I am posting this nightmare in hopes that if any of you are unfortunate enough to run into this problem it may help you. I put in my cover shot card from a 1st communion I shot for whatever reason the card looked fine but I think I tried pushing something my moving two large pieces of data at once. This card and something else BUT when I cam back Windows explorer needed a restart and Windows said my card needed to be formated. I tried the Panasonic recovery software it said a file was missing and didnt work the camera wouldnt even reconize the card. The whole structor was fried. So I used a program called "Restore 2000" best $50 I ever spent ive used it for years and it has made its money back 100 fold. After recovery I got 3 giant files that were .PCBs that wouldnt open in Edius so I changed the file extensions to .MTS and I got them open in Premiere were I exported them to a full HD file that works. SO in the end IO was able to save my footage. I wasnt THAT worried because it was just my cover shot but I still really needed at least some of it. I then put the card in my camera that said "check card" & "incompatable" I re-formatted it and it seems fine.

Hi Randy

I only ever had one card that said "check card" when I tried to play the files back during a break at a wedding...seems like the player software was set wrong. I still "retired" the card and use it only for Realty Shoots where a re-shoot is still an option no so at a wedding.

Just for interest, what camera and what card were you using?????

Chris

AG-HMC 150 and a Patriot card. I think it was actually a burp in Windows that caused the issue. It was fine when I first put it in but I think Windows currpted it.

Got caught last week as I own both an AF 100 and HMC 150.

I took both cameras up for a school recital, and put cards in both cameras and both cameras showed as empty cards..

Recital started, 5 minutes later, the HMC stopped, card full !!!!

Lesson learnt: reformat cards when swapping between different Panasonic cameras!

They can't read each other's file indexes. *!&##***!

Cheers,

Vaughan

Hi Vaughan

That is a number one golden rule...format the card in the camera!!! Even though I'm using identical cameras I STILL format all cards before use...if they might be a card problem, rather find out after a format BEFORE you start shooting. I know it's a bit silly but I also do a 10 sec shoot with the new card and check the playback just to be sure!! It also allows me to always delete clip 00000.MTS after I copy the files over so my clip count is my shoot count. When you find a good card, stick with it and you shouldn't ever have issues!!!

Chris

One of the things I do with my SD cards is to flip the write protect tab before loading them into the computer. Actually I flip the tab as soon as I take them out of the adapter for the EX1. I find it keeps the computer from writing the trashcan files in the case of the Mac or the recycle bin files in the case of a PC. Not to mention it should help reduce the probability the OS corrupts the card.

I always erase and/or format them in camera. Never in the computer. Gives me one last chance to look and make sure I'm not formatting the wrong card.

Randy, Did you happen to try a chkdsk /f before you purchased the restore software?

...Jerry

btw, we're neighbors, I live in Limestone Hills. I monitor this forum cuz I own a TM700 (my expertise is in Sony Vegas Pro & Web Delivery of video). Send me a Personal Message if you know of any local user groups.

Edit: I've also used Patriot cards and have had good luck with them, however, recently I've been using a Centon 32GB Class 10 that I found on Woot! for a good price. So far, I've been pleased.

I'm with Chris - that write-protect tab gets flipped the minute the card comes out of the camera.

I had the restore software for years it bailed me out plenty of times. The weird part is Windows wouldnt see a partition on the card but the card was o.k. in the camera.