How to tell if CF card is faulty?

[crossposted to comp.os.linux.misc as well as *.photo.* groups because I
know there'll be people there clued up about comp systems, and uk.d-i-y for
folks clued up about life the universe and everything :-)]

I have a 128M CF card which has recently started playing up in my digicam
(Nikon Coolpix 3100 fwiw). After taking a lot of pictures the camera
suddenly reports that the card is not formatted. I can recover the pictures
from the card (using various commercial utilities, or dd-ing to an image and
pulling out chunks starting with the jpeg header from the image file). When
I do this usually some of the later images are corrupt: typically they will
display OK in a thumbnail view but attempting to view at full size the whole
image is momentarily displayed at reduced resolution but then a portion of
the image (starting at the left side) is replaced by blank or garbage as the
veiwer attempts to display it at full resolution. (I guess this is related
to the format of jpeg images?)

Anyway I can reformat the card and it works OK, but the problem recurs.
Sometimes when recovering images I find I still have images from earlier
shoots 'further down' the card, suggesting that the card isn't failing at
some particular memory location but more-or-less randomly. I have a
'reference' duff CF card :-) which the camera (and PC via card reader)
report as unformatted even after a format and this card isn't showing that
symptom, but the repeated occurrences of the problem and the fact I don't
get any problems on another CF card (though that is only 32Mb) suggests that
it's the card at fault rather than the camera.

Is there any way of testing to be sure, using what I have he the camera
itself, a usb card reader, linux and win2k systems, some loo rolls and
sticky-back plastic ... :-) ?

John,

The fact it works find with the 32MB CF card is fairly conclusive proof I'd
say that the 128 is unwell, and not the camera.
Buy another one? 128's are pretty cheap.

Alan.


"John Stumbles" wrote in message
...
[crossposted to comp.os.linux.misc as well as *.photo.* groups because I
know there'll be people there clued up about comp systems, and uk.d-i-y
for
folks clued up about life the universe and everything :-)]

I have a 128M CF card which has recently started playing up in my digicam
(Nikon Coolpix 3100 fwiw). After taking a lot of pictures the camera
suddenly reports that the card is not formatted. I can recover the
pictures
from the card (using various commercial utilities, or dd-ing to an image
and
pulling out chunks starting with the jpeg header from the image file).
When
I do this usually some of the later images are corrupt: typically they
will
display OK in a thumbnail view but attempting to view at full size the
whole
image is momentarily displayed at reduced resolution but then a portion of
the image (starting at the left side) is replaced by blank or garbage as
the
veiwer attempts to display it at full resolution. (I guess this is related
to the format of jpeg images?)

Anyway I can reformat the card and it works OK, but the problem recurs.
Sometimes when recovering images I find I still have images from earlier
shoots 'further down' the card, suggesting that the card isn't failing at
some particular memory location but more-or-less randomly. I have a
'reference' duff CF card :-) which the camera (and PC via card reader)
report as unformatted even after a format and this card isn't showing that
symptom, but the repeated occurrences of the problem and the fact I don't
get any problems on another CF card (though that is only 32Mb) suggests
that
it's the card at fault rather than the camera.

Is there any way of testing to be sure, using what I have he the camera
itself, a usb card reader, linux and win2k systems, some loo rolls and
sticky-back plastic ... :-) ?






----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---


----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

John,

The fact it works find with the 32MB CF card is fairly conclusive proof I'd
say that the 128 is unwell, and not the camera.
Buy another one? 128's are pretty cheap.

Alan.


"John Stumbles" wrote in message
...
[crossposted to comp.os.linux.misc as well as *.photo.* groups because I
know there'll be people there clued up about comp systems, and uk.d-i-y
for
folks clued up about life the universe and everything :-)]

I have a 128M CF card which has recently started playing up in my digicam
(Nikon Coolpix 3100 fwiw). After taking a lot of pictures the camera
suddenly reports that the card is not formatted. I can recover the
pictures
from the card (using various commercial utilities, or dd-ing to an image
and
pulling out chunks starting with the jpeg header from the image file).
When
I do this usually some of the later images are corrupt: typically they
will
display OK in a thumbnail view but attempting to view at full size the
whole
image is momentarily displayed at reduced resolution but then a portion of
the image (starting at the left side) is replaced by blank or garbage as
the
veiwer attempts to display it at full resolution. (I guess this is related
to the format of jpeg images?)

