Canon memory card need help!

Harlan5768 · Mar 19, 2014

I have inserted an 8GB memory card to store some newly taken photos of my Canon camera. However, yesterday, after taking some shots and connected this card to my laptop with a card reader, a computer message told me to format it before using. I also re-connected it and got the same error. But, I cannot format it to loss all my new photos. Can you help me rescue all these photos back at first? Thanks!!

WillygLounge · Mar 20, 2014

What about trying to transfer your photos with the USB cable with your camera, does that work? Also some cameras allow you to transfer photos by WiFi. I'm not sure if your camera haves that support. But whatever you do, don't format the memory card.

Do you have another memory card that your card record can recognized?

bratkinson · Mar 20, 2014

One of the lessons you've just learned the hard way is that with any brand new memory card, it should be formatted in-camera before its first use. For what it's worth, I reformat my memory cards in-camera after each use and all the pictures are safely on my computer in at least 2 places.

As WillyG noted above, if you have the USB cable to connect your camera to the computer, use that method to transfer the pictures to your computer. If needed, you could also borrow one from any Canon user, as I think they all use the same mini-USB connector on the camera.

It's also possible that either the memory card is defective or the card reader you are using with your laptop. When I first got my 60D and discovered to my surprise that it used SD cards rather than CF cards like the 30D I had, I rushed out to buy an SD-to-USB card reader. When I couldn't read the card on any of my 3 computers, I figured it had to be the either the card or the USB reader. Using the cable got me by that time. I then bought a new card reader that was the same brand as my memory cards (Sandisk) and the same SD card read perfectly when plugged into that card reader.

So, it's possible that either the memory card reader itself is defective or the memory card. Trying your card in another computer with a different card reader (or one that's built in) might be successful. If so, then it's the card reader. If not, then it's the card.

So, for now, use the USB cable if you have it. Otherwise try a friends computer. Either way, be sure to format the card in-camera once all the pictures are safely on your computer.

vimwiz · Mar 20, 2014

What version of Windows are you on?

Maybe your Canon just formatted it exFAT rather than FAT32, and your version of windows is missing the hotfix (There was one for XP, and it was in SP1 for 7 i think)

Geoffrey450 · Mar 20, 2014

Just learn a valuable lesson to back up all wanted data on different drives or places timely.

But, right now, you should act carefully to see whether you can retrieve all your photos back:

1). Do not format or rewrite this not formatted memory card at first.

2). Plunge this memory card to a computer and see whether all your inaccessible photos could be restored in advance. Some card data recovery tools like 4Card Recovery, Recuva, iCare Data Recovery Free and PhotoRec, etc, can be your chances to go on.

Just act carefully in the data recovery process.

3). Save and back up all restored photos on your computer drives or other places, not on the original memory card.

Note: Format this memory card after successful data recovery.
Never forget to back up all important data well all the time.