Freeware Formatter for Windows

Guerito · Apr 5, 2007

OK, I have read many posts over the last few months where someone formatted a flash card in their camera only to find that it reduced the total amount of recognizable space on the card. For example, if you format a 16GB CF card in a Canon 5D, you end-up with an 8GB CF card. Until camera makers update their firmware, you may be stuck with half the card you paid for unless you have a utility to reformat the card back to it's original size. I looked for a long time trying to find a freeware program to do just that and finally found one. Just a tip when using it. I would recommend trying a quick format first as a full format may take a long time to complete. Also, don't forget to select FAT32 or else you'll have a 2GB card ;-)
Here you go...
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kneudm
--
'The primary purpose of any business is to make a profit.'
Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home ;jsessionid=GX90G0k1Qp!1508707039?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186095&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

AlexDok · Apr 6, 2007

Perhaps you could provide a link to original author's site?

Glenn W. · Apr 6, 2007

Just exactly what does this software do that can't be done with Windows XP formating tools?

Guerito said:
OK, I have read many posts over the last few months where someone
formatted a flash card in their camera only to find that it reduced
the total amount of recognizable space on the card. For example, if
you format a 16GB CF card in a Canon 5D, you end-up with an 8GB CF
card. Until camera makers update their firmware, you may be stuck
with half the card you paid for unless you have a utility to
reformat the card back to it's original size. I looked for a long
time trying to find a freeware program to do just that and
finally found one. Just a tip when using it. I would recommend
trying a quick format first as a full format may take a long time
to complete. Also, don't forget to select FAT32 or else you'll have
a 2GB card ;-)
Here you go...
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kneudm
--
'The primary purpose of any business is to make a profit.'
Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home ;jsessionid=GX90G0k1Qp!1508707039?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186095&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Jim T · Apr 6, 2007

Maybe it's like the one that sdcard.org has on their web site, that only works with SD cards.

Jim T · Apr 6, 2007

I downloaded check it for suspicious stuff and took the risk. I have a 2gb SD card that I use in my Pentax S5i. The camera formats it so that it becomes a 1gb card. The sdcard.org format utility fixes this, but it's slow. So I formated the 2gb card in my Camera resulting in a damaged 1gb card. I ran the Formatter and it correctly identified the card as a 2gb card and whjen formatted correctly as a 2gb card. Funny thing is the utility is identified as Hewlett Packard software.

Thanks for the lead.

Jim T said:
Maybe it's like the one that sdcard.org has on their web site, that
only works with SD cards.

Guerito · Apr 6, 2007

Jim T said:
Thanks for the lead.

You're welcome Jim.
--
'The primary purpose of any business is to make a profit.'
Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home ;jsessionid=GX90G0k1Qp!1508707039?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186095&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Jim T · Apr 7, 2007

I had an old Smartmedia card that my daughter used in a music player and due to a proprietory partitioining and format the card was useless for my caerma. This utility formated the card for my Olympus camera without a blink!

Guerito · Apr 7, 2007

Cool!
--
'The primary purpose of any business is to make a profit.'
Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home ;jsessionid=GX90G0k1Qp!1508707039?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186095&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

AndreyT · Apr 9, 2007

If you take a 16GB CF card and reformat it to 8GB in, say, 5D you won't be able to return it back to 16GB with Windows built-in tools. You'll need a dedicated piece of softwarre to do that.

overclockp · Apr 10, 2007

It is an HP utility. Direct link:
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/serveroptions/us/download/20306.html

Glenn W. · Apr 10, 2007

I asked this once before, and never seemed to get a decent answer...

What exactly does this piece of software do, that WindowsXP formating tools don't already do?

Guerito said:
OK, I have read many posts over the last few months where someone
formatted a flash card in their camera only to find that it reduced
the total amount of recognizable space on the card. For example, if
you format a 16GB CF card in a Canon 5D, you end-up with an 8GB CF
card. Until camera makers update their firmware, you may be stuck
with half the card you paid for unless you have a utility to
reformat the card back to it's original size. I looked for a long
time trying to find a freeware program to do just that and
finally found one. Just a tip when using it. I would recommend
trying a quick format first as a full format may take a long time
to complete. Also, don't forget to select FAT32 or else you'll have
a 2GB card ;-)
Here you go...
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kneudm
--
'The primary purpose of any business is to make a profit.'
Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home ;jsessionid=GX90G0k1Qp!1508707039?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186095&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Jim T · Apr 10, 2007

It correctly formats Flash Media. With the Format in WinXP it would not correct problems with the media cards that I have had damaged by my Pnetax camera. Since the Pentax firmware doesn't include anything greater than 1gb SD media it formats anything larger than 1gb as a 1gb card. Windows XP would format these cards but would only format as 1gb as well. After formating with the application above, these cards are correctly identified as 2gb and Windows XP will format them as 2gb cards now.

