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04-16-2022, 02:38 AM   #1
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SD card message: Card is not formatted ?

Dear K-1 users,
When I reinserted SD card into K-1 after pictures were transferred to my MAC i used to get message: Card is not formatted ?! Then I have to format card and all my pictured on SD were lost. How to solve this problem ?

Regards from Norway

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04-16-2022, 03:05 AM   #2
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Maybe it’s a faulty card?
04-16-2022, 04:10 AM   #3
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No, i tried many different cards . 1. Car formatted2. Camera taking pictures3. Transfer to MAC 4. SD back to camera 4. Message "Card is not formatted" 4. Format again SD card in camera or on MAC 5. It works but all pictures are erased ??
04-16-2022, 04:17 AM - 2 Likes   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Viking62 Quote
No, i tried many different cards . 1. Car formatted2. Camera taking pictures3. Transfer to MAC 4. SD back to camera 4. Message "Card is not formatted" 4. Format again SD card in camera or on MAC 5. It works but all pictures are erased ??
Formatting the card will always erase all the images.

i imagine your problem is the way your Mac is handling the card after file transfer.

Do you "eject" the card from your Mac before you remove it physically ?

Does the Mac add or remove any files from the card ?

04-16-2022, 04:22 AM - 2 Likes   #5
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The Mac or PC see the card as a drive, it must be properly ejected before disconnecting.

But why keep the photos on the card after transferring? It’s best to format the card after each use.
04-16-2022, 05:12 AM   #6
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The Mac is probably writing files to the card. Use the write-protect switch on the card so that Mac won't create the hidden files on the card.
04-16-2022, 06:35 AM - 1 Like   #7
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As to your note: Format card IN your camera, not on Mac. I also like ProfessorBuzz's post above.

04-16-2022, 07:38 AM   #8
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ProfessorBuzz has the right solution. The card should not become unusable due to a read function. It's being altered in some way by your Mac so you're camera doesn't recognize the file structure and calls for a format.
04-16-2022, 08:08 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by ProfessorBuzz Quote
The Mac is probably writing files to the card. Use the write-protect switch on the card so that Mac won't create the hidden files on the card.
But don't forget to slide it back before putting the card in the camera!!

QuoteOriginally posted by Bob 256 Quote
ofessorBuzz has the right solution. The card should not become unusable due to a read function. It's being altered in some way by your Mac so you're camera doesn't recognize the file structure and calls for a format.
Almost certainly YES! My wife's Mac writes all sorts of little files on any medium it gets access to. QUITE annoying!
04-16-2022, 09:30 AM   #10
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Properly ejecting/dismounting the card via the OS is a must. If the card is not ejected properly status flags may not be set properly. The cameras disk handling functions are limited and when it "sees" some of these status flags not being set or set handles the errors in the only way it can to correct them - asking to format the card.

If you put the card back in the Mac and then eject it properly, chances are you won't get the message when you put it back in the camera.
04-16-2022, 10:39 AM   #11
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Properly ejecting the card from the mac is a must. I take a card from the camera and use it on multiple macs without doing anything to it in between, other than PROPERLY ejecting it from each mac. I've never had a problem with any card when put back in the camera. All files have been intact. Oh, and I always format the cards in the camera as mentioned above, not on my macs,
04-16-2022, 02:51 PM   #12
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If you manage to get your files to the computer as a backup, then format the SD card in the camera it is going to be used in next, it should be fine. When I move files from my SD card to a computer I use a card reader (Targus), and place it in the usb port of the computer I am moving files to. Before you remove whatever you are communicating the SD card to the computer with, the step of asking the computer to Safely Eject Media should be done. That way the SD card or computer will not be interrupted abruptly and possibly corrupt any files. As has also been said, when an SD card is formatted in camera, the image files that are on it will be deleted.
04-16-2022, 09:34 PM   #13
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None of my Macs have ever written hidden files to any of my CF or SD cards rendering them unreadable by the camera over the last 25 years or so!
04-17-2022, 03:30 AM   #14
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If you insert it into the Mac again does it report any errors? I have this problem once in awhile when I download from the card directly into my PC. I insert the card back into the PC and it says the card is damaged and asks if I want it repaired. I say yes and Windows does it's thing and the card is works fine in the camera and all files are intact.


This has only happened with cards used in my K1. Never a problem like this with cards from my K3 or my K5 or K5-IIs.
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