Lightroom
Crashing Memory Cards
Crashing Memory Cards
Crashing Memory Cards
I am on assignment in Lodz, Poland and was talking to some tourist who complained about corrupting his memory card. Actually memory cards are a very reliable piece of hardware. They are very rarely defective1
So how do you corrupt a memory card. Here are some sure ways of crashing your memory card:
- A dying battery. If you let your battery run to the end. Your computer, oops I meant your camera, will not be able to properly finish writing the data, oops I meant your photo, to the memory card, and not update the directory structure.
- A full memory card. Your computer, oops I meant your camera, will not be able to properly finish writing the data, oops I meant your photo, to the memory card, and cannot update the directory structure. And yes, this exactly the same as a dying battery.
- Replacing a battery without turning off the camera. Your computer, oops I meant your camera, flushes the memory and write the data, oops the photo, to the memory card before turning the power off.
- Replacing a memory card without turning off the camera. There is only one time that you are guaranteed to have a memory card write, it's when you are turning off your camera. Your computer, oops I meant your camera, always flushes the memory and write the data, oops the photo, to the memory card before turning the power off.
1 I say this as I am touching wood, so I do not gloat and it does not affect me. ↑
Crashing Memory Cards
I am on assignment in Lodz, Poland and was talking to some tourist who complained about corrupting his memory card. Actually memory cards are a very reliable piece of hardware. They are very rarely defective1
So how do you corrupt a memory card. Here are some sure ways of crashing your memory card:
- A dying battery. If you let your battery run to the end. Your computer, oops I meant your camera, will not be able to properly finish writing the data, oops I meant your photo, to the memory card, and not update the directory structure.
- A full memory card. Your computer, oops I meant your camera, will not be able to properly finish writing the data, oops I meant your photo, to the memory card, and cannot update the directory structure. And yes, this exactly the same as a dying battery.
- Replacing a battery without turning off the camera. Your computer, oops I meant your camera, flushes the memory and write the data, oops the photo, to the memory card before turning the power off.
- Replacing a memory card without turning off the camera. There is only one time that you are guaranteed to have a memory card write, it's when you are turning off your camera. Your computer, oops I meant your camera, always flushes the memory and write the data, oops the photo, to the memory card before turning the power off.
1 I say this as I am touching wood, so I do not gloat and it does not affect me. ↑
