More SD card woes

[Steve Maskery]

I have two cameras, a Lumix G1 for stills and a Lumix G7 for video. I have a number of SD cards and they get used in both cameras.

Yesterday both cameras were complaining about one of the SD cards. The G7 says it is write protected (it isn't) and the G1 says it has a Parameter Error, whatever one of those is.

I re-formatted it on a PC but to no avail. The card is a microSd in an adaptor and I've tried two different adaptors. Nada. I can't get to the menu on the camera to format it there.

I can't re-format it on my Mac either, it says it is un-writable.

This is the second time in a few weeks that this has happened and I'm beginning to fear that something is going wrong in the camera

I did change the name of some of the files on the card, by mistake, rather than downloading them and then renaming them. But I would have thought that a Format would have sorted that out. I did a proper Format not just the quickie.

The card is 64G, I've had it a few years and it is branded Wellendorf.

Anyone have any bright ideas for rescuing it or do I have to go shopping again? (I do have a spare card, I've not tried it yet).

 

[whatknot]

Sadly SD cards can and do fail without warning

I have had a couple go that way as have my daughters

I didn't find a way of breathing new life into those I had that failed

 

[user 19915]

Steve have a look at this video it might help but there again it might not .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R40ROF7nJ2I

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you both.
I've just thried the sticky-tape trick and now it works on the G7 but still not on the G1.
So do I use it for video and use another for stills?
I think, given the low cost of them these days, and the high cost of losing data, I shall bin it and buy another.
Heigh ho.
Again, thank you both.

 

[petermillard]

Reformatting the cards in the camera can sometimes resurrect them, but as you say Steve, better to dump them and buy fresh; what cost a re-shoot in time/effort/emotional drain??

 

[Steve Maskery]

It's already binned and a replacement ordered, Peter. As you imply, it's not worth the candle, and anyway, I can't get as far as the menu to Reformat, it just says there is an error and that's that.

I do have a spare card, it's a SanDisk. I've noticed that it is a LOT slower to react to instructions.

I mean that when I operate the camera via the App, it works fine, but when I press the Stop icon on the App, the Record light and the Writing To Disk icons don't go out for AGES. I've not timed it but I bet it's getting on for 30 seconds. Yes really. The old card took only a couple of seconds. It's very frustrating when all I want to do is to stop and take the scene again (which happens far too often...).

Unfortunately the replacement I've ordered is also a SanDisk. If I'd found this out before ordering I'd have tried another brand.

Actually Peter, I'd like to have a chat with you. May I give you a call sometime soon? Maybe over the weekend? If that's alright with you, can you PM me your phone number please and a convenient time. No problem if you'd rather not, of course.

 

[petermillard]

It's already binned and a replacement ordered, Peter. As you imply, it's not worth the candle, and anyway, I can't get as far as the menu to Reformat, it just says there is an error and that's that...

Unfortunately the replacement I've ordered is also a SanDisk. If I'd found this out before ordering I'd have tried another brand.

I’ve used sandisk for years - these - never had a problem with speed. What class of card are you using Steve?

Actually Peter, I'd like to have a chat with you. May I give you a call sometime soon? Maybe over the weekend? If that's alright with you, can you PM me your phone number please and a convenient time. No problem if you'd rather not, of course.

Sure. PM sent

 

[Racers]

Steve.

You need to look at the speed rating on the cards look for a C with a number inside it.
C10 is the fastest.

Pete

 

[Steve Maskery]

It is C10, which is why I am surprised.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

In my experience, Sandisk are one of the more reliable brands for flash memory devices.

 

[selectortone]

Steve, (if you haven't already) if your card is slow you might try formatting it with the official formatting tool from the SD Association, which is a global oganisation with members including Sandisk, Panasonic, Toshiba and many others. I have used it often and always with good results.

The tool can be downloaded here:

https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/index.html

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've downloaded that software, but when I run it (on a card that works) it says Formatting Failed. It's instant, it doesn't even try.

