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[OM] Re: formatting

Subject: [OM] Re: formatting
From: John Hermanson <omtech1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 09:01:39 -0400
Thank you

___________________________________
John Hermanson
Camtech Photo Services, Inc.
21 South Lane, Huntington NY 11743
631-424-2121 | Olympus OM Service since 1977
http://www.zuiko.com  |  omtech1 AT verizon.net


Moose wrote:
> John Hermanson wrote:
> 
>>Would someone explain why formatting a cf or xd card with a computer 
>>would render it unrecognizable when put into the camera?  A third party 
>>wants to know.
>>  
> 
> First, the question is very differennt for CF than for xD cards.
> 
> Second, there seems to be some confusion in the replies so far between 
> erasing files and reformatting the card.
> 
> As Chuck says, CF cards should just look and act like IDE disks. If Oly 
> chose to put some special markers or formatting on them, i would think 
> it would have shown up as an issue before. Nevertheless, there is no 
> ordinary circumstance where it should be necessary to reformat a card, 
> and if you do so, do it in the camera you are using it in.
> 
> xD cards are a different kettle of fish. They aren't used everywhere for 
> everything. And as one of the two official creator/supporters of the 
> format, Oly seems to feel they have the right to do proprietary things 
> with them, like the panorama format and heaven knows what else. The 
> problem with reformatting them with a computer operating system has been 
> around for quite a while.
> 
> The instructions that come with Oly xD cards don't directly say never to 
> format it from a computer. They do say always to format it using the 
> camera with which it is to be used. The only time they mention computer 
> formating is in the section about disposing of your card, where they 
> point out that formatting doesn't actually erase the data, just the index.
> 
> One solution that has worked for many Oly camera owners who make this 
> mistake is to find someone with a Fuji xD card camera or take the card 
> to a retailer and ask to try out a Fuji or three using your own card. 
> Quite often, according to forum reports, the Fuji will recognize the 
> card and can format it. It is then generally recognized by the Oly 
> camera and can be reformatted there to get back to the beginning.
> 
> It has also been reported that some Oly cameras will recognize cards 
> that others don't.
> 
> Another thing to try is manually creating the subdirectories the camera 
> expects.
> 
> I found out all this shortly after I got the F10, when I couldn't get my 
> All in One card reader to recognize the 16MB card that came with the 
> camera. Further research revealed that formating wasn't my problem. It 
> turns out that there was a flaw in chip sets used in lots of cheap 
> read-everything adapters that failed under some circumstances or other 
> with xD cards. I bought an Oly MAUSB-300 xD card based thumb drive. It 
> works for downloading from the xD cards and also as a convenient 
> storage/transfer device. I have simply left the DCIM subdirectory and 
> the Fuji generated subdirectory under it on the xD card and put other 
> data files in other directory places and I've had no trouble at all. 
> Works for data, erase the data and it works for the cameras.
> 
> I may have strayed in many ways, but the 1gb xD cards I bought for both 
> P&Ss and the reader for them are all Oly.
> 
> Moose
> 



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