Problem with CF card - bad sector?

[jaypie77]

So I have a problem. The last few times I've shot, my CF card has this problem:

399 images upload, but 1 refuses to. There is no way to copy and paste, recover, or anything. I format the card, shoot again, and again I have the problem.

I don't know if this can be fixed (I have a MAC by the way), but can it be fixed? IF NOT - can I somehow make it so that the camera doesn't write to this sector of the card anymore? I have a feeling it's just one part of the card and I'm sick of this problem.

UPDATE BELOW!

[Anke]

Hmm interesting. What would happen if you made that dodgy image write-protected on the card via the camera menus? Would it stay in that place on the card?

Failing that, cards are so cheap you can literally bin them.

[jaypie77]

I suppose that I could bin it, but I'd rather not since it's only that one image. Write-protecting would work if I never ever format again. Hm... I will try more googling and get back to yall.

UPDATE: I just used Disk Utility to Verify and Repair the card. Let's see if that works. If it does not and I get another broken file, I WILL REPORT BACK HERE SOON!

[jaypie77]

Update 2: Filled the card tonight and the problem is no longer occurring. Good news indeed!

[tim]

If I ever had a problem with a card i'd toss it and buy another. Cards are cheap, images are priceless.

[jaypie77]

UPDATE: So I didn't throw out the bad card and I had other problems with another card as well.

BUT THEN I found that if I ejected the card, then tried to upload that last image later, it worked flawlessly.

Any thoughts on this?

[jaypie77]

Nobody?

[tim]

Anything that shows the slightest sign of having a problem should be thrown away immediately. CF is cheap.

I read an interesting article recently about Transcend cards. Transcend CF cards have error detection and correction built in, so if anything goes wrong they can likely recover the data, and you'll never know about the problem. It can also mark off bad sectors so they're not reused. Out of a couple of dozen people on DWF one person had ever had an issue with them. Sandisk doesn't do error correction in their ultra/extreme cards, only on some really expensive industrial cards.

DWF thread (http://www.digitalweddingforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302900) (members only, it's a paid forum and you have to be a professional wedding photographer to join)

Article about CF ECC (http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800531201_499486_AN_44469eb0.HTM)

[jaypie77]

The plot thickens! Another update!

So I have now found that if a card shows an error, it always shows it on only 1 image. I can then eject the card, reinsert it, and the image uploads with no problem whatsoever.

I have also found that the problem only pops up with cards out of the Rebel XTi! Not on the 5D!

What do you think now? I tell you what I think: this is NOT a CF problem.

[tim]

Try it on a different PC, with a different card reader. Eliminate the different components until you work it out.

[jaypie77]

I'm thinking it might be the reader now... I think I'm going to pick up one of those new firewire readers - any experience Tim (or anybody else that's still paying attention)?

[tim]

Sandisk USB2 reader ftw

[jaypie77]

Ok, well, I ordered the Firewire because I like what I've heard about the speed. I'll let you all know soon!

[tim]

PC users can use this application (http://sourceforge.net/projects/usbmst/) to test the reliability of their memory card, so long as you have a card reader.