 

[selectortone]

Well, that's odd. It works for me every time, on Windows 7 and 10 - except when the card is faulty, obviously.

I have a couple of Raspberry Pis which I enjoy playing around with. They load the operating system off micro SD cards and I find the easiest way to return the cards to their 'virgin' state is to run them through that formatter.

 

[Eric The Viking]

For anything important, try to avoid "adaptors," converters or whatever. If the camera takes SD cards, only use SD cards (not micro ones), ditto for Compact Flash. Having recently repaired a rather expensive card reader, which failed mechanically, it's alarming to see how crude some of the readers are and how easily the contacts can be bent out of position. Even though it is properly repaired, and I take great care (gentleness and care in alignment), it still fails occasionally to make a good connection. All the SD technology cards use really iffy connections, compared to Compact Flash, but they are cheap.

The write-protect thing with SD cards is a mechanical sliding key, which operates a single pair of contacts in the slot. If you are having write protect issues, first try a different card reader, in case those contacts are damaged.

FWIW, I'm using video-production-grade 64GB cards branded PNY, from Scan, and so far have had no trouble with them. The throughput of the controller chip in my camera (Canon 6D) is another matter, however. Grrr. I believe the 3rd-party firmware for the camera, Magic Lantern can now squeeze a bit more throughput from the controller though, allowing uncompressed full-frame-HD streaming, but I haven't had time to experiment with the latest build.

E.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

The following links probably cover everything you need to know: https://www.techjunkie.com/signs-sd-card-failure/
https://www.softwarehow.com/sd-memory-card-error-fix/

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to work out if it is memory card or hardware failure. Of note, tips on how to extend the life of your cards: http://dmimaging.net/memory-card-lifespan/

Label your cards by writing a date of purchase on the back.
Don’t leave your card in the camera when the camera is not in use.
Extract the card once your images are downloaded to your computer.
Turn off the camera before removing the memory card.
Don’t share your memory cards with other devices and friends.
Store your memory card into a protective cover to safeguard it from dust.
Don’t edit, save to, or add other media to your memory cards, from your computer.
Keep your memory card away from wet, hot, cold and dusty places.
Don’t edit/delete images within the camera. Download and format later.

 

[Racers]

Eric

I used to use a CF to SD adaptor with a micro SD adaptor card, I had no problems at all.

On fact I have never had a problem with a SD card, I always format the card in the camera.

My new camera uses XQD cards, 440meg speed, it copy's files to the PC unbleably fast.

Pete

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I don't buy all that about card life. The endurance of the flash memory is more than enough for photography I think. More likely it is electromechanical failure - poor contacts causing corruption or permenant failure. Or maybe thermal stresses.

 

[Jim Davis]

Does anyone know how to fix a corrupted SD card?

 

[lexfurther]

Dealing with a corrupted SD card can be a pain, but there are a few steps you can try to fix a corrupted SD card:
Check the Card Reader: Sometimes, the issue isn't with the card itself but with the card reader. Try inserting the SD card into a different card reader or using an external USB card reader.
Run CHKDSK (Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac): Connect the SD card to your computer and run a disk checking tool. On Windows, it's CHKDSK, and on Mac, it's Disk Utility. These tools can sometimes repair minor file system errors.
Use Data Recovery Software: If the data on the card is important, you can try using data recovery software. These programs can often retrieve files from a corrupted SD card even if it's not working perfectly.
Format the Card (as a Last Resort): If all else fails, you might need to format the corrupted SD card to make it usable again. Keep in mind that this will erase all data on the card, so only use it as a last resort.

 

[selectortone]

My experience of trying to recover data from a corrupted SD card:

1. Use the tools that come with windows. No joy
2. Google for the latest 3rd party tools, download a couple with the most recommendations. No joy
3. After several wasted hours take SD card into workshop and smash into tiny pieces with a lump hammer. Great satisfaction.
4. Order new card from Amazon.
5. Restore data from the last backup before the card failed.