Erase All or Format? - Canon IXUS 400

After I've filled my CF card and transfered my photos to my PC I erase them
by using the Format command from the menu. I also notice there's an Erase
All command too. What's the difference and am I doing it the right way by
formatting each time?

Thanks for any help.

--
Karl.

Karl Johnson wrote:
After I've filled my CF card and transfered my photos to my PC I erase them
by using the Format command from the menu. I also notice there's an Erase
All command too. What's the difference and am I doing it the right way by
formatting each time?

Doesn't matter at all.
One or other may be marginally quicker.

From: "Karl Johnson"

After I've filled my CF card and transfered my photos to my PC I erase them
by using the Format command from the menu. I also notice there's an Erase
All command too. What's the difference and am I doing it the right way by
formatting each time?

Typically 'erase' just removes the entry in the file allocation table while
leaving the data there, so you can write over the old files as needed but still
recover the files (if you haven't filled up that space yet) later on, which can
be handy. Typically 'format' wipes out the data.

I usually 'format' every time I put a new card in a camera for the first time.
After that 'erase' should work fine except I've read that after many
writes/erases the card can become fragmented and it's not a bad idea to
re-format occasionally to clean that up.

'Erase' should be faster, but maybe not by much, depending on the card, the
amount of data on it and some other variables.

Bill

From: "Karl Johnson"

After I've filled my CF card and transfered my photos to my PC I erase them
by using the Format command from the menu. I also notice there's an Erase
All command too. What's the difference and am I doing it the right way by
formatting each time?

Typically 'erase' just removes the entry in the file allocation table while
leaving the data there, so you can write over the old files as needed but still
recover the files (if you haven't filled up that space yet) later on, which can
be handy. Typically 'format' wipes out the data.

I usually 'format' every time I put a new card in a camera for the first time.
After that 'erase' should work fine except I've read that after many
writes/erases the card can become fragmented and it's not a bad idea to
re-format occasionally to clean that up.

'Erase' should be faster, but maybe not by much, depending on the card, the
amount of data on it and some other variables.

Bill

It may matter for each personal preferenced. Canon store the pictures
in different folders, such as 101canon, etc in the Directory DCIM.
Each folder contains about 100 files (pictures). When one folder is
full, it creates another folder with consecutive numbers. It also
create another Directory, Canonmsc, which I believe keeps tracking
the folder numbers and file numbers (I am not sure, just guesing).
If the card is format in Canon, it may or may not keep the Caonomsc
directory. Most likely it will. In this case, the answer is that
it doesn't matter. I did not do the experiment and so I am not sure.
Can anyone answer this more definitely.

On the other hand if you format the card in a computer, I am quite
sure the Canonmsc will be gone. The folder number may start over
again. If you transfer the pictures by the folders using a card
reader in a computer, it may overwrite the previous folder with
the same folder number.

In article ,
Ian Stirling wrote:
Karl Johnson wrote:
After I've filled my CF card and transfered my photos to my PC I erase them
by using the Format command from the menu. I also notice there's an Erase
All command too. What's the difference and am I doing it the right way by
formatting each time?

Doesn't matter at all.
One or other may be marginally quicker.



--
Charles S. Ih
302-831-8173, FAX 302-831-4316

Karl Johnson wrote:
After I've filled my CF card and transfered my photos to my PC I erase them
by using the Format command from the menu. I also notice there's an Erase
All command too. What's the difference and am I doing it the right way by
formatting each time?

Thanks for any help.

For a card with a fair number of images, format would be a little
faster. Erase function is required to take care of shots no longer
wanted etc. If one were to erase just a few files at a time and continue
shooting I suppose fragmentation could become an issue over time. If
using a card reader I generally erase everything after saving to hd. As
long as the card is empty and file structure is ok, shouldn't matter at all.
Dave Cohen

Bill Hilton wrote:

Typically 'erase' just removes the entry in the file
allocation table while leaving the data there,

It changes one byte in the FAT entry. It does
not remove the entry.

you can write over the old files as needed but still
recover the files (if you haven't filled up that space yet)
later on, which can be handy.

You cannot write over the old files, then recover them
later. If the space has been used by the new files, it
is unlikely the old ones can be recovered in usable form,
whether or not it was filled up.

Typically 'format' wipes out the data.

No, it doesn't. Data is still recoverable after a format.

