SD card corrupted while changing the power source. at DVinfo.net

Ian Semmens · August 13th, 2009, 08:46 PM

Warning on changing from battery to external DC input for EX1 & EX3 while recording.
Hopefull this will serve as a warning to others.
I have recorded a seminar of 85 minutes lenght on a EX1 with Transcend 32GB card, MxR, using the camera battery. During recording I pluged in the AC adapter into the external socket of the camera as the battery was running low and there was no break by the speaker to allow me the 30 seconds needed to change batteries (turn off, change battery, power on, camera start up). I did this with no apparent problem. The camera continued to record. I have done this on my Sony DSR 500 (tape camera) many times with no problems.
I transfered the BPAV to Clip Browser 2.5 and it seemed OK. I can view it in the preview window. Upon trying to import it into Edius 5 (or Prem Pro CS4) from Clip Browser I get a message of "Failed to open file" and "File format not supported" respectively. I get this horrible, sinking feeling that my footage is not accessible.
Upon rechecking the footage in Clip Browser I notice that when I plugged in the external power the video freezes for 3 seconds and then keeps playing. It does this again 25 minutes later. I don't know why for the later freeze. There is also static/noise in the audio continuing for 3 minutes after each "freeze". It wipes out the original audio for this time.
I re-transfer using Clipbrowser and CRC. It will not import to Edius. I try exporting out of Clip browser using all of the formats and it fails. The card when played in the camera or the Sony EX30 SxS deck stops at the 11 minute mark co-inciding with when I changed the power, and I now get a "media error" message. I am not able to do a media restore in the camera. I have not deleted the card yet. If I do a BPAV file transfer that will record all of the contents of the card.
I have played the first 11 minutes out from the camera and recorded it via s-video and DV storm capure card as a avi file. So that bit is OK. The 85 minutes was a single recording. It has produced 7 CLPR folders. the first 4 (35 minutes) will not go into Edius (or Prem for that matter). The last 3 folders (50 minutes) are accepted by Edius.
Is there any way I can repair the 4 CLPR folders?
As I can play the whole clip in Clip Browser (with the two frezzes and the 6 minutes of noise) maybe I will have to film the Clip Browser preview monitor? VLC does not pay it back.
Thanks for your help.
Ian

Warren Kawamoto · August 13th, 2009, 10:00 PM

I'm very sorry to hear about your problem, and I hope you can recover your files. Try a data recovery software, like filescavenger. But then again if the file was already corrupted when it was written, I don't know if it can be corrected.

Please try to duplicate the problem and see if the power source switch corrupted the file. I just tried it on my EX1, and everything was fine on an SxS card.

Ian Semmens · August 13th, 2009, 11:39 PM

Thank you for your support.
As this happened only two days ago I have been trying to fix the current corrupted files and have not yet had a chance to test that particular camera/card/reader combination. In rectrospect I should have tested my theory before posting but it does seem that the connecting of the power and the corruption are liked. Although I could be wrong. If others report no problem with "hot-swap" of power then the likely cultprit would be the card. I am using 4 new Transcend 32Gb SDHC C6 cards with MxR and I did record test them once before using.
I have previously been using Sandisc 16 Gb with Kingston with no problems. Though this is of course the first time I have done a "hot-swap" of power.

Vincent Oliver · August 14th, 2009, 12:46 AM

I suspect you may have a "Bad Sector" in one of your new SD cards. Test each one of them to full capacity before using on another job.

I can't give you any advice on fixing the problem other than perform a search on this forum for data recovery applications.

Good luck.

Ian Semmens · August 14th, 2009, 01:44 AM

OK, this may have been a false alarm as I have now done limited testing with that card/reader/camera combination (and another card/reader). I was recording while puttting the power plug in and out and it does not seem to have affected the recorded file. Athough the user manual says "Data are not guarranteed if the power is turned off or a memory card removed while the card id being accessed". Perhaps there can be a momentary off as the plug in being inserted/removed?
I may have a "bad sector" on the SD card but I am reluctant to record over the card at this stage to prove it although I have copies on the computer. Echoes of another job compromised by wiping a card too soon.
Ian

Vincent Oliver · August 14th, 2009, 03:07 AM

Leave the card testing until you have recovered all the data - there will be a way, at worst you may lose a few seconds of the clip.

Kevin Spahr · August 15th, 2009, 06:17 AM

I would try to copy the clips to another card in the camera - while keeping fingers crossed. It's a long shot but it might be worth a try...

Ian Semmens · August 15th, 2009, 07:16 AM

Thanks for your suggestions.
I made a copy from the file on the computer to a spare card via the usb card reader but it did not work. The next thing is to make a copy in the camera. There has been a corruption of the card and I don't think a data recovery program can help in that situation, but it is worth a try. Have others found that it can help recover corrupted data? What are some to use?
Many thanks,
Ian

Alister Chapman · August 15th, 2009, 12:58 PM

Try getting someone with a Mac to use the XDCAM Transfer tool to break up the clip into subclips by marking in and out points. Put an out point just before the corrupt portion and with luck the Transfer Tool will import everything up to that point. You will then need to get those clips re-exported as MP4's but thats easy enough to do from Final Cut Pr0.

