Why format an SD card?

I've read where someone recommends formatting the card after uploading, vs. deleting the images. Why? My camera manual says it shouldn't be necessary to format a card unless you get an error message.

This is something that comes up every now and then. When you merely "delete" an image, you are not really getting rid of it - you are just allowing the camera to put a new picture over the old one (a bit like when you delete something on the computer you are not really getting rid of it but just allowing it to be over-written).

Gradually, your memory card might acquire all sorts of little part files, etc which could (in the end) result in a corrupted picture.

Formatting it, on the other hand, totally cleans the card as though it is new.

As a general rule, I would always format, apart from when I am just deleting selected images.

Hope this helps
Mike

Thanks for the reply Mike. It makes complete sense to me.

I learned something new everyday.

A flash memory card has a limited number of write cycles. (usually 100,000 or so) This is what determines the cards' life. When it is formatted, the action helps to sort of "reset" the number of writes. (This assumes that the next set of writes will not occur in exactly the same sectors of the memory) Although I don't format every time I dump my cards, it's not a bad idea to do it from time to time. Keep in mind that formatting is simply overwriting the card with zeros.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Didache

This is something that comes up every now and then. When you merely "delete" an image, you are not really getting rid of it - you are just allowing the camera to put a new picture over the old one (a bit like when you delete something on the computer you are not really getting rid of it but just allowing it to be over-written).

Gradually, your memory card might acquire all sorts of little part files, etc which could (in the end) result in a corrupted picture.

Formatting it, on the other hand, totally cleans the card as though it is new.

As a general rule, I would always format, apart from when I am just deleting selected images.

Hope this helps
Mike

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I hate to say. That formating a CT,SD, or any other type of Media does not rewrite the whole card. All formating does is write a new directory/allocation table. That is way photos and documents can be recovered.

Freygr is correct in nothing other than the directory/allocation table is overwritten. The reason for formatting over erasing is that it is quicker to do and gives you the maximum contiguous writing space for your next set of pics and a clean directory table.

Always format camera cards. Do not delete pics until you've downloaded them to a safe place that way you won't get a corrupted card or delete something by mistake.

Roger

thanks for information

thanks for everything...