Strange Compact Flash file Xfer difficulties

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,789
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format
I've got a CF card, freshly formatted in the Minola A2 camera. Took several pictures. Pop the card into ANY of the several CF readers I have and WINDOWS 10 (need I say more), says the card is not formatted.

I've connected the camera directly to the computer -- with the card in the camera -- and get the same message. I'm using the correct transfer setting for the camera and CF card (Data Storage).

All the photos show up fine in the camera. I can connect the camera to a PICTBRIDGE printer (I have to change the transfer protocol to PTP), and they all print fine, but WINDOWS 10 says the card needs to be formatted. How can photos that aren't there print out fine???

So I know the photos are there, but I have no way to get them off the card.

Any ideas? I can't use CHKDSK, etc. because the OS says the card is not formatted.

I'm thinking of trying my Windows XP machine, but it's busy right now.
 

bdial

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 2, 2005
Messages
7,464
Location
North East U.S.
Format
Multi Format
Have you installed whatever drivers or apps Minolta has that support the camera? If not, give that a try. Theoretically, the camera/card should be using a more or less generic format, but theory is theory and real is real. There could be some option in the camera that makes use of some Minolta-specific format that requires a specific driver. Are you able to read other cards formatted by that camera?
 

Romanko

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2021
Messages
889
Location
Sydney, Australia
Format
Medium Format
This could be a problem with the file system on your card. There are a dozen of them (NTFS, FAT, exFAT, ext2 etc.). It is possible that your Windows PC does not support the file system. I have this compatibility issues between SD cards formatted with a PC and in different cameras. One camera says the card is not formatted, but when I insert it in a different camera or my laptop it works just fine.
Is there a way to connect your camera to the PC through USB to use it as a card reader? I do this often with my Canon EOS 450D. You might require additional drivers installed for this to work.
 
OP
OP

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,789
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format

I've been using this camera and CF cards for years without this problem. No Minolta software is needed -- you simply remove the CF card from the camera, and place it in a CF reader attached to the computer -- and the camera has the latest firmware.
 
OP
OP

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,789
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format

The card is formatted by the camera in FAT32. The computer (Windows 10) has read these CF cards fine for years. The card was fully formatted (Not quick format) without any errors just before I used it. No error during use. The photos are on the card -- the camera displays them, and PICTBRIDGE prints them fine.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,873
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Any chance your Windows computer has had a recent maintenance update that affected the drivers?
 
OP
OP

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,789
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format
Good idea, but no, and the computer reads all of my other CF cards fine.

The files are obviously on the CF card, but Windows 10 can't see them. I can't think of any other way to access them other than my XP machine -- that I will try tomorrow.

Hey, I'm used the Windows 10 problems. They seem endless, like not running older software (even in Compatibility mode) or hardware (that's perfectly good). That's just one of the reasons I have OLD computers.
 

koraks

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
22,703
Location
Europe
Format
Multi Format
It's possible the file system became corrupted (at least from Windows' point of view) as photos were added, removed etc. Try backing up (on another device) all photos from the CF, reformat the card and try again. It's quite common to see a device complain that it can't read removable media that have been used (esp. written to) on several different types of machines.

To access this card, you could try running a Linux flavor off of USB (or dual boot), which may be less picky/fussy in how the filesystem is managed. Or use one of the other computers you have kicking around, see if they accept this card.
 
OP
OP

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,789
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format
Here's the conclusion. Apparently one of the files was "messed up" by the camera -- even though the camera doesn't "think so". How this would mess up everything on the CF card, I don't know. It probably was a mess-up in the MBR/MFT, and prevented any program from reading the CF card.

A data/file recovery program brought all the files back to life -- except the one with a problem, you see here.

It might be that the CF card is getting old, but I only lost one file.

 
OP
OP

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,789
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format
Post Script.

The problem is the CF card -- not the camera or computer.

After I retrieved the files I needed with recovery software, I reformatted the card in the camera. No problem.

I then took one photo without any problem. Shows up in the camera FINE. But when I transfer it to any of my computers, all my computers say the card is unformatted.

So I'm trashing the card, of course. Any YES, I tried the card in other cameras, and they work fine, so all of the cameras are BAD or it's the CF card.

The cameras don't have a problem with the CF card, but the computers do. A recipe for disaster!!!!!!!

Is there a way to know if your CF card is on the brink????
 
Last edited:

BradS

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
8,120
Location
Soulsbyville, California
Format
35mm
xkaes said:
...
Is there a way to know if your CF card is on the brink????
Click to expand...

koraks said:
Try formatting the card in your computer, then insert it into the camera. See if you can take pictures on it, and then read them back on the computer.
Click to expand...


I'd suggest doing a quick format on the computer (not a full format), then copy a bunch of known good files from the computer to the card. The files could be anything - music, jpegs, MSWord docs, etc. Get the card at least half full. Then just leave it plugged in with the computer running for a while...maybe even several hours, depending. After that, politely remove the card from the system (eject or whatever Microsoft call it) , re-insert it, do whatever you can to convince yourself that the files, and the card are OK. If all is OK, do a quick format (not a full format) on the card with the computer again. Then try using it in the camera.
 
OP
OP

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,789
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format
I'm not going to waste my time trying to figure out if this problematic CF card can be resurrected. I would never trust it again under any circumstances.

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I have recovered my files with much difficulty, and plan to do what I can to avoid the situation in the future. The defective CF card is now where it belongs.
 

RalphLambrecht

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
14,646
Location
K,Germany
Format
Medium Format

had the same problem, and changing to S cards (my camera can take CF and SD) fixed the problem for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…