"The Card Is Electronically Locked"

bt*ist · 06-02-2009, 03:54 AM

Hello,

I've got an SD memory card issue and I've spent the usual three or four hours online trying without success looking for solutions.

The problem:
* If I put the card into my Pentax K10D it comes up with an onscreen message 'The Card is Electronically locked'. The manual for the camera suggests that this is different to 'the card is locked'. FYI : the little switch-lock thing on the side of the card is unlocked and has been toggled back and forth numerous times. I can't take photos on the card, and I can't access images on the card.

Further information:
* In my Nikon Coolpix which also takes SD cards, the error message when the card is inserted reads 'This Card Cannot Be Used'
* In my laptop's SD card slot the card is not accessible, and in the hardware section the drive has a yellow exclamation mark sign and further investigation says that there is a 'code 10' error with the card. All other SD cards in my collection are fine. Apparently the error code 10 can mean anything from a CD drive to DVD drive to external device generic error/failure/problem.
* I have tried numerous image recovery software packages and not one has yet been able to locate the drive that the card is in, let alone recover anything from it

The card was not subject to any particular stresses, damage, liquids or chemicals that every other card in my collection wasn't also subjected to (ie. none), and it gave no hint of trouble during the time it was used, up to and including review of images while the card was in the camera.

Does anyone have any experience with this issue and any possible solutions for it?

Ben_Edict · 06-02-2009, 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by bt*ist

Hello,

I've got an SD memory card issue and I've spent the usual three or four hours online trying without success looking for solutions.

The problem:
* If I put the card into my Pentax K10D it comes up with an onscreen message 'The Card is Electronically locked'. The manual for the camera suggests that this is different to 'the card is locked'. FYI : the little switch-lock thing on the side of the card is unlocked and has been toggled back and forth numerous times. I can't take photos on the card, and I can't access images on the card.

Further information:
* In my Nikon Coolpix which also takes SD cards, the error message when the card is inserted reads 'This Card Cannot Be Used'
* In my laptop's SD card slot the card is not accessible, and in the hardware section the drive has a yellow exclamation mark sign and further investigation says that there is a 'code 10' error with the card. All other SD cards in my collection are fine. Apparently the error code 10 can mean anything from a CD drive to DVD drive to external device generic error/failure/problem.
* I have tried numerous image recovery software packages and not one has yet been able to locate the drive that the card is in, let alone recover anything from it

The card was not subject to any particular stresses, damage, liquids or chemicals that every other card in my collection wasn't also subjected to (ie. none), and it gave no hint of trouble during the time it was used, up to and including review of images while the card was in the camera.

Does anyone have any experience with this issue and any possible solutions for it?

Sometimes cards can be recovered on a Mac, when they are not working under Windows (and in camera) anymore. Other than that, the only option is: trashing.

I mean, I would trash that card anyway, even if I could recover the images on it, because it is bound to give more trouble in the future.

Ben

bt*ist · 06-02-2009, 04:49 AM

thanks - I'll try the Mac option as well. Other things I'll attempt that the internet has variously thrown up for me to consider:
* use an external card reader rather than the onboard card slot
* use a commercial photo development machine and try to get the photos developed (and select the option of creating a backup disc)
* use sticky tape to cover the entire locking mechanism (avoiding the metal contacts) to 'confuse' a reader as to the status of the card
* sacrifice a goat at midnight (I made this up myself... but it can't hurt to try. Except if you're the goat I suppose...)

In addition I've contacted one of the recovery software companies located in the UK and asked them for further assistance and I'll be trying Pentax to see if they can shed any more light on further meaning behind the enigmatic 'The Card is Electronically Locked' error. I mean... doesn't that just mean I need to unlock it? It is possible I suspect that the card's external switch is broken and that the card has been left in a locked position regardless of the position of the switch. And absolutely - if I get the photos off the card there is no chance of it being used again.

Fortunately there is nothing spectacularly important on the card, although it was used while on holiday, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to let it go easily.

Ben_Edict · 06-02-2009, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by bt*ist

thanks - I'll try the Mac option as well. Other things I'll attempt that the internet has variously thrown up for me to consider:
* use an external card reader rather than the onboard card slot
* use a commercial photo development machine and try to get the photos developed (and select the option of creating a backup disc)
* use sticky tape to cover the entire locking mechanism (avoiding the metal contacts) to 'confuse' a reader as to the status of the card
* sacrifice a goat at midnight (I made this up myself... but it can't hurt to try. Except if you're the goat I suppose...)

