Write Error

[stateless]

Just wanted to know if anyone else has had this happen.

After a bunch of shooting (luckily near the end), I was no longer able to take a shot with the S2, it would just say write error when I tried. Being the only card I had (Sandisk 2GB Ultra II CF), I was forced to stop shooting. All the pictures were fine that I had previously taken, and so I downloaded them without a problem. The card, however, still wouldn't allow itself to be written to, and the camera refused to format it. I formatted it with the PC, but accidentally did it as FAT 32, which didn't work, and then reformatted as FAT and it now works. It seems to be fine now, but I just hope it doesn't happen again, possibly at a worse time.

[Wichita Wayne]

I have the same problem with a 2.2 GB Magicstor microdrive. It came in a Quickdisk Plus and I usually use it as a giant flash drive to transfer things between computers, but it also fits my S2 Pro. Usually it works fine, but every now and then it doesn't. Sometimes if I turn the camera off and then back on it cures the trouble, and it also seems to work better with fresh batteries. When it does quit it never looses any pictures it just refuses to save any new shots. A fresh format always cures the trouble. I have reformatted it on the PC or forced a format in the S2 and then it works fine. Oddly enough it seems to work better with RAW files than JPGs. I usually only use it for personal things and always have a couple of other CF/MicroDrives handy if it stops saving pictures. All of my other cards are 1 GB of smaller so I always blamed the problem on the BIOS of the S2 not liking anything larger than 1 GB but I have no proof of this. The thing was really cheap and works great as a flash drive in its USB housing or on my PCMCIA card that came with my IBM MicroDrive.

[HulaMike]

I own a total of two 512 MB cards and a 40GB Flashtrax. I can shoot forever anywhere, any time....

[stateless]

Yeah, once I can afford it, I intend to pickup another 2 gig ultra II and a flashtrax.

I wonder if I might have caused it by regularly deleting files through my computer rather than through the camera, which the manual recommends against. To me, that doesn't seem likely though.

The photographs from my outing previous to this one had also had a problem. I had browsed the pictures on the card with hyperutility before downloading the pictures, and had opened some with EX directly from the card to check their potential for black and white, but then closed them without saving anything. After, when I tried to download the files to the hard drive, it continually gave errors when trying to download one of the files, a file which could not be downloaded and was lost. I'm not sure if those events were connected, but either way, there was a previous problem on the card, and I wonder if when I deleted all the files from the card, using my computer, some bits of the corrupted file remained. My theory is then, when I went out to shoot again, once my camera got to that corrupted part of memory on the card, it couldn't save past it.

I probably should have formatted the card in camera after the first problem, as it might have prevented the second problem. All I know is that from now on, I will be transferring all files to the computer before doing anything.

[sandman]

Heard so much about corruped cards when just deleting , either in cam or computer , both on here and on other forums .
I always download first to computer then re-format the card , whether it contains 200 or just 2 images.
I've got about 16 cards of different sizes from 128 up to 2gb and in 3 years i've never experianced any problems .

Brian

[zoidberg]

When I first got my gear a year ago three of my cards stuffed up in a row. I got a refund from the dealer. With some advice from people on this forum and various dealers I stopped using non-rechargable batteries because apparently their power drops out too suddenly and may cause card errors. Rechargables lose their power more gradually. So I got three new cards and have had no problems since. Also, I always keep cr123a's in the camera as back up and find that the AAs work much longer.

[HulaMike]

[QUOTE=stateless]Yeah, once I can afford it, I intend to pickup another 2 gig ultra II and a flashtrax.

I wonder if I might have caused it by regularly deleting files through my computer rather than through the camera, which the manual recommends against. To me, that doesn't seem likely though. [QUOTE]

Witchita Wayne once explained why you should ALWAYS delete files and reformat in the camera. I always do and have never had a problem. It only takes 2 seconds to reformat a 512 card in the S2.

[Wichita Wayne]

I have run into three reasons that cause corrupted memory cards and disks. The first reason is that the device is kaput, broken, no good. With this problem you need to search through that pile of papers on your desk and try to find your sales receipt and (if you bought it) your extended warranty papers. I usually always get the warranty if the purchase includes moving parts. This policy got an 11 month old MicroDrive replaced at CompUSA in three days for the cost of a new warranty. If you cannot find the papers then you quickly mutilate the the memory device and throw it away, so that it will not be accidentally used on your once in a lifetime trip to the Matterhorn.

The second reason is that the cameras batteries were too weak to completely write the file to the memory device. The fix for this is obvious. Keep plenty of spare batteries and change them often. Do not wait for them to run down when you are in a must have photographic situation. At weddings I put in new batteries right before I start and that includes the batteries in the flash. Then after the formal shots and the wedding I put in a fresh set whether or not they need changed. I also do the same before the spotlight dances and the the garter and bouquet. That way I am always sure of my power for the critical shots. I once started to shoot the processional with my daughters camera and it went dead. I picked up a spare Hasselblad and took the shots on film. Later I found out that the batteries in my daughters camera had not been changed in several days of studio shooting. Grrrrrrrrr! she will never start a wedding with stale batteries again---I hope.

The third and last reason is when people delete pictures on a memory card and then continue to use it, and it does not seem to matter whether you delete the files with the computer of the camera. For some reason cameras like to store images in contiguous files, without any fragmentation. And this is not limited to Fuji cameras. I have seen trouble with nearly every popular brand of digital camera and memory device. The best way to prevent fragmented files is to only write files with the camera and never delete anything. Then you download the files to the computer and create a backup on an external disk. Then, and only then, you put the device back in the camera and format the thing. I repeat...put the thing back in the camera and format the thing. Formating (sometimes called initializing) will rewrite the system information that the camera uses to store file. The only time I format with the computer is when the device will format in the camera due to problem 1 or 2 above. Also in all our Fuji cameras the format command is quicker than doing an "erase all" command.

My final word on this subject is to get yourself a good recovery program and practice with it long enough to gain confidence in it and your ability to make it work. I use one called PhotoRecovery from http://www.lc-tech.com but there are others out there that are probably just as good. I have even used PhotoRecovery at a wedding and avoided the need to re-shoot a bunch of formal family shots. Once again my daughters batteries went dead while she was using a MicroDrive. Her solution is to never use the MicroDrive again, but changing batteries more often would have solved the problem.

[stateless]

Thanks for all the great advice guys! :D

I will definitely be formatting my card after every use from now on!

[stateless]

argh, seems like my optimism came too soon.

the card works, but now after exactly 106 pictures it get's a write error (I tested it out a couple times)...I guess the card must be screwed now :(

well, I guess at least it works a bit, and will hopefully hold out until I can afford another