TAKE CARE OF YOUR MEMORY CARD TO AVOID LOSING YOUR PHOTOS

Memory cards come in several varieties. The most common types are SD, Compact Flash, Memory Stick and XD cards. Some or perhaps all types come in different speeds which determine how fast the photos are saved and transferred to your computer. Be sure to check out the speed of the card before purchasing particularly if you have an SLR camera or if you plan to use your camera’s movie feature. High speed cards are more expensive than slower cards. I recommend Sandisk brand which have proved to be very reliable. I use the Extreme III type rated at 30 Mbs. They also have faster Extreme IV cards.

Memory cards are relatively cheap so keep a spare handy in case you fill your card or it malfunctions. Here are some tips for minimizing the risk of your card malfunctioning and losing your photos:

1. A low battery can sometimes corrupt a memory card. Make sure your battery is charged and have a spare battery if possible.

2. Always make sure your battery is fully charged before downloading photos to the computer using the camera. If the battery dies during transfer, the card can be damaged and photos lost. The preferred method is to use a card reader which can be purchased in places like Wal Mart, office stores or online. You can purchase a single card reader for one type of card or a multiple card reader if you have more than one type of memory card.

3. Try not to completely fill the memory card. If the card gets nearly full and runs out of room while writing to the card, this could cause the camera to write over the card headers and corrupt the file system.

4. Do not touch the metal contacts on your memory card and avoid static electricity especially when handling cards in low humidity.

5. Be careful with the Delete All and Format options in the camera as these operations are are usually irreversible. Don’t let people unfamiliar with the camera navigate the menus.

6. Always format 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 or let your downloading software or Photoshop Elements delete the photos or format the card.

Cards can get fragmented like hard drives and fomatting will defragment it which can improve performance and repair the file structure. Often, formatting will restore a corrupted card. I always format my memory card after each and every transfer of all photos. It's a very fast and painless way to delete all your photos.

7. Do not shut off the camera or remove the card while the camera is still saving data to it. Wait a few moments until you’re sure the pictures are completely written to the card. It’s best to turn off the camera before removing the memory card and putting in a new one.

8. Don't remove the card from a card reader too quickly. Wait a minute until it has finished communicating with the hard drive and all files on the card are closed.

9. Don’t delete individual photos from the camera unless you really have to because you are running out of room. It takes more battery power to review and delete photos and will deplete the battery faster. Also, even though one might not look great on the LCD screen, it doesn’t show the image accurately and it’s best to look at them on the computer before making the decision about keeping it. Yout might be able to salvage it with your photo processing software. There is also the risk that you might accidentally delete a photo you meant to keep.

10. Life expectancy of memory cards is usually about 8 – 10 years according to one source. It’s a good idea to write the purchase date on the card so you will know when to replace it if it’s not obsolete in that length of time.

11. Taking the memory card out of your camera to use in a different camera or device can change the format and make a mess of the file structure. Every device has its own format and numbering sequence. Have a card specifically for each device you use. If you must use the same card in different devices, save all of the data to your computer first and then format the card in the new device.

12. Don’t try to edit or rotate photos in the camera. This has been reported to cause overwriting of data to other files or at the least, make a mess of the file structure. Save editing photos until you have downloaded them to the computer.

13. Environmental concerns: Avoid extremely hot conditions such as a locked car or any place above 120 degrees. Moisture and dirty contacts can also cause problems If the contacts become dirty, you can try cleaning them with a couple of drops of Isopropyl Alcohol on a cotton-tipped swab.

12. If you have a problem with the memory card before saving you photos to the computer, stop using it immediately. Do not take more photos, reformat it or try to delete the photos. Use an Image Recovery program to try to recover the images.

Image Recovery Software for recovering images from damaged cards:
http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/ $29
http://www.filerecovery.com/PHOTORECOVERY.htm $39

Both of these have trial download software to see if the files can be recovered before purchasing. If they can be recovered you have to purchase the programs to save them.