IBM Microdrive dies

[ed2111]

Hello.
I have an IBM Microdrive and it's the 2nd replacement from IBM and it just died on me. This is what happened right before it stopped functionning:
- I took the drive out of the camera and insert it into a Kodak6-1 card reader that i just bought. The drive starts making a buzzing noise as if it was trying to spin, and the noise just keeps restarting...a loop.

The same issue happened to me with a 1 Gb IBM Microdrive about a month ago. That i was also trying to read the Microdrive in my Sandisk CF card reader that i had always used with that Microdrive and the buzzing sound started. Once i hear that buzzing sound, the drive is gone. I insterted it into my D60 and i get error -02.

This time it's worst because i just shoot several pictures over the weekend and i was about to transfer them to my PC.

I'm pretty desperate.

Has anyone encountered this issue and resolved it?
Can anyone recommend me a better media for my CANON D60 and 10D ?

Thank you.

I used the first microdrive for almost a year without any problem, and i like the large capacity on a CF.

[GhillieSkins]

You and I are in the same boat.....except my problem is being narrowed down to my SanDisk Ultra 512 card. It may be the stroke of bad luck with your card.....even if it is the 2nd one. I'm about to find out if my replacement does the trick. I'll let you know.

[Andy_T]

Hi Ed,

there were threads on this issue some months ago. One of these presented the solution of using physical force (slamming the microdrive on a hard surface or some similar treatment) to get it unstuck. Supposedly helped some users here.

Now, don't take my word that'll help, rather search for those threads to see how it should be done exactly.

Regards,
Andy

[mikeg]

I had exactly the same problem with my 1Gb microdrive. It was 16months old and my warranty was 15 months :-((
All I had to do was to get a new one...

I think compact flash are more sturdy.


MikeG

[ed2111]

Thank you all for your replies.
I am currently looking at different sites in order to decide what i will use for replacement.
So far i am considering 3:
- Sandisk Ultra 1Gb
- Sandisk Ultra 512Mb
- Lexar Media 512

What do you think?

Thank you again.

[ed2111]

Thanks,
I am currently looking for those threads. I really need to get those pictures out of there if possible.

Hope i find something useful to make this drive work againl. If i find anything I will make sure i let everyone else know.

Edmond

[cmattdvc]

It seems that there are several firms that do data recovery. Maybe one is Tallans, I'm not sure if that is the name of them or not, i'll check when I get home from work.

matt

[GhillieSkins]

I was told that the earlier versions of the IBM 1GB card DID have some issues, I would not put it past yourself that you ended up with 2 BUM cards in a row. I just spent 6 hours over 4 days troubleshooting to find that my problem was with the SanDisk Ultra 512 and not the cables or software related to camera/pc syncronization.

You may want to give another IBM card a stab....if you can get an even exchange, or even better to exchange it for another brand. That my ultimately solve your problem.

Good luck.

[ed2111]

Thank you again for all your comments.

I have been looking for those older threads for how to revive the drive but i can't find them.

What card do you ultimately recommend me to get for the 10D and the D60 ?

[ed2111]

Hello Everyone,
i just found out on google.com about a company called PixelRescue, they are supposedly specialist in data recovery from CF, Microdrive, and other digital media .

Has anyone headr of them before ?

http://www.pixelrescue.com/step1.html

[Erin]

A micro drive is just what it says, a miniature hard drive with a platter and an arm and head to scan the platter. The Microdrive is susceptible to shock and a drop from waist height onto a hard surface is enough to expire one completely. To do as one of the previous posters suggested and slam it down on a hard surface to 'unstick' it would really just totally and completely shag it if it is not already stuffed.
Microdrive are just about old technology now, and the compact flash card is a much better choice, being solid state construction with no moving parts it is much more resilent to shock etc.
Can't give much advice about recovery of data that has not already been mentioned, but if it is a component of the drive gone west then your chances of retrieving info are zero!
You have had two lessons in the fragility of Microdrive, I guess you don't need a third.
Replace your MD with quality compact flash cards. Lexar (which I use in my D60 and 10D) Transend and Ridata CF cards have a good reputation for reliability. Cheers Erin

[ed2111]

Thank you Erin.
I actually never dropped my MDs but i hear you when you talk about the sensitivity of the platter/head/arms etc...

I will probably order some CFs today.



Erin wrote:
A micro drive is just what it says, a miniature hard drive with a platter and an arm and head to scan the platter. The Microdrive is susceptible to shock and a drop from waist height onto a hard surface is enough to expire one completely. To do as one of the previous posters suggested and slam it down on a hard surface to 'unstick' it would really just totally and completely shag it if it is not already stuffed.
Microdrive are just about old technology now, and the compact flash card is a much better choice, being solid state construction with no moving parts it is much more resilent to shock etc.
Can't give much advice about recovery of data that has not already been mentioned, but if it is a component of the drive gone west then your chances of retrieving info are zero!
You have had two lessons in the fragility of Microdrive, I guess you don't need a third.
Replace your MD with quality compact flash cards. Lexar (which I use in my D60 and 10D) Transend and Ridata CF cards have a good reputation for reliability. Cheers Erin

[jjc26]

I'd give these guys a try if you really need those images: http://www.drivesavers.com/

[Joytek]

So far I had good luck and fast operation with the 1GB Transcend 30X CF card (no errors, unlike Delkin efilm before)

Very good performance and mighty fast on the 10D.

w.

[NDeeZ]

I've had problems twice now with one of my two IBM 1GB drives (neither physically abused) where I can see the image, in one case viewing in camera, the second opening in P'shop. A second attempt tells me the file is unrecognizable.

I've used a program called mediaRecover, which I recommend, but the files are recovered, but scrambled.

The files are CRWs. Trying with Canon's RAW Image converter results in the program not being able to recognize the originals or the recovered files as CRWs.

Does anybody know a method or program to open a recovered CRW?

Are others having this problem? Is it a Canon CRW issue, or an IBM microdrive issue?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts/comments.

[msvirick]

ed2111 wrote:
Thank you all for your replies.
I am currently looking at different sites in order to decide what i will use for replacement.
So far i am considering 3:
- Sandisk Ultra 1Gb
- Sandisk Ultra 512Mb
- Lexar Media 512

What do you think?

Thank you again.
Good choice, One 1 Gb and another 512 will serve you well.

[ed2111]

THank you.

The Lexar 1Gb will cost in the range of $270 an the 512 around $170.00

Does any one know if there is a lower price range

[oley]

Dear all,

after reading this discussion I noticed that many other users mention they had bad luck with their SanDisk Ultra-s... My 256Mb SanDisk Ultra died without any reason while I was in the middle of photo session. I thought that it was my bad luck, but now I start thinking that there CF's might be not as reliable as SunDisk promises... Does anybody have any statistics on CF reliability?