Anyway I can reformat the card and it works OK, but the problem recurs.
Sometimes when recovering images I find I still have images from earlier
shoots 'further down' the card, suggesting that the card isn't failing at
some particular memory location but more-or-less randomly. I have a
'reference' duff CF card :-) which the camera (and PC via card reader)
report as unformatted even after a format and this card isn't showing that
symptom, but the repeated occurrences of the problem and the fact I don't
get any problems on another CF card (though that is only 32Mb) suggests
that
it's the card at fault rather than the camera.

Is there any way of testing to be sure, using what I have he the camera
itself, a usb card reader, linux and win2k systems, some loo rolls and
sticky-back plastic ... :-) ?






----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---


----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

"Alan" wrote in message
...

[un-top-posted]

"John Stumbles" wrote in message
...
[crossposted to comp.os.linux.misc as well as *.photo.* groups because
I
know there'll be people there clued up about comp systems, and uk.d-i-y
for
folks clued up about life the universe and everything :-)]

I have a 128M CF card which has recently started playing up in my
digicam
(Nikon Coolpix 3100 fwiw). After taking a lot of pictures the camera
suddenly reports that the card is not formatted. I can recover the
pictures
from the card (using various commercial utilities, or dd-ing to an image
and
pulling out chunks starting with the jpeg header from the image file).
When
I do this usually some of the later images are corrupt: typically they
will
display OK in a thumbnail view but attempting to view at full size the
whole
image is momentarily displayed at reduced resolution but then a portion
of
the image (starting at the left side) is replaced by blank or garbage as
the
veiwer attempts to display it at full resolution. (I guess this is
related
to the format of jpeg images?)

Anyway I can reformat the card and it works OK, but the problem recurs.
Sometimes when recovering images I find I still have images from earlier
shoots 'further down' the card, suggesting that the card isn't failing
at
some particular memory location but more-or-less randomly. I have a
'reference' duff CF card :-) which the camera (and PC via card reader)
report as unformatted even after a format and this card isn't showing
that
symptom, but the repeated occurrences of the problem and the fact I
don't
get any problems on another CF card (though that is only 32Mb) suggests
that
it's the card at fault rather than the camera.

Is there any way of testing to be sure, using what I have he the
camera
itself, a usb card reader, linux and win2k systems, some loo rolls and
sticky-back plastic ... :-) ?

John,

The fact it works find with the 32MB CF card is fairly conclusive proof
I'd
say that the 128 is unwell, and not the camera.
Buy another one? 128's are pretty cheap.


Alan.



I bought it from ebuyer in February, and they'd be my first choice* if I
were to buy a new one so I'm checking that they sort this out to see if I
want to go on using them anyway. (I've a scanner and other stuff on my
wishlist.)

* I know others have had bad experiences with them but my own experience is
that when the 16M CF card that came with my camera packed up they just sent
out a 32M card with no quibble. Hoping this one goes as smoothly.

"Alan" wrote in message
...

[un-top-posted]

"John Stumbles" wrote in message
...
[crossposted to comp.os.linux.misc as well as *.photo.* groups because
I
know there'll be people there clued up about comp systems, and uk.d-i-y
for
folks clued up about life the universe and everything :-)]

I have a 128M CF card which has recently started playing up in my
digicam
(Nikon Coolpix 3100 fwiw). After taking a lot of pictures the camera
suddenly reports that the card is not formatted. I can recover the
pictures
from the card (using various commercial utilities, or dd-ing to an image
and
pulling out chunks starting with the jpeg header from the image file).
When
I do this usually some of the later images are corrupt: typically they
will
display OK in a thumbnail view but attempting to view at full size the
whole
image is momentarily displayed at reduced resolution but then a portion
of
the image (starting at the left side) is replaced by blank or garbage as
the
veiwer attempts to display it at full resolution. (I guess this is
related
to the format of jpeg images?)

