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[stilgar]

Hi GAF,


I'm really clueless. Yesterday, I come from a trip in Morocco with my camera full of photos and videos. I extract the SD card (8GB), put it in my computer, everything goes fine, and I can have a look at everything I've done.
Then I keep the SD card in the PC slot, but a few hours later, when I want to show it to my family, teh HORROR : it doesn't even see the card anymore. I try with another computer, same. I put it back in my camera...nothing. It sees the SD card, but is absolutely unable to read what is inside. Instead, when I try to take a photo it keeps telling me the memory is full.

What is weird is that whenever I put the treacherous card in a PC, it does the "plug-in" sound, but nothing else. Also if I check the card with the device manager, it tells me : "This device cannot start (code10)".

GAF I'm, desperate right now. Can I do anything to save my 8GB of important crap?

 

[Drkirby]

It sounds like it is dead, but didn't you just say you copied the files to your computer before it died?

 

[DonMigs85]

The file system may have just been corrupted. Maybe it wasn't properly ejected under Windows?
Anyway try downloading Recuva, you might be able to pull the files out.

 

[MedHead]

Try PC Inspector Smart Recovery and see if you can recover the lost files. Its probably just a file system corruption, and doing a scan set with the proper file system (probably FAT32) should do the trick.

 

[stilgar]

It sounds like it is dead, but didn't you just say you copied the files to your computer before it died?

No, I just had a quick look at them. I should have

Anyway, I'm trying with Recuva. But will it work it if doesn't even see the card?

 

[phisheep]

EDIT: nevermind - should have read the OP more closely

 

[Drkirby]

Don't panic yet! Sometimes the card readers in PCs fail for ordinary stupid reasons like bad connections. Mine does it intermittently.

Check whether the camera can read the card - if so it is not the card that is at fault.

Try the direct cable connection from the camera to the computer (if you have one).

Try an external card reader if you have or can borrow/buy one.

Try unplugging usb devices (the card reader is usb driven internally) and rebooting.

Try it in a different computer.

If none of that works, you may panic, but not until.

He did.

. I put it back in my camera...nothing.

I try with another computer, same.

 

[Kuran]

Maybe it got damaged when it was inside a laptop which perhaps got too hot for the lil SD card?

 

[stilgar]

Don't panic yet! Sometimes the card readers in PCs fail for ordinary stupid reasons like bad connections. Mine does it intermittently.
Check whether the camera can read the card - if so it is not the card that is at fault.

No, it can't.

Try the direct cable connection from the camera to the computer (if you have one).

Same. The PC doesn't recognize it.

Try an external card reader if you have or can borrow/buy one.

I'll have to try this.

Maybe it got damaged when it was inside a laptop which perhaps got too hot for the lil SD card?

Could be...it really could be. Stupid technology

 

[mrkgoo]

Besides the photos, hope you had backups of your other files. I will never trust an SD card with only copies of data.

 

[stilgar]

Yeah, I should be more cautious, I guess.

Well, final update : everything I tried doesn't work, which means the only way may via some "data recovery lab"...but it's too damn expensive. Blah.


Thank you for all the advices, though.

 

[DonMigs85]

By the way, does it show up under Disk Management in Windows as "RAW" instead of FAT32?

 

[Kuran]

Now's the perfect timing to delete ALL of your photos and live on a memory basis only. You will soon learn to cast off all material possessions that are not crucial to survival and/or living.

Soon you will sell your game collection and go DD only, you will appreciate handheld gaming because it allows you to sell your television, couch and expensive consoles.

 

[stilgar]

By the way, does it show up under Disk Management in Windows as "RAW" instead of FAT32?

It does not even appear, but the frustrating thing is that when I go to the Device Management, it shows up, with an exclamation mark, and says it "can't start (code 10)".

 

[DonMigs85]

What brand is this SD card, so we'll know to avoid it in the future.

 

[stilgar]

What brand is this SD card, so we'll know to avoid it in the future.

It's Lexar.

 

[mrkgoo]

What brand is this SD card, so we'll know to avoid it in the future.

Every brand has potential for failure.

 

[DonMigs85]

Every brand has potential for failure.

True, but Kingston and Sandisk have been reliable for me so far.

 

[tirant]

True, but Kingston and Sandisk have been reliable for me so far.

True. Im still using my Kingston SD 256MB from 2003/2004 The other brands, half of them have gone bad

 

[Xavien]

The only way i know of recovering a SD card that has a corrupted file system is to low level format it, sorry OP

 

[MedHead]

I know you said it doesn't show up in Windows, but could you try right-clicking on the drive for the card and selecting Properties and see if it shows the card when the card is inserted?

Also, did you try manually setting the card size and file structure in the program I recommended?