In addition I've contacted one of the recovery software companies located in the UK and asked them for further assistance and I'll be trying Pentax to see if they can shed any more light on further meaning behind the enigmatic 'The Card is Electronically Locked' error. I mean... doesn't that just mean I need to unlock it? It is possible I suspect that the card's external switch is broken and that the card has been left in a locked position regardless of the position of the switch. And absolutely - if I get the photos off the card there is no chance of it being used again.

Fortunately there is nothing spectacularly important on the card, although it was used while on holiday, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to let it go easily.

I symphathise with your efforts to recover the images. Any image loss is disastrous. If the locking mechnism is simply broken, you should see or feel that, as the slider will either be lose or very hard to move. Usually there is also a slight click-stop in the ON and OFF position of the slider, which you should feel.

Ben

MrApollinax · 06-02-2009, 06:42 AM

You could try putting a piece of clear tape over the entire locking mechanism. The readers have a contact that shorts on the card when the protection lock is in the "locked" position. Putting tape over the entire mechanism should prevent this if it is the cause of the issue.

*YJD* · 06-02-2009, 07:38 AM

I had a similar problem 2 weeks ago and I used this software Digital photo recovery - ZAR image recovery function. It will save your pictures with an extension TIF, just rename them to PEF.

I manage to get 90% of my pictures!

simico · 06-03-2009, 01:24 AM

"The Card is Electronically locked" - I suspect this means the SD card has been protected/encrypted with a PIN/password. Did you put the card into a mobile phone or PDA? Some of those initialize SD protection so you can't use the card in other devices (or even in the same device after a hard reset) without entering the PIN/password.

Or the card is simply damaged.

*OregonJim* · 06-03-2009, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by simico

"The Card is Electronically locked" - I suspect this means the SD card has been protected/encrypted with a PIN/password. Did you put the card into a mobile phone or PDA? Some of those initialize SD protection so you can't use the card in other devices (or even in the same device after a hard reset) without entering the PIN/password.

Or the card is simply damaged.

I believe you're right - somehow he triggered the 'Secure' part of the 'Secure Digital' card. Either it has become encrypted by another device, or you copied some DRM-protected content to it, rendering it useless in the camera? People tend to forget that SD cards aren't just plain memory cards - they have nasty protection firmware as well...

bt*ist · 06-04-2009, 09:18 AM

Hello - just a quick update, none of it good. The clear plastic tape was suggested elsewhere and didn't work. The various software options universally failed to recognise that the card existed. The SD card was placed in more SD-card cameras (primarily Nikons, both point'n'shoot and DSLRs) and unlike the Pentax, their errors were more along the lines of 'error on card'.

I'll investigate the security aspect - although the item has only ever been used in two digital cameras and one laptop - but at the moment things aren't looking all that great

Parallax · 06-06-2009, 10:57 AM

Before throwing it out, as a last ditch effort, try putting it on the strongest magnet you can find. I have no idea whatsoever whether or not this will do any good, but if you are at the point of throwing it out, I'm pretty sure it can't hurt.

simico · 06-07-2009, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by Parallax

try putting it on the strongest magnet you can find.

I'm sure that won't recover his data (pictures) from the card...

*monochrome* · 06-07-2009, 10:20 AM

Is it possible that you protected the card while it was being read by your laptop?
Do you ever mark your PEF's Read-Only to protect them from being saved over?

Saxplayer1004 · 09-06-2009, 08:35 PM

Any updates on this? This just happened to my K10D too. With a Transcend 16gb SDHC card. Took ~400 pix with it yesterday, uploaded to computer fine. Took about 400 or so today and was about to take another, and it just stopped. Can't get my computer to unlock it either... Any suggestions?

*Canada_Rockies* · 09-10-2009, 09:42 PM

Did you format the card in camera? Anything else is not particularly reliable when cleaning up a card. Even an expensive hard drive needs cleaning up now and again, let alone an inexpensive memory card. (relatively speaking, of course). Formating in the computer