# "Disk is not formatted..."



## The Maestro (Jan 27, 2008)

I just got this error, and from what I've read I'm almost screwed lol. Here's the thing though, I got the error on my SD mini card from my camcorder, which I had been using no more then 5 minutes before. I was recording a video, then opened it up on XP. I didn't like the way it turned out so I deleted it (which I've done countless times before, making sure to delete only the video and the video temp file). I take it out, plug it into the camcorder and it tells me it's got a card/memory error. I put it right back into the comp, and that error pops up. 

I tried using that TestDisk and couldn't actually work it properly. I also used PC file inspector recovery, and it found everything on it but didn't repair the drive. Here's a picture of Data Doctor recovery and what it tells me.....



There's nothing on it I want to save, I just want it to work again. What should I do?


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## The Maestro (Jan 27, 2008)

I got it! For anybody else having this problem, here' the solution. I downloaded the program PC inspector File Recovery. Install it and find the drive that isn't working. After it's all finished (took me about 9 mins) verify that you've got the files you need to get off, and that the directory is in fact repaired or still in tact. Copy them somewhere safe, then close the program. Next, click on the drive that gives you the error for formatting, and click yes to format it. When I previously tried this, I got another error telling me that it cannot be formatted, that was pre PC inspector.

Click yes to verify you are formatting and that your data will be lost. After it's complete, you're done. The SD card now is accessible.

The reason for the error was that when I was deleting the files (video or picture), I just deleted the files, not the folder. So if you do that enough times, you'll have enough folders left over that when something tries to access your previously saved stuff, it gets confused with all those folders and tells you there's an error. So if you delete them, there should be no problem, assuming the card itself hasn't been damaged.


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## The Maestro (Jan 27, 2008)

Ya nevermind. Windows will read it, but the camcorder won't.:4-dontkno


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Try using the camcorder to format it instead of Windows.
I have to do that with my Olympus camera.


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## The Maestro (Jan 27, 2008)

I tried that as well but to no avail, still get the card error. I don't understand it. How could something that was working perfectly 10 seconds ago, break during the transfer from computer to camera?


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

So, the camcorder doesn't "see" the card and returns an error when you try to format?

Delete the file system in Disk management and try formatting with the camcorder again.


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## The Maestro (Jan 27, 2008)

I have no idea what just happened, but I tried formatting again with the camera, and now it reads it. It says it's fine. But....I took it out, put it in the computer to see if Windows would read it, and it did, took it out and put it back into the camera, and now I have a card error again. I'll try formatting this again right now using the camera:

I press the button menu and go to card operations
then scroll down to format, it warns me I'll erase everything, I go ok
says "now formatting", then returns me back to card operations screen
I turn it off, then turn it on to take a picture or something, and the very first thing that comes up is "Card Error".

So what I did next was try to put it back in the computer. Windows tells me "The drive is not formatted, do you want to format it now?". If I click no, I can't access it. I click yes, I have two options, FAT or FAT 32. I chose FAT 32 this time. It's formats fine, the folder pops up empty. I put it into the camera, Card Error. I choose to format it again with the cam, it does. I power it back on, and this time, no Card Error. I even took a picture with it this time. There are 3 folders on it now. DCIM leads to either 120Canon which contains my picture, or CANONMSC which contains a Tmp file.



So now that I'm done copying that, I take the card out of the computer and put it back into the camera, and surprise, Card Error is the first thing that comes up.

I'm very sorry for the long winded, novel like response here. Any suggestions next? Thanks a lot.


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Could be as simple as dirty contacts.
Try cleaning the "gold" contacts on the card with an eraser.


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## The Maestro (Jan 27, 2008)

I will try that, thanks. If that doesn't work though what would be next? Currently, it's working again, and I'm afraid to touch it, so once I'm done filming everything I need to, I'll give that a go.

Cheers


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

It's probably oxides on the card's (or the camcorder's) contacts.


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## sheng (Sep 3, 2009)

A similar problem in this post : http://www.techsupportforum.com/f10/my-external-drive-suddenly-says-drive-not-formatted-345472.html

A corrupt or missing boot sector will cause such kind of problem with the following indicates: 

*Invalid media type reading drive. 

*Abort, Retry, Fail? 

*File system is displayed as "RAW". 

*Windows may ask if you want to format the drive, such as warning "disk not formatted. Do you want to format now?" 

*File names contain "weird" characters. 

"Sector not found" messages. 

To fix the boot sector, you may refer to 
http://www.ptdd.com/fixboot.htm

If it still cannot be solved, you have to recover all the data out and then format the partition as the system indicates so that you can enter the partition again. 

http://www.easeus.com/resource/recover-raw-disk.htm


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## Cloudcjs (Jun 18, 2010)

It might be the boot sector problem that leads to the following error notice like:
Drive is not formatted; do you want to format it now?
Chkdsk is not available for raw disk
Invalid media type reading drive
Sector not found
Disk space is 0 bytes

To restore files out from this error, you may follow this tutorial:
http://www.icare-recovery.com/raw-drive.html
http://www.icare-recovery.com/faq/accidentally-formatted-ipod.html


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