Anyway I can reformat the card and it works OK, but the problem recurs.
Sometimes when recovering images I find I still have images from earlier
shoots 'further down' the card, suggesting that the card isn't failing
at
some particular memory location but more-or-less randomly. I have a
'reference' duff CF card :-) which the camera (and PC via card reader)
report as unformatted even after a format and this card isn't showing
that
symptom, but the repeated occurrences of the problem and the fact I
don't
get any problems on another CF card (though that is only 32Mb) suggests
that
it's the card at fault rather than the camera.

Is there any way of testing to be sure, using what I have he the
camera
itself, a usb card reader, linux and win2k systems, some loo rolls and
sticky-back plastic ... :-) ?

John,

The fact it works find with the 32MB CF card is fairly conclusive proof
I'd
say that the 128 is unwell, and not the camera.
Buy another one? 128's are pretty cheap.


Alan.



I bought it from ebuyer in February, and they'd be my first choice* if I
were to buy a new one so I'm checking that they sort this out to see if I
want to go on using them anyway. (I've a scanner and other stuff on my
wishlist.)

* I know others have had bad experiences with them but my own experience is
that when the 16M CF card that came with my camera packed up they just sent
out a 32M card with no quibble. Hoping this one goes as smoothly.

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 11:26:37 +0100, "John Stumbles"
strung together this:

[un-top-posted]

Also unsnipped, but you seem to have missed that one on the ticklist
of 'the perfect post'!

If you're bottom posting don't make it so everyone has to scroll all
the way down etc etc..... moan moan......

Start flaming here
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 11:26:37 +0100, "John Stumbles"
strung together this:

[un-top-posted]

Also unsnipped, but you seem to have missed that one on the ticklist
of 'the perfect post'!

If you're bottom posting don't make it so everyone has to scroll all
the way down etc etc..... moan moan......

Start flaming here
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

"John Stumbles" writes:
get any problems on another CF card (though that is only 32Mb) suggests that
it's the card at fault rather than the camera.

It may be that it's the filesystem on the card and not the card itself. The
original FAT system was restricted to about 32MB.

Try to use both the faulty 128MB card and the good 32MB card in a reader
and use linux's fdisk to look at the partitions. eg:

fdisk /dev/sda
...
... (use 'p' to print partition table)

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 38144 39059440 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 38145 38154 10240 4 FAT16 32M

The 'System' column at the far right should how the flash-card
is formatted.


Can you format the card under linux and use it normally for some
reasonable length of time?

There are various MSDOS and linux utilities to do a 'surface-check'
of hard drives which should also be usable on a flash-card.

Jack
--
Once, they feared you. Then they matched you. Now they are laughing
at you. Soon they will ignore you. You have lost.

"John Stumbles" writes:
get any problems on another CF card (though that is only 32Mb) suggests that
it's the card at fault rather than the camera.

It may be that it's the filesystem on the card and not the card itself. The
original FAT system was restricted to about 32MB.

Try to use both the faulty 128MB card and the good 32MB card in a reader
and use linux's fdisk to look at the partitions. eg:

fdisk /dev/sda
...
... (use 'p' to print partition table)

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 38144 39059440 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 38145 38154 10240 4 FAT16 32M

The 'System' column at the far right should how the flash-card
is formatted.


Can you format the card under linux and use it normally for some
reasonable length of time?

There are various MSDOS and linux utilities to do a 'surface-check'
of hard drives which should also be usable on a flash-card.

Jack
--
Once, they feared you. Then they matched you. Now they are laughing
at you. Soon they will ignore you. You have lost.

"Jack Strangio" wrote in message
...
The original FAT system was restricted to about 32MB.

Not so!
DOS 1.0 supported single-sided 8 sector/track diskettes (160KB)
DOS 1.1 supported double-sided 9 sectors/track diskettes (360KB)
DOS 2.0 supported 10MB hard disks and subdirectories (PC-XT)
DOS 3.0 supported FAT-16 and 32MB partitions (PC-AT)

There was also the choice of CP/M for the original IBM PC - can't remember
what filesystem that supported.

Sadly, I was there ...

--
LSR