Now I format with this application rather than in the Pentax S5i camera.

Glenn W. · Apr 10, 2007

I see...

So have you ever tried using 'CardWiper' and then WindowsXP format tool on on one of thes damaged cards. CardWiper will completely erase any formating on a card... I suspect that if you erased the formating, then tried using the Windows Formating tools, it would then allow you to format the entire card again.

Jim T said:
It correctly formats Flash Media. With the Format in WinXP it
would not correct problems with the media cards that I have had
damaged by my Pnetax camera. Since the Pentax firmware doesn't
include anything greater than 1gb SD media it formats anything
larger than 1gb as a 1gb card. Windows XP would format these cards
but would only format as 1gb as well. After formating with the
application above, these cards are correctly identified as 2gb and
Windows XP will format them as 2gb cards now.

Now I format with this application rather than in the Pentax S5i
camera.

technicsplayer. · Apr 10, 2007

above 1GB cardwiper gets flaky with some fast cards and reports errors that are not there so care needs to be taken (I suspect it is just several years old code) so the formatter may be a better option.

Jim T · Apr 10, 2007

The formatter utility is also only a single step. The sdcard.org is also a single step.

Glenn W. said:
So have you ever tried using 'CardWiper' and then WindowsXP format
tool on on one of thes damaged cards. CardWiper will completely
erase any formating on a card... I suspect that if you erased the
formating, then tried using the Windows Formating tools, it would
then allow you to format the entire card again.

Jim T said:

It correctly formats Flash Media. With the Format in WinXP it
would not correct problems with the media cards that I have had
damaged by my Pnetax camera. Since the Pentax firmware doesn't
include anything greater than 1gb SD media it formats anything
larger than 1gb as a 1gb card. Windows XP would format these cards
but would only format as 1gb as well. After formating with the
application above, these cards are correctly identified as 2gb and
Windows XP will format them as 2gb cards now.

Now I format with this application rather than in the Pentax S5i
camera.

Click to expand...

--
http://www.jamesthompsonconsultingengineer.com

Excuse my typing. English is my only language, but the keyboard, my fingers and my brain don't always speak it.

Glenn W. · Apr 10, 2007

I know cardwiper is flaky and can't reliably be used to test cards, however as far as I know it is quite reliable at erasing formating data from a card...

technicsplayer. said:
above 1GB cardwiper gets flaky with some fast cards and reports
errors that are not there so care needs to be taken (I suspect it
is just several years old code) so the formatter may be a better
option.

Glenn W. · Apr 10, 2007

Yes, I realize that using CardWiper and then Windows formating tools is a two step process... I'm interested to know if it works to correct these types of problems.

I personally would prefer the two step process... Erasing the formating in one step... and knowing it's no longer formated at all, would convince me that there was nothing remaining of the old formating... and using a Microsoft software to do the new formating would give me some sort of warm fuzzy feeling considering the files systems being used are also Microsoft inventions...

Jim T said:
Glenn W. said:

I see...

So have you ever tried using 'CardWiper' and then WindowsXP format
tool on on one of thes damaged cards. CardWiper will completely
erase any formating on a card... I suspect that if you erased the
formating, then tried using the Windows Formating tools, it would
then allow you to format the entire card again.

Click to expand...

technicsplayer. · Apr 11, 2007

but still a waste of your time since the result is identical.

MrScary · Apr 12, 2007

--Does Windows XP only Format in NTFS...Mine Does...Won't Format any HDD or Card in FAT32...Gota use FDisk for that or SWISSKNIFE..So HOW do you lot get your XP Pro to Format in FAT32 useing Windows!! ?

I also thought that ALL cards should be Formated in CAMERA ONLY. Not Windows. But seeing as Manufactures can't get their act together I can understand why you do it via PC.

MrScary (DennisR)
Swansea, Wales. UK

http://www.pbase.com/dennisr
http://community.webshots.com/user/mrscarecrow
http://digiden.photoshare.co.nz

Guerito · Apr 12, 2007

MrScary said:
--Does Windows XP only Format in NTFS...Mine Does...Won't Format
any HDD or Card in FAT32.

Sure it does, just select it from the pull-down in the menu.

MrScary said:
I also thought that ALL cards should be Formated in CAMERA ONLY.

Read my original post to understand why, and why I supplied the file. I didn't need it as I can use my Lexar utility to reformat my cards. I posted the file for the people who kept asking me for a copy of my $39 Lexar program but so far only one person, Jim, has seen any value in my spending several days to find a freeware program to do what many have asked for.

--
'The primary purpose of any business is to make a profit.'
Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home ;jsessionid=GX90G0k1Qp!1508707039?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186095&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

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