30D freezes when I do an "Erase All"

[kelly_weaver]

Here's what I'm doing:

1. Do a shoot in RAW or High JPG (occasionally re-formatting card first)

2. Download images to my computer from a Zio card reader

3. Perform a "safely remove hardware" option on my computer, to ensure the

card reader is "off", then remove my card

4. Put my card in 30D, push play button, then erase-all

 

What is happening:

Camera's LED light stays on, scale goes about 3/4 of the way and stops. Camera

is frozen. I have to pop the battery out and back in to get camera to "wake

up". I also see an error that refers to "protected image"....yet I NEVER

protect my images (I also made sure none were protected).

 

I have the problem with many different CF cards including Sandisk and Lexar. I

also have the problem with 512k up to 2gb cards.

 

Could it be the card reader?

 

HELP....

 

Kelly

Denver (a.k.a. "Blizzard land" right now)

[byronlawrence]

easier to just reformat every time? that is what I do.

[beauh44]

Byron's right... I never use "Erase All" because reformatting (once you've copied your images off, of course) keeps your CF cards "fresh". It may also fix the problem you're having. A CF card is like a solid-state "disk drive" and can become fragmented just like a hard disk and get a screwed-up FAT (File Allocation Table). An in-camera re-format wipes it clean and gets rid of all those pesky things. Good luck!

[kelly_weaver]

Thanks Beau and Byron...you rock....what you said makes sense.

[marknagel]

re-formatting in your camera makes sure its set for it. I do before any shoot.

 

Mark

[ajweiss]

While reformatting is best to clear off a card, I do occasionally use "Erase All" for its one

good function: to erase all of the unprotected images on a card.

 

I've accidentally put a card in the camera that is 2/3rds full, taken a few pictures, then

wanted to clear off all of the ones I'd meant to delete to begin with. In that case, I just

protect the ones I've just taken, then erase all.

 

Except for that 1 in 100 mistake, formatting is best.

 

So, since there is a use for erase all, I'd be interested in the cause of this glitch.

[mendel_leisk]

With both 20D and 5D, using Sandisk cards, I've always formatted my cards while in a card reader, with my PC. I right click the "drive", choose format, and choose the basic format. I believe it's FAT, not FAT32. Never any problems.

 

Also, with the card readers, I don't think it's necessary to do the "safely remove..." function. It "removes" the card reader, and then the PC needs to refind it.

[zacker]

i allways re-format, i have never used the erase all but you can try NOT using the reader and then trying erase all to see if it helps,just to know if your reader is doing something stupid to your cards!

[jon_austin]

As Mendel Leisk has noted, it's not necessary to do the "safely remove..." function. It "removes" the card reader, and in order for your PC to "refind" the card reader, you generally have to unplug it and plug it back in again.

 

Instead, you can just right-click the card reader's drive letter / icon in Explorer, then click Eject. Although most / all card readers do NOT have an Eject function, you'll see the name of the device change when the card is "ejected," then you can simply remove the card from the reader, and the reader will still be "present" in the system and ready to receive another card.

[byronlawrence]

hmmmm.. I just pull the card out :).. same as when computer has a problem just hit the backup power switch.. boom no more problem. restart computer and sure you may hve to run scandisk but it fixes problem

[alan_myers]

Hi Kelly,

 

Sounds like you got the solution, and it's what I would have suggested, too: Format the card in-camera instead of deleting the files. Formatting wipes it clean better than erasing.

 

Another response talked about formating the card in the PC card reader. I don't think so. I very carefully avoid doing that, per Canon's suggestion in their instruction manuals and much I've heard and read elswhere. It's a far better idea to format in-camera.

[mendel_leisk]

Throwing out the question: has *anyone* had a problem with a card after doing the FAT format with their PC. I've done this procedure for two years with 2 different dslr's, no problems.

[jon_austin]

Mendel: I've done this as well (formatted card in PC card reader), just out of curiosity, and never had a problem after doing so. But I assume that the PC's formatting abilities are more advanced and inclusinve than the camera's. So I therefore assume that it's safer to format in-camera and expect the PC to be able to read it than vice versa.

[mars c]

It could be the card reader,

 

I use erase all , all the time with no problem.

 

Using reformat instead of erase all is not normal IMO, and annoying.

 

You should try another card reader , or contact canon about this, this is not a normal operation.

 

...or at least try not to perform "safety remove hardware" , just pull the card after downloading.

[steve_dunn2]

<p>I've formatted cards in my PC, and formatted cards in my 20D, and never had a problem either way. And I don't reformat after each shoot; I copy the files off the card with a card reader and then erase the files and directories from my PC. Then I right-click on the drive (not the card reader itself) and "eject" it, to make sure anything that Windows has cached gets flushed to the card. Like I said, I've never had a problem with this approach.</p>

[e._r._averitt]

Hello Kelly;

 

Like others have said, I do not power down the USB reader when it is attached by the USB connection. Being USB it is simply disconnected/pulled from the PC. Never any problems, so far.

 

I have erased images from the reader and reformatted my CF cards from the PC. I have also erased images from my CF cards from my 20d, and reformatted my cards from the 20d, and so far, no problems.

 

Please let us know if this helps, otherwise your camera might be defective.

 

Best of luck, E. R.

[alibek]

Well... I just connect my 30D to PC via a USB-cord, without using a cardreader;

 

"erase all" is also quite slow in my case (SanDisk UltraII 4GB) - if the card is more than ~1/3 full.

 

Now what I usually do is just formatting the card. At least, it doesn't damage the card (or I didn't know that).

Actually, that's it.