Photo Recovery Support

Photo Recovery Support ~ Card Care Tips

• Always reformat the card in your camera each time after downloading and saving the pictures on your computer. Don't use the computer to format the card.
• Always create a backup by saving your files from the memory card to your computer. You might also create a second backup on a CD.
• Try not to let the memory card get too full before downloading the pictures to your camera. Cards that get too full have been known to write over the card headers.
• Always charge your batteries sufficiently before taking pictures. Keep a set of fully charged spare batteries handy just in case.
• Do not remove the card from the camera too quickly while the camera is still saving data to it. Wait a few moments until you're sure the picture is completely written to the card.
• Wait a few seconds before shutting off the camera for the picture to be written to the memory card. With the power shut off the camera may stop writing to the card causing a file corruption.
• Do not take pictures too close together beyond the manufacturer's recommended interval. The camera will not be able to finish writing one picture completely before starting on the next.
• Avoid large static charges, and be extra careful when handling cards in dry low humidity areas.
• Keep cards away from strong magnetic sources, and extreme heat and cold. Walk-thru airport x-rays and scanners are safe, but avoid the stronger x-ray equipment used to examine checked baggage.
• Don't remove the card from a card reader too quickly. Wait until it has finished communicating with the hard drive and all files on that card are closed.
• Edit and delete pictures on the memory card with your computer, not with the camera. Too many file edits and picture deletes in the camera have been known to cause card problems.
• If a memory card problem occurs, stop using the card immediately. Do not reformat the card or delete pictures. Use an Image Recovery program or send the card to an Image Recovery Lab to retrieve the files.
• Be careful with the Delete All and Card Format options in the camera. Depending on the camera, these operations are sometimes irreversible. Don't let people unfamiliar with the camera navigate the menus.
• If you own more than one digital camera, keep the cards for each camera separate. Do not take pictures on one card and then put the card in the other camera and start taking more pictures. This will likely corrupt the card. If you must switch out cards between cameras, format the card in the new camera first before doing anything.