# I just lost pictures from reformatting card



## Ryan Piggott (Oct 25, 2009)

I did a quick search here and searched google and found a few things, but not much surprisingly. Im sure its been discussed before.
I got the "FORM" error on my d70s just a few minutes ago. first of all, why did it do this randomly, and what does it mean to format a card?
So i held down both format buttons and reformatted it. Now the pictures i took are gone. Luckily i only had a few pictures that i just took that i really don't care too much about losing, but if this happens at the race this weekend, im in trouble!

I need to know how to recover the pictures, Thanks.


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## Big (Oct 25, 2009)

Formatting a memory card will always delete all your pictures. It usually tells you all your images will be erased before you follow through. (at least my cameras do)


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## Josh66 (Oct 25, 2009)

What card is it?  Some cards come with recovery software.

Yeah, reformatting will delete everything on the card...that's what it does.
Don't reformat your card if there are still pictures you want on it.


Technically, it doesn't actually delete anything though, it just tells the camera that it's OK to overwrite the information on it (very basic explanation).  You may still be able to recover whatever you had on it...


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## Ryan Piggott (Oct 25, 2009)

Im really not worried about recovering the pictures that were on it, there were a few i just took around the house but nothing i'll miss.

The card is a Lexar Professional UDMA 2gb 300xspeed.

So next time my camera tells me to reformat, and won't let me take pictures, what do i do? stop shooting the race for the day, yank the card and download the pictures... then reformat? 
i also have the original card, so i guess what i can do is bring it as a backup to the race so i can swap it in if this card gets a "FORM" error.


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## Josh66 (Oct 25, 2009)

Ryan Piggott said:


> So next time my camera tells me to reformat, and won't let me take pictures, what do i do?



Weird...  My camera doesn't do that.

Was the card full?

Just download all the pictures to your computer before you reformat it.


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## UUilliam (Oct 25, 2009)

Always have backups...
simple solution or if you are willing to risk it...
format then when you get home use Recuva (its free, search it on google!) to get your files back (but wont always work...)
I recommend using backups.


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## Ryan Piggott (Oct 25, 2009)

I had maybe 10 shots on the card. (Fine, small, if it matters for any reason).

I took a picture of my dog or something, then i turned to take a picture of a watermelon and it wouldn't take the picutre. I took a look at the top display and it said "FORM". So i did it figuring if i lost the pictures it wouldn't really matter.


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## Ryan Piggott (Oct 25, 2009)

When you say backups, are you referring to backup cards?

I'll definitely check out that program, thanks


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## KmH (Oct 25, 2009)

Big said:


> Formatting a memory card will always delete all your pictures. It usually tells you all your images will be erased before you follow through. (at least my cameras do)


Sorry, this is totally wrong.

There is a warning but there is no way to "delete all your images" or "erase" the images.

All that happens when memory is formatted is the sector headers are rewritten as unassigned and available for use again.

If you make new images to the card, it writes the new image file info over the old image data *that is still there*. The images are still there *but* the header information no longer contains the info that defines the image parameters (size, color space, EXIF data, etc).

Recovery software sorts through all the data on the card and any info that isn't header information is assumed to be image file data. Algorithms are then used to identify the beginning and ends of the image files.

So Ryan,

The FORM error is saying the card isn't formatted for use in that camera.
You don't mention how old the card is, how long ago you took those few images, how you had previously formatted that card, (formatting it with your computer is not good. Always format it in the camera.), nor what brand of card it is.

Each card maker usually has recovery software available on their web site.


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## Ryan Piggott (Oct 25, 2009)

KmH said:


> Big said:
> 
> 
> > Formatting a memory card will always delete all your pictures. It usually tells you all your images will be erased before you follow through. (at least my cameras do)
> ...


Thanks for the clarification.
I did mention a few of the things though :mrgreen:



Ryan Piggott said:


> there were a few i just took around the house but nothing i'll miss.
> 
> The card is a Lexar Professional UDMA 2gb 300xspeed.






Ryan Piggott said:


> I had maybe 10 shots on the card. (Fine, small, if it matters for any reason).
> 
> I took a picture of my dog or something, then i turned to take a picture of a watermelon and it wouldn't take the picutre. I took a look at the top display and it said "FORM".



The card is fairly new, I got it maybe 5 months ago. I took the few images over a time span of an hour up to the point where it gave the FORM error.
I did format the card on the camera, using the two buttons simultaneously.

Should my card not be doing this? Is it going bad? 
Thanks


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## KmH (Oct 25, 2009)

Ryan Piggott said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > Big said:
> ...


Yep, I missed some of that.

How did you last format the card *before* you made the images you are wanting to try and recover.

Also, I just noticed you're having other problems with your D70s. Have you looked closely at your battery contacts down inside the camera? 

I don't believe your camera is UDMA capable though your card is.


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## Ryan Piggott (Oct 25, 2009)

A month ago i got a "CHR" (something like that, but it meant the card isn't compatible with the camera although ive never had a problem before that) error and then a "FORM" error right after. So i did the same thing, i held both format buttons on the camera. It then worked great until just now. 

I am not sure what UDMA means.
Thanks for the help.

edit: forgot about the battery thing. 
I did clean the contacts on both my batteries, but i not sure how i would clean the contacts deep in the battery slot on the body.


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## Ryan Piggott (Nov 5, 2009)

so i took the camera into Ritz a week ago and had them take a look. 
They guy seemed to know what he was talking about, and he said that it is probably giving errors because i probably used a USB cable and then another way to transfer the pictures to the computer. He was dead on, since i normally used a usb cord and then right before it all happened i slipped the card into the multi-purpose printer. 

SO i got a new card. It is a sandisk ultra II  4gb.
I shot the whole off-road race without a problem and transfered the pictures to the computer by putting the card into the printer like the guy at Ritz suggested, instead of using a usb cord. He said the printer is fine to use since it is directly connected to the computer.
After that i think i took a picture of my dog and got a CHR error. So i popped the card out, back in and it hasn't given me another error, but the fact that this new card i just bought has given me an error is driving me crazy.


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