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Urgent – issue with SXS card
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Where are you located? Pro Media Support in the States is 877 440 3453.
Not sure what caused the problem. I’ve never seen an SxS card complete formatting and work in a device whose firmware version is below the level req’d to support that media. Also, pulling the card while it’s formatting can damage both the data and the card. Electronically it is probably intact but it will likely need to be sent to the media group for evaluation.
Only other thing I can think of to bring it back would be to try formatting it in your Windows PC (you mentioned that Windows sees the card but Mac OS goes to kernel panic) and then re-formatting it in the camcorder.
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Hmm, could be a plan. You mean literally just FAT32 format the card and then insert into the Camera again? I like this plan, but could this do more harm then good?
I’m based in Norwich, UK.
Olly Lawer
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Now would be a good time to mention that any steps you take are entirely at your own risk. Sorry but I have to throw that out there since I work for Sony..
That said, yes, we have used this trick in the past and it has worked. One thing to note is that by re-formatting it in Windows you may be deleting ‘evidence’ that could help a trained media specialist detect what went wrong in the first place. I will leave this up to you. If you’re not under the gun to get the card working I’d suggest sending it in.
I don’t have a contact for media in the UK but if you contact Sony Pro Service in Basingstoke they should be able to assist.
1256-828828
proservice.uk@eu.sony.com
https://www.sonysupport.com/uk -
[Olly Lawer] “Hmm, could be a plan. You mean literally just FAT32 format the card and then insert into the Camera again? I like this plan, but could this do more harm then good?”
If your computer can see the card, you have something to start with.
Try what Ian suggest; won’t hurt the card.
However if you are able to recover it, test it extensively before you use it for any job; and if the card fails again, dismiss it. Will fail again.
rafael -
Thank you very much. Really appreciated.
Now, considering I could tell the techie exactly what happened (as in I used the card in a camera without adequate firmware and took the card out mid format), I think this is worth a short.
So just to be sure…I insert the card in to an SxS reader and literally click format media (or something similar?) then put the card back in the camera?
I guess because the card is only partially formatted at the moment, the camera will not recognise it.
Has there been any instance where this has not worked? (formatting in Windows?)
– All at my own risk I know.
Kind regards.
Olly Lawer
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[Olly Lawer] ” I like this plan, but could this do more harm then good?”
If it doesn’t work you’ll still have to send the card in anyway. What have you got to lose?
– Don
Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com -
Re it failing. It there anything to say if I do this the card should fail in the future. They will never forgive me if I fix it temporally only for it to fail on a major shoot later.
Kind regards,
Olly Lawer
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Ian,
Just one last point, you said “I’ve never seen an SxS card complete formatting and work in a device whose firmware version is below the level req’d to support that media. ”
The card never completed formatting. It got to 79% but never moved so I had to pull the card from the camera unfortunately.
Logic tells me that because the card is only partially formatted, the camera doesn’t ‘recognise’ the card as media as the correct formatting structure is not in place.
Kind regards,
Olly Lawer
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Format it from Windows Disk Management. You should see each mounted/attached drive at the top and the unformatted/unmounted SxS at the bottom. Right-click, Format, select Format with ‘Fat32’ as the File System.
To address your other question re the possibility of future failures…you really have no way of knowing this. If the card is electronically OK and all you did was damage the data structure, it will probably be ok going forward. If the card has a problem with its controller, memory or interface you could run into another problem down the line.
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[Olly Lawer] “The card never completed formatting. It got to 79% but never moved so I had to pull the card from the camera unfortunately.
Logic tells me that because the card is only partially formatted, the camera doesn’t ‘recognise’ the card as media as the correct formatting structure is not in place.”
Partially formated means not formatted. That sounds to physical damage.
Thanks God this never had happens to my with SxS cards, but with a couple of SDHCs.
On my experience when the camera start to ask you about updating or formatting a card without apparent reason, that card is over.
rafael
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