Why format a memory card?

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Brian Ardrey
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I've read in a few threads about peple formatting their memory cards every time they use it. I have never formatted a card and when it's full I just delete the images. Sometimes I delete them all and sometimes I just delete and few.

Is there really a need to format the card and what does it actually do?
 
gives it a clean start, like a computers hard drive if you are deleting random shots it can be come fragmented and have less space available that it should and will become slower etc.
 
I also find it quicker to reformat a full card than to delete all the images...
 
If you simply delete images then you run the risk of the fragments that are left corrupting the card - far safer and, as hepburn says, quicker just to do a format each time.
 
If it helps, when you delete data you aren't actually removing it but simply telling the system that it can write new data in that location (which it may not necessarily do for a long time), therefore as said above there are chances that errors can occur as the data is still there and could somehow corrupt new data.

Formatting actually deletes the data (although technically not completely but that's low-level stuff which I have no idea about lol) and therefore reduces the chances of errors etc.

This is my understanding of it but if inaccurate please feel free to correct etc :)
 
given how fast a format is, I'm not convinced that it doesnt just reinitialise the file allocation tables.

The story used to be that the problem was with the lifespan of the memory chips. Continually re-writing the same area can 'wear them out'. Not too big an issue on the data area but a major problem if it happens to the fat. If you just delete some files then the relevant areas of the fat have a heavier usage which can lead to premature failure.
Or at least that's how it was on early disks. I'm not really up on the internals of SSD.

Anyone who has experienced the Audi Concert volume problem has experienced degraded eeprom.
 
Fantastic answers people. Thank you very much.

But....

who? said:
Anyone who has experienced the Audi Concert volume problem has experienced degraded eeprom.
Click to expand...

What's the Audi Concert volume problem?

:-)
 
The Audi Concert volume problem put simply, ... the radio has a microprocessor with an eeprom to store the memory in. this eprom has temporary memory which is lost when power is removed and can be written to LOADS of times, it also has permanent memory which doesn't loose it's data but can only be written to say 10,000 times. the software for the radio writes into permanent memory every volume adjustment, so after a while it starts to loose the memory of the volume setting and hence blasts it out or very quiet.

you'll notice it only does it when the unit is cold normally, this is because as it heats up, the material in the eeprom memory is more easily written to.
 
llonen said:
The Audi Concert volume problem put simply, ... the radio has a microprocessor with an eeprom to store the memory in. this eprom has temporary memory which is lost when power is removed and can be written to LOADS of times, it also has permanent memory which doesn't loose it's data but can only be written to say 10,000 times. the software for the radio writes into permanent memory every volume adjustment, so after a while it starts to loose the memory of the volume setting and hence blasts it out or very quiet.

you'll notice it only does it when the unit is cold normally, this is because as it heats up, the material in the eeprom memory is more easily written to.
Click to expand...


Couldn't have put it better myself!

I think we need to ask , 'why not format a memory card'?
 
admirable said:
I think we need to ask , 'why not format a memory card'?
Click to expand...

Because if there's suddenly a problem with the photo's on my computer I can use recovery software to recover the deleted photos. Something I don't believe you can do when you format it.
 
Adam. said:
Because if there's suddenly a problem with the photo's on my computer I can use recovery software to recover the deleted photos. Something I don't believe you can do when you format it.
Click to expand...

Nope you're wrong there, Recovery is still possible! :thumbs:
 
Is there nothing that the people on this site don't know? :-)
 
Lottery numbers? :D
 
Basically formatting the card (normal quick format) just writes a root catalogue on the disc. If you think of your memory card/hard disk as a library with the books randomly placed but with an excellent index then you will not be far wrong. Basically formatting deletes the index and replaces it with one that says "you have no books". Now if you know where the book was left you can still go and retrieve it!

We also have a slow format (this writes 0 or 255 to the entire drive) and also writes a new index. This is more secure BUT yes you guessed it the data is still recoverable but I will not go into that as to all intents and purposes it has gone!

If you go to disc utility and look at the disc erase bit there is an option to overwrite every byte several times - this really does blast it !!

I stopped formatting the memory card when I had the ixus because it stored the last filename used on the card so it avoided using the same name for two different pictures! Now I just let lightroom delete them!
 
Formatting just wipes the part of the memory card where it tells the camera/pc where to find the pictures.

The data is still there after a format but the camera/pc can't see it so they think the card is empty.

The same applies for computer Hard Disks, that's why you should never just format a HD you are selling or dumping.

Formatting doesn't harm the media so it can be done as often as you want.

Hope that helps.
 
llonen said:
The Audi Concert volume problem put simply, ... the radio has a microprocessor with an eeprom to store the memory in. this eprom has temporary memory which is lost when power is removed and can be written to LOADS of times, it also has permanent memory which doesn't loose it's data but can only be written to say 10,000 times. the software for the radio writes into permanent memory every volume adjustment, so after a while it starts to loose the memory of the volume setting and hence blasts it out or very quiet.

you'll notice it only does it when the unit is cold normally, this is because as it heats up, the material in the eeprom memory is more easily written to.
Click to expand...

Quite right. Obviously a few Concert victims on here :)
 
Personally I'm not convinced.

On Saturday, between 2 x 2GB Extreme IV cards I took about 3000 images.
Card in PC - Select All - Cut - Paste to Folder on PC. No format required/implemented.

I never formatted the card once. Nor did I experience any write errors / corrupt images over a 6 hour period. So the question is - does it actually make a difference?

I've only once had a card go corrupt on me, half way through a movie commission (doh!) and I've possibly taken 150k images last year on a handful of cards.......... ??
 
I'll format in future then, thanks for that Admirable.
 
I format everytime, just a habit.
But what I don't understand is, when you put the card back into your reader, it cannot re-read the same files, why is that?
 
mattyh said:
^^ Have to agree... I put about 3000 images on the same card on sunday, not one single problem... although as a general rule i do format the cards, just because it's easier than deleting the images, plus it's good housekeeping.
Click to expand...

Exactly! You can rinse you're dishes, or you can wash them (from time to time).
 
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