August 13th, 2009, 08:46 PM	#1
Ian Semmens Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 27	SD card corrupted while changing the power source. Warning on changing from battery to external DC input for EX1 & EX3 while recording. Hopefull this will serve as a warning to others. I have recorded a seminar of 85 minutes lenght on a EX1 with Transcend 32GB card, MxR, using the camera battery. During recording I pluged in the AC adapter into the external socket of the camera as the battery was running low and there was no break by the speaker to allow me the 30 seconds needed to change batteries (turn off, change battery, power on, camera start up). I did this with no apparent problem. The camera continued to record. I have done this on my Sony DSR 500 (tape camera) many times with no problems. I transfered the BPAV to Clip Browser 2.5 and it seemed OK. I can view it in the preview window. Upon trying to import it into Edius 5 (or Prem Pro CS4) from Clip Browser I get a message of "Failed to open file" and "File format not supported" respectively. I get this horrible, sinking feeling that my footage is not accessible. Upon rechecking the footage in Clip Browser I notice that when I plugged in the external power the video freezes for 3 seconds and then keeps playing. It does this again 25 minutes later. I don't know why for the later freeze. There is also static/noise in the audio continuing for 3 minutes after each "freeze". It wipes out the original audio for this time. I re-transfer using Clipbrowser and CRC. It will not import to Edius. I try exporting out of Clip browser using all of the formats and it fails. The card when played in the camera or the Sony EX30 SxS deck stops at the 11 minute mark co-inciding with when I changed the power, and I now get a "media error" message. I am not able to do a media restore in the camera. I have not deleted the card yet. If I do a BPAV file transfer that will record all of the contents of the card. I have played the first 11 minutes out from the camera and recorded it via s-video and DV storm capure card as a avi file. So that bit is OK. The 85 minutes was a single recording. It has produced 7 CLPR folders. the first 4 (35 minutes) will not go into Edius (or Prem for that matter). The last 3 folders (50 minutes) are accepted by Edius. Is there any way I can repair the 4 CLPR folders? As I can play the whole clip in Clip Browser (with the two frezzes and the 6 minutes of noise) maybe I will have to film the Clip Browser preview monitor? VLC does not pay it back. Thanks for your help. Ian

August 14th, 2009, 12:46 AM	#4
Vincent Oliver Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chislehurst, London Posts: 1,724	I suspect you may have a "Bad Sector" in one of your new SD cards. Test each one of them to full capacity before using on another job. I can't give you any advice on fixing the problem other than perform a search on this forum for data recovery applications. Good luck. __________________ Eyes are a deaf man’s ears. Ears are a blind man’s eyes

August 14th, 2009, 03:07 AM	#6
Vincent Oliver Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chislehurst, London Posts: 1,724	Leave the card testing until you have recovered all the data - there will be a way, at worst you may lose a few seconds of the clip. __________________ Eyes are a deaf man’s ears. Ears are a blind man’s eyes

August 15th, 2009, 12:58 PM	#9
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Try getting someone with a Mac to use the XDCAM Transfer tool to break up the clip into subclips by marking in and out points. Put an out point just before the corrupt portion and with luck the Transfer Tool will import everything up to that point. You will then need to get those clips re-exported as MP4's but thats easy enough to do from Final Cut Pr0. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

August 13th, 2009, 10:00 PM	#2
Warren Kawamoto Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 1,435	I'm very sorry to hear about your problem, and I hope you can recover your files. Try a data recovery software, like filescavenger. But then again if the file was already corrupted when it was written, I don't know if it can be corrected. Please try to duplicate the problem and see if the power source switch corrupted the file. I just tried it on my EX1, and everything was fine on an SxS card.

August 13th, 2009, 11:39 PM	#3
Ian Semmens Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 27	Thank you for your support. As this happened only two days ago I have been trying to fix the current corrupted files and have not yet had a chance to test that particular camera/card/reader combination. In rectrospect I should have tested my theory before posting but it does seem that the connecting of the power and the corruption are liked. Although I could be wrong. If others report no problem with "hot-swap" of power then the likely cultprit would be the card. I am using 4 new Transcend 32Gb SDHC C6 cards with MxR and I did record test them once before using. I have previously been using Sandisc 16 Gb with Kingston with no problems. Though this is of course the first time I have done a "hot-swap" of power.

August 14th, 2009, 01:44 AM	#5
Ian Semmens Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 27	OK, this may have been a false alarm as I have now done limited testing with that card/reader/camera combination (and another card/reader). I was recording while puttting the power plug in and out and it does not seem to have affected the recorded file. Athough the user manual says "Data are not guarranteed if the power is turned off or a memory card removed while the card id being accessed". Perhaps there can be a momentary off as the plug in being inserted/removed? I may have a "bad sector" on the SD card but I am reluctant to record over the card at this stage to prove it although I have copies on the computer. Echoes of another job compromised by wiping a card too soon. Ian

August 15th, 2009, 06:17 AM	#7
Kevin Spahr Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Carlisle, PA Posts: 451	I would try to copy the clips to another card in the camera - while keeping fingers crossed. It's a long shot but it might be worth a try...

August 15th, 2009, 07:16 AM	#8
Ian Semmens Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 27	Thanks for your suggestions. I made a copy from the file on the computer to a spare card via the usb card reader but it did not work. The next thing is to make a copy in the camera. There has been a corruption of the card and I don't think a data recovery program can help in that situation, but it is worth a try. Have others found that it can help recover corrupted data? What are some to use? Many thanks, Ian