Initializing CF cards

[coathook]

I have use an Epson 750Z digital camera and a 120Gb BUSLINK HD that is a combo HD and will read and write to CF cards. Would appreciate chatting/trading info with anyone who is successfully erasing and reinitializing CF cards.

 

[ObviousTroll]

I've done it with my Nikon 995; if you mount one with OS X, you can erase them just by deleting the files - but you still end up with .DS_STORE files littering the card.

 

[coathook]

Thanks for your response, Troll! When I first used my Epson camera I was using SanDisk's first USB/CF Reader(Mod.#SDDR-05a) and was having no problems erasing and initializing my CF cards from the menubar. That was back through the OS7-8 period. Somewhere along the line, that became non-effective and I've been waiting for a new driver and/or procedural info to come forth from SanDisk or Epson to replace the old capability....but in vain! I thought my new FireWire combo HD would solve the dilemma, but it will read the card but ,so far, will not write, initialize or transfer contents therefrom (BusLink DataBanker1394-120Gb)

 

[ObviousTroll]

So, what OS are you using now?

Another possibility is that the card itself is corrupt or been set as "write protected" - have you tried formatting it with the disk utility?

 

[coathook]

I'm using Jaguar....v10.2.6....interesting point is that when the card is in the camera, it reads the correct info! I am able to display all resident photo's; able to tell how many pics "are left" for a given resolution, etc. It is my computer system that cannot handle the technology! btw, I've used OS9.2 as an alternate choice...it seems that will not work properly either!

 

[ObviousTroll]

Very weird.

I use the same CF reader you started with (Sandisk) and it works fine. Have you tried using that again? Otherwise, it sounds like there might be a problem with your "databanker"

Have you tried using DiskUtility? It might tell you what it thinks the problem is, or tell you why you can't re-initialize the card.

 

[coathook]

Thanks for your persistance, ObviousTroll...

Yes, I've tried the Sandisk USB unit....it seems to lose it's way in processing. It brings up the card but won't transfer , erase or whatever. Just out of curiosity, does yours work using Classic 9.2 and/or OSX, or Jaguar??...and do you have the USB SanDisk model....I think they made a "straight" serial port reader(?)
Mine is definitely the USB model SDDR-05.

 

[ObviousTroll]

I've got SDDR-31. I bought it because it was the only model I knew worked with Linux (I've got a linux box as well.)

(I *thought* I had the 5. Oh, well.) I just checked and I was able to delete the contents of a 4 meg card and put a couple of jpegs on it. Put back in the camera and looked at the jpegs with the camera's view finder.

Last possibility: you didn't mention if it was one card or more than one. Is it possible you could borrow a card from a friend and try that?

Otherwise, it's time to try Apple support. Sorry.

 

[coathook]

It's probably that with the appearance of OSX etc. the original SanDisk stuff needs updating.....and evidently has been. I'm surprised no driver update for the SDDR-05 never showed up, though!! It's not the card....I have a 4, 8, and 20Mb....same result with all of them! The problems with the "state-of-the-art" BusLink drive, however, remains a mystery! btw, BusLink is proving to be a real "dud"....they don't answer email or their support line. I only can conclude that NONE of their new, wondrous, combo CF/Databankers have worked and that they probably have only one technician.

 

[ObviousTroll]

Sigh. Sorry I couldn't help. When I first saw your question, I figured it would be easy!