I usually 'format' every time I put a new card in a camera
for the first time. After that 'erase' should work fine except
I've read that after many writes/erases the card can become
fragmented and it's not a bad idea to re-format occasionally
to clean that up.

If you completely erase all the image files on a card, there are
still most likely some index files left behind. Fragmentation is
not an issue unless you are erasing some files and leaving
others.

'Erase' should be faster, but maybe not by much, depending
on the card, the amount of data on it and some other variables.

What other variables? Formatting in the camera is almost
always faster than erasing file-by-file.

If you are going to re-use a card, it doesn't matter much
in terms of recovering old files whether you format or
erase all the files. Once you start overwriting, it's a crap
shoot.

As for speed and convenience, not to mention the
likelihood of the card continuing to work properly,
there is nothing wrong with, and everything to recommend,
formatting in the camera every time you want to start
clean, such as when you've transferred all your image
files to HD and CD/DVD.

Bill Hilton wrote:

Typically 'erase' just removes the entry in the file
allocation table while leaving the data there,

It changes one byte in the FAT entry. It does
not remove the entry.

you can write over the old files as needed but still
recover the files (if you haven't filled up that space yet)
later on, which can be handy.

You cannot write over the old files, then recover them
later. If the space has been used by the new files, it
is unlikely the old ones can be recovered in usable form,
whether or not it was filled up.

Typically 'format' wipes out the data.

No, it doesn't. Data is still recoverable after a format.

I usually 'format' every time I put a new card in a camera
for the first time. After that 'erase' should work fine except
I've read that after many writes/erases the card can become
fragmented and it's not a bad idea to re-format occasionally
to clean that up.

If you completely erase all the image files on a card, there are
still most likely some index files left behind. Fragmentation is
not an issue unless you are erasing some files and leaving
others.

'Erase' should be faster, but maybe not by much, depending
on the card, the amount of data on it and some other variables.

What other variables? Formatting in the camera is almost
always faster than erasing file-by-file.

If you are going to re-use a card, it doesn't matter much
in terms of recovering old files whether you format or
erase all the files. Once you start overwriting, it's a crap
shoot.

As for speed and convenience, not to mention the
likelihood of the card continuing to work properly,
there is nothing wrong with, and everything to recommend,
formatting in the camera every time you want to start
clean, such as when you've transferred all your image
files to HD and CD/DVD.

"Karl Johnson" wrote in message
...
After I've filled my CF card and transfered my photos to my PC I erase
them
by using the Format command from the menu. I also notice there's an
Erase
All command too. What's the difference and am I doing it the right way
by
formatting each time?

Others have explained the difference. I would recommend formatting your
card in the camera (not the PC).

Cheers,
David

Formatting is a lot faster. But even formatting will not erase everything.
I have an S400 and a 300D, if I put a card formatted by the 300D in the
S400, the picture numbering sheme is all screwed up. The numbering will
start from the highest number found, either in the camera or on the card.
The only way to prevent this from happening is to format the card in a card
reader under windows (mac? linux?), this will force the camera to use it's
own picture numbering info.

Jean

"Charlie Ih" a écrit dans le message de
...
It may matter for each personal preferenced. Canon store the pictures
in different folders, such as 101canon, etc in the Directory DCIM.
Each folder contains about 100 files (pictures). When one folder is
full, it creates another folder with consecutive numbers. It also
create another Directory, Canonmsc, which I believe keeps tracking
the folder numbers and file numbers (I am not sure, just guesing).
If the card is format in Canon, it may or may not keep the Caonomsc
directory. Most likely it will. In this case, the answer is that
it doesn't matter. I did not do the experiment and so I am not sure.
Can anyone answer this more definitely.

On the other hand if you format the card in a computer, I am quite
sure the Canonmsc will be gone. The folder number may start over
again. If you transfer the pictures by the folders using a card
reader in a computer, it may overwrite the previous folder with
the same folder number.

In article ,
Ian Stirling wrote:
Karl Johnson wrote:
After I've filled my CF card and transfered my photos to my PC I erase
them
by using the Format command from the menu. I also notice there's an
Erase
All command too. What's the difference and am I doing it the right way
by
formatting each time?

Doesn't matter at all.
One or other may be marginally quicker.



--
Charles S. Ih
302-831-8173, FAX 302-831-4316