/wdavidsharp/DSC-H50.jpg http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a184/wdavidsharp/DSC-H50_MEMORY.jpg

re.ac.tor :eek:

[David Metsky]

Will probably take a long time to fill it up though - looks to hold ~ 1000 images.

Nah, that's just a busy afternoon. :)