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Can you damage a memory card from formatting it to often?


9 years 4 months ago - 9 years 4 months ago #416778 by Sean Lamber
As the title ask: Can you damage a memory card from formatting it to often?  I've been doing it after every download and was told today that I can mess up my card by doing this. 

I've done some searches and frankly can't see where this is true.  I'm asking here just to play it safe. 
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9 years 4 months ago #416799 by Josh Jofoto
You have nothing to worry about
Canon 7D | Canon EF-S 18-55 IS | Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 | Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro | CanonEF 17-40 f/4 L | 70-200 f/4 L | 580 EX II
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9 years 4 months ago #416889 by effron
If that were a fact, I'd probably be tossing my cards out today. I format every time I make a move with the card, after moving files to the computer, or even inserting a new card in camera. The cards will go obsolete before you damage them. Ignore the clueless!....:unsure:
Why so serious?
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9 years 4 months ago #416907 by JaneK
:agree:  we both would be tossing them out! 
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9 years 4 months ago #416911 by garyrhook

Sean Lamber wrote: ...and was told today that I can mess up my card by doing this.


You were misinformed.
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9 years 4 months ago #417010 by Stacy Craig
Glad to see you don't do harm as I format my cards ever time too.  Well most of the time.  
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9 years 4 months ago #417035 by Robert Chen
Do more damage listening to people like that.  
Nikon D300 24-70mm f2.8
70-200mm f2.8
50mm f1.4 & 50mm f1.8
105mm f2.8
2 SB800
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9 years 4 months ago #417190 by Ottis
+1  just what I was thinking 
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9 years 4 months ago #417552 by Sean Lamber
Okay, understood.  Thank you all for helping me out with this.  
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9 years 4 months ago #417554 by Screamin Scott
All cards have lifespans, but you would don't have anything to worry about as the max read/write figures are beyond what you are likely to do... BTW, judging from your avatar, you are a fellow Georgian ?
Scott Ditzel Photography

www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/
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9 years 4 months ago #417608 by Joves
Actually it is worse for your card if you just use the delete all over formatting. Deleting can still leave remnants of the old data in the sectors. This in my opinion is why people get corrupted photos eventually. Formatting clears for a clean over write every time. I never delete, I only format, even when I know I screwed up a photo in the field. It is also why I carry extra cards when my old one is near full.  
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9 years 4 months ago #417644 by Ben Vanderbilt
+1 good post 
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9 years 4 months ago #417651 by garyrhook

Joves wrote: Actually it is worse for your card if you just use the delete all over formatting. Deleting can still leave remnants of the old data in the sectors. This in my opinion is why people get corrupted photos eventually. Formatting clears for a clean over write every time. I never delete, I only format, even when I know I screwed up a photo in the field. It is also why I carry extra cards when my old one is near full.  


I'm not sure where you got this impression, but that's not necessarily correct. Formatting, in most cases, does not zero out the media. It simple rebuilds the data structures necessary for the filesystem. You have just as much likelihood of having stale data on the card.

When formatting drives in Windows, you have the choice of format or a "quick format". The latter does what I have described. A full format will clean the disk.

My Nikon formats every size card almost immediately; I'm pretty sure it's not scribbling over the entire card.

It is safe to say that rebuilding the filesystem is a Good Thing and can repair any incremental damage that may have occurred on the card. At least you know you're starting from a good state. But that doesn't mean the card, as a whole, has been vetted.
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9 years 4 months ago #417828 by CatherineW
I accidentally washed one of my SD cards and after it dried, it still worked! 
***Remember 9/11***
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9 years 4 months ago #418056 by Sean Lamber
Thanks again everyone.  Merry Christmas
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