Technical question for all you techies...

[suninvited]

An XD disc out of a camera, that suddenly cannot be read, and claims to be unformatted.

It was in the camera and read just fine, then was put in a digital picture frame and read just fine, and then put in a computer to get the pictures copied to a disc, and then suddenly claims to be unformatted, and now wont read in the camera or the digital picture frame.

Can the pictures be saved, and if so, how?

[Kutjara]

1. It might be one of the so-called "High Speed" or "HCSD" disks.

The kind of SD cards used in cameras have higher read/write speeds than the more generic disks sold for normal data storage. Some built-in computer SD slots can't read these disks. To remedy this problem, companies like Seagate sell little USB adapters that make the disks readable by a PC. Actually, they often bundle the adapter with the disk, because so many users have this problem.

If this is your problem, you can either buy an adapter or transfer your images from the camera onto an older, non-HCSD, disk. Or you can hook the camera directly to the comp using a USB cable (if your camera has a mini-USB port).

To find out if you have an HCSD disk, look at the disk itself. HCSD or "high-speed" or "high capacity" should be on there somewhere.

[suninvited]

4. What would the adaptor be called? nt

[Kutjara]

6. I like to refer to it as a "thingy," but I don't think that's the official name.

It's basically a rectangular piece of plastic with a USB plug on one side and a slot for the SD disk on the other. The adapter will also have the "SDHC" logo on it (don't buy one without because it won't read the disk either). If you go to Best Buy or Target, you'll see SDHC disks being sold together with the adapter I'm talking about in the same package. I'm sure they must be sold separately, too, although I've never looked because I got mine with my disk.

I guess you could call them an SDHC to USB adapter.

On edit: I've just googled a bit and its not "HCSD". It's "SDHC". Ive edited this post with the correction.

So it'll be an "SDHC"-capable flash card reader you need.

[suninvited]

7. Sounds like you are in the know!

Would I have to buy one online, or do stores carry them? Bear in mind, I live in a f-ing tiny community and the nearest stores to me are about an hour away. I do best shopping online.

[Kutjara]

11. Good electronics outlets should carry them, but...

...it's probably easier to just shop online. Make sure it says in the product spec that it works with SDHC cards and you'll be fine. Assuming, of course, that your card is an SDHC one. Does it have that logo on it?

[DS1]

2. Transfer the pictures to the computer with the provided usb cable

then when you verify they are all there, put the card in the computer's reader and format it there.

[suninvited]

3. What USB cable?

I dont know if the camera has one. If it does, will that work?

[DS1]

5. I doubt they would pack a usb cable just to confuse you

[suninvited]

8. I confuse easily, indeed

however, it is not my camera. I will ask my father if he has a USB cord to his camera.

My camera takes a SD card, so I cant help there.

[ghostsofgiants]

9. Whether it takes XD or SD, the USB cable will be the same.

[IDemo]

10. Just a note, if it's like ours, it will be a 'mini USB'

With the B connector (connecting to the camera) smaller than on a regular USB cable.

[CatholicEdHead]

13. It should work, look for a transfer button on camera or picture transfer program

That probably came on the CD with the camera. I had this happen with a new 2GB card with my Kodak Easyshare. I could not read it, but when I transferred via the camera it worked. My other two cards used to be like that, and then refused to transfer via camera but work just fine with my PC Card adapter to get the pictures over.

[just a girl]

12. Hate to be the voice of doom...

This happens a lot with XD cards. Transferring between the different formats, especially if it isn't removed properly (ejecting via the usb or explorer eject) can cause data corruption and eventual loss. I hope that's not what has happened in your case.

I transfer the same SD card between my computer, camera, and cell phone: about every 3 months (aprox 60 swaps) the card needs to be reformatted. If I don't swap the cards they last a year or more before needing to be formatted.