Tip: clearing out your memory card fast

[rutt]

I've found that it is almost always way faster to "format" a flash card in the camera than to "erase all" or whatever. This has been true of all the digital cameras I've ever had (don't ask.) I realized that some people might not know about it.

[wxwax]

:thumb That's all I do.

[Andy]

:nod :nod :nod

[ridetwistyroads]

Also, less errors present themselves over time if it's always formatted instead of erased.

[jwear]

a very good tip it is one thing i have always done and never had trouble with cards

[ian408]

It's all I ever do. Not to mention it should leave you with a less fragmented
card as well (better performance but by how much?).

Ian

[marlinspike]

A good tip, but one caveat, don't do this with any Microdrives that you have formatted for FAT16.
Richard

[rutt]

A good tip, but one caveat, don't do this with any Microdrives that you have formatted for FAT16.
Richard
If the drive is big enough, don't the cameras format in FAT16? Maybe only some do?

[ian408]

I thought it was FAT32 for newer cameras. Regardless, formatting in
camera should always yield a working card (assuming the card can be
formatted). No?

Ian

[marlinspike]

If the drive is big enough, don't the cameras format in FAT16? Maybe only some do?
No, if the drive is big enough the cameras format fat32 instead of fat 16 and they do it with a 4k cluster size.

[marlinspike]

I thought it was FAT32 for newer cameras. Regardless, formatting in
camera should always yield a working card (assuming the card can be
formatted). No?

Ian
Formatting in camera does yield a working card, but you'll lose all the speed you gain by formatting for 64k cluster on your computer.
Richard

[rutt]

No, if the drive is big enough the cameras format fat32 instead of fat 16 and they do it with a 4k cluster size.
And is that bad? What should they do?

[marlinspike]

Yeah, it makes it way slower. If you have a microdrive, you should format it on a Win XP computer at FAT with default cluster size (64kb) and this makes write and read times much faster.
Richard

[lynnma]

If you keep formatting your cf card.. do you lose anything over time...:cheer
you know, like surface area or anything...:uhoh
Well? just askin....:1drink

[wxwax]

If you keep formatting your cf card.. do you lose anything over time...:cheer
you know, like surface area or anything...:uhoh
Well? just askin....:1drink
Yes, it's like shaving, only opposite.

When men shave, they add flesh to their faces. It's imperceptible. But by the time they reach middle age, a trained eye can easily detect extra amounts on meat hanging off of men's jowls.

With compact flash cards, the opposite is true. You can't really tell, but the card gets a little bit thinner every time you reformat it. If a card were to live for 50 years, it would eventually look like Twiggy.

I hope that helps.

[DoctorIt]

Yes, it's like shaving, only opposite.

When men shave, they add flesh to their faces. It's imperceptible. But by the time they reach middle age, a trained eye can easily detect extra amounts on meat hanging off of men's jowls.
:scratch i think i've been doing it all wrong...

[Khaos]

Yes, it's like shaving, only opposite.

When men shave, they add flesh to their faces. It's imperceptible. But by the time they reach middle age, a trained eye can easily detect extra amounts on meat hanging off of men's jowls.

With compact flash cards, the opposite is true. You can't really tell, but the card gets a little bit thinner every time you reformat it. If a card were to live for 50 years, it would eventually look like Twiggy.

I hope that helps.
:doh :bigbs :doh

LOL

Flash cards will die eventually. The use electron displacement to create binary. An even number of electrons being 0 and an odd number representing 1. As with everything, over time, the electrons will eventually run out of energy and the card will no longer work.

[ginger_55]

[QUOTE=

LOL

Flash cards will die eventually. The use electron displacement to create binary. An even number of electrons being 0 and an odd number representing 1. As with everything, over time, the electrons will eventually run out of energy and the card will no longer work.[/QUOTE]

:dunno .......:scratch :scratch ...........................:huh .................:cry ......:1drink .

[wxwax]

LOL

Flash cards will die eventually. The use electron displacement to create binary. An even number of electrons being 0 and an odd number representing 1. As with everything, over time, the electrons will eventually run out of energy and the card will no longer work.

:dunno .......:scratch :scratch ...........................:huh .................:cry ......:1drink .
I think he's saying there's no Viagra for Compact Flash cards. After a while, you can't excite the electrons anymore.

[marlinspike]

I think he's saying there's no Viagra for Compact Flash cards. After a while, you can't excite the electrons anymore.
Maybe you can't :tuesday :feelgood<-------me and my CF card

[wxwax]

Maybe you can't :tuesday :feelgood<-------me and my CF card
TMI! :lol3