Canon Memory Card Error
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Would you believe....?
This morning I went to take a picture of my daughter on her 17th birthday and when I looked at the LCD monitor, it was grey, with the display items, but I couldn't see anything! Then the screen went black. I tried turning the camera on & off, switching to the other card (which is still dead with a memory card error message), then back to this card (a Canon 32mb), but same thing. I can take a picture looking through the viewfinder, and it shows up on the screen for a couple of seconds, then disappears. Then I can view the picture. But the screen when trying to take pictures is gray with display images, then goes black again.
I plan to contact Canon again, as I still haven't heard back from them.
Today I called Canon Tech support regarding my memory card error and the supposed blank screen. The blank screen, I was told was not normal (though he did mention that the display function had 3 modes)and I was told that the error could be due to several things - the card reader, pins bent, card getting hot or near magnetic source... I really don't know if it was any of these things, but I was told I could send it in for repair (which would run $97 incl. shipping), or upgrade to an A610 for $125 (factory refurbished). I really don't have the money for either right now, so I was rather disappointed. I decided to look at my camera again, and would you know just had to push the display button to get it in the right mode. Whew! Was I glad that's all it was.
Then I decided to just go ahead and re-format my card, even tho' I might risk never being able to retrieve my photos. Voila! The card works fine again. I am now going to try downloading 3 pictures I took, to see if my card reader will do it right this time (it works with my Canon 32mb card), and I'm currently downloading freeware I found called Zero Assumption Digital Recovery.
This morning I went to take a picture of my daughter on her 17th birthday and when I looked at the LCD monitor, it was grey, with the display items, but I couldn't see anything! Then the screen went black. I tried turning the camera on & off, switching to the other card (which is still dead with a memory card error message), then back to this card (a Canon 32mb), but same thing. I can take a picture looking through the viewfinder, and it shows up on the screen for a couple of seconds, then disappears. Then I can view the picture. But the screen when trying to take pictures is gray with display images, then goes black again.
I plan to contact Canon again, as I still haven't heard back from them.
Today I called Canon Tech support regarding my memory card error and the supposed blank screen. The blank screen, I was told was not normal (though he did mention that the display function had 3 modes)and I was told that the error could be due to several things - the card reader, pins bent, card getting hot or near magnetic source... I really don't know if it was any of these things, but I was told I could send it in for repair (which would run $97 incl. shipping), or upgrade to an A610 for $125 (factory refurbished). I really don't have the money for either right now, so I was rather disappointed. I decided to look at my camera again, and would you know just had to push the display button to get it in the right mode. Whew! Was I glad that's all it was.
Then I decided to just go ahead and re-format my card, even tho' I might risk never being able to retrieve my photos. Voila! The card works fine again. I am now going to try downloading 3 pictures I took, to see if my card reader will do it right this time (it works with my Canon 32mb card), and I'm currently downloading freeware I found called Zero Assumption Digital Recovery.
Just put my card & card reader in the USB port, and had no problems viewing 3 photos on card. Put the card back in camera, and it was fine. Still don't know why I lost all my photos and had memory card error last time!
One last update - I found a free recovery software called Zero Assumption Digital Recovery (http://www.z-a-recovery.com) and was able to recover some of my photos, including the beloved cecropia moth caterpillar! I'm satisfied. My card works now, the camera takes pictures, I've easily gotten back some photos off of a re-formatted card (some of the photos tho' were scrambled) and now I know what to do in the future, should this problem recur. And it didn't cost me a cent (just a bit of time)
Try the low-level format outside the camera, I used :
http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/2006.04.12-HDD-Low-Level-Format-Tool/
and worked great
http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/2006.04.12-HDD-Low-Level-Format-Tool/
and worked great
