Arrghh!! smartmedia problems!

[Des43164]

I have 2 64mb smartmedia cards and a sandisk card reader... it has done this twice now, what happens is I copy files from teh first card with no problems... then I insert the second card and the same files show up in windows explorer as in the last card! when I try to view them, there are errors etc.. what I think it's done is replace the index of the second card with that of the first card - all the actual data is still there! :-(

is there anyway I can recover my images? Like I said, this is the second time it has happened. It's not a card problem as it's happened with different cards each time.

 

[Derek2]

Des wrote:

I copy files from teh first card with no problems... then I insert the second card and the same files show up in windows explorer as in the last card!when I try to view them, there are errors etc.. what I think it's done is replace the index of the second card with that of the first card - all the actual data is still there! :-(
Des,

When you insert the second card, your hard drive is seeing two files with the same "name". I believe there are three possible remedies:

1) Check the camera manual: Some cameras allow each image captured to be numbered sequentially, even when recorded on different cards, until a pre-set max. number/value is reached, at which point the camera reverts to 1 and starts again.
2) Re-name each image after copying the first card.
3) Copy the images from one card directly to CD or to some other medium.
Hope this works for you,
Derek2.

 

[Des43164]

Des wrote:
I copy files from teh first card with no problems... then I insert
the second card and the same files show up in windows explorer as
in the last card!when I try to view them, there are errors etc..
what I think it's done is replace the index of the second card with
that of the first card - all the actual data is still there! :-(
Des,
When you insert the second card, your hard drive is seeing two
files with the same "name". I believe there are three possible
remedies:

Derek, thanks for the help, but that is not the problem. I have my Olympus C-2100UZ set to record files sequentially - when I insert the second smartmedia card, the index from the previous card appears, no matter what is on the second card!!!!

 

[Dave B32646]

Des what happens if you try to download both card's from your camera.

Dave B

I have 2 64mb smartmedia cards and a sandisk card reader... it has
done this twice now, what happens is I copy files from teh first
card with no problems... then I insert the second card and the same
files show up in windows explorer as in the last card! when I try
to view them, there are errors etc.. what I think it's done is
replace the index of the second card with that of the first card -
all the actual data is still there! :-(

is there anyway I can recover my images? Like I said, this is the
second time it has happened. It's not a card problem as it's
happened with different cards each time.

 

[Geoffrey Thornber]

I have 2 64mb smartmedia cards and a sandisk card reader... it has
done this twice now, what happens is I copy files from teh first
card with no problems... then I insert the second card and the same
files show up in windows explorer as in the last card

To try and avoid conflicts, I put the first card's contents into a new folder which can then be given a new name. On changing the cards the second one then starts from new. It seems to avoid the confusion. Best, Geoff.

 

[Des43164]

Des what happens if you try to download both card's from your camera.

Here's the weird part. when I put the 2nd card back into the camera, it is unable to read it!!!

 

[Dave B32646]

Hi Des

Sounds like the card may have become corrupted in some way, is it allways the same card that causes the problem or do they both suffer it, you might try getting another card and only download from the camera for a while, if all goes well try the reader again, don't know why it should cause this problem but it could be dodgy, it look's like it's going to be a process of ilimination to find the culprit, my money's on the card though.

Dave B

Des what happens if you try to download both card's from your camera.

Here's the weird part. when I put the 2nd card back into the
camera, it is unable to read it!!!

 

[Des43164]

Hi Des
Sounds like the card may have become corrupted in some way, is it
allways the same card that causes the problem or do they both
suffer it, you might try getting another card and only download
from the camera for a while, if all goes well try the reader again,
don't know why it should cause this problem but it could be dodgy,
it look's like it's going to be a process of ilimination to find
the culprit, my money's on the card though.

thanks for the help, dave.. but it's not the card. it's done it to both of them so far, and they work ok otherwise. I think it's the reader THINKING that the same card is still in the reader, where I've actually swapped them out. I think I might have to just make sure the reader KNOWS that I've put a different card in.

downloads ok from teh camera (slower though!)

 

[Dave B32646]

Hmmm

Des try pressing F5 when in explorer if it happens again to see if that will cause the reader to refresh, if that does not work and the reader is a USB device try unpluging it from the computer for a few seconds, take the card out first, USB devices can be pluged in and unpluged with the computer on but if the device uses a seperate power supply switch it off first, don't try it with any other type of device though, also check the link's for known windows 98 SE USB problems.

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q240/0/75.asp

http://www.usbman.com

Dave B

Hi Des
Sounds like the card may have become corrupted in some way, is it
allways the same card that causes the problem or do they both
suffer it, you might try getting another card and only download
from the camera for a while, if all goes well try the reader again,
don't know why it should cause this problem but it could be dodgy,
it look's like it's going to be a process of ilimination to find
the culprit, my money's on the card though.

thanks for the help, dave.. but it's not the card. it's done it to
both of them so far, and they work ok otherwise. I think it's the
reader THINKING that the same card is still in the reader, where
I've actually swapped them out. I think I might have to just make
sure the reader KNOWS that I've put a different card in.

downloads ok from teh camera (slower though!)

 

[Leighton]

When I change/load multiple cards into my USB reader, I find I have to right-click and "eject" the SmartMedia. Otherwise one of three things happen:

1. subsequent cards have the same directory and file information

2. the read/in use light stays on and the only way for me to get back use of the reader is to unplug turn off and on the computer

3. subsequent cards are not recognized by the reader and I get either "format the media" or "no media detected".

Usually if I turn off the computer and go back in the subsequent card is readable again.

leighton

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q240/0/75.asp

http://www.usbman.com

Dave B

Hi Des
Sounds like the card may have become corrupted in some way, is it
allways the same card that causes the problem or do they both
suffer it, you might try getting another card and only download
from the camera for a while, if all goes well try the reader again,
don't know why it should cause this problem but it could be dodgy,
it look's like it's going to be a process of ilimination to find
the culprit, my money's on the card though.

thanks for the help, dave.. but it's not the card. it's done it to
both of them so far, and they work ok otherwise. I think it's the
reader THINKING that the same card is still in the reader, where
I've actually swapped them out. I think I might have to just make
sure the reader KNOWS that I've put a different card in.

downloads ok from teh camera (slower though!)