Write Protected Removal

Anyone know how to Format their flash card when the camera tells them it's write protected. I'm unable to format this card and there is nothing on the outside of this card that I can flip to turn on / off write protection. I just want to format this card and I'm unable to erase or format this card. There are tons of picture files on this card, too. Help me!

What camera and what kind of card.

I'm presuming you mean CF card. Have you tried formatting it using a card reader on a PC ?

The camera Body is the 1Ds MKII and it's the smaller card used within camera. The camera will not allow me to delete or format this card and I've never seen this issue before since I've owned camera. I am unable to format card on PC, too. The message states: card is write protected? There are no special clips on card to turn off or on so I'm not sure what's causing this formating issue.

Check the website of the card manufacturer for utilities. Most reputable manufacturers have a utility available for formatting CF cards that can over ride the write protect and restore the card back to original. Then install in camera and do a format in the body; low level format if available.

insert the card in a pc reader, note what drive it becomes,

launch a dos window, set the drive to match

then issue the command attrib -r -a -s -h

if it will not format after this, your card may be bad.


edit: you may need to set additional switches. attrib /? will show you all the switches available.

Photoman65 wrote in post #13488514
The camera Body is the 1Ds MKII and it's the smaller card used within camera. .

Is it an SD card? If so, there should be a small tag on one edge that flips the write protect on or off. They can be hard to spot.