Ok how long can a memory card last

[danfifepsu31]

of a memory card, what if I leave the pictures on a memory card for years? What will happen, will it make me loose the pictures forever?

 

[danfifepsu31]

Probably pretty much nothing you can do, though it depends on what failed.

what of take it to a data recovery center?

 

[danfifepsu31]

Probably pretty much nothing you can do, though it depends on what failed.

I checked my memory card and its OK but how much longer?

again if the memory card decays what work will need to be done to get the pics back?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

You can't really. If it's corrupt, it's corrupt. Some of the files might be OK, but some might be broken. That's the point of a backup.

Again, guessing how long it will last is a very difficult thing. It could be a decade, or it could be a couple of weeks to a month.

 

[danfifepsu31]

That's kind of like asking someone to plan unplanned outages...

Generally, the act of powering up the card re-energises the flash, though I'm not sure.

You generally can't get the data back off failed flash, though it's more likely to slowly corrupt than to actually fail outright. In which case it's only likely to be a few pictures that you have trouble with.

Storing data on small stuff like an SD card is usually a bad idea. What do you do if you drop the card down a drain or it gets wet or something.

The normal story goes here: BACK UP EVERYTHING IMPORTANT.

You can't really. If it's corrupt, it's corrupt. Some of the files might be OK, but some might be broken. That's the point of a backup.

Again, guessing how long it will last is a very difficult thing. It could be a decade, or it could be a couple of weeks to a month.

what depends on how long it can last. and for the files broken what will the files look like?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Everything. It's unpredictable. Two identical cards could perform very differently. It's random. I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOUR CARD WILL FAIL.

The files would look absolutely fine until you read them. You might even be able to copy them, but they'll be broken.

 

[USAFRet]

Pictures that exist in only one place may be considered to not exist at all.
Especially if they only live on an SD card.

 

[danfifepsu31]

Everything. It's unpredictable. Two identical cards could perform very differently. It's random. I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOUR CARD WILL FAIL.

The files would look absolutely fine until you read them. You might even be able to copy them, but they'll be broken.

what aer oyu saying, when I last looked at the memory card 3 days ago the pictures WERE FINE. but what will the pics look like when broken. tahts better than no pics.

I WANT MY PICS BACK!!!! I cant take them off the card!!!!!!!! BEst b uy said they cannot be taken off and only the SD card will read it.

 

[USAFRet]

Everything. It's unpredictable. Two identical cards could perform very differently. It's random. I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOUR CARD WILL FAIL.

The files would look absolutely fine until you read them. You might even be able to copy them, but they'll be broken.

what aer oyu saying, when I last looked at the memory card 3 days ago the pictures WERE FINE. but what will the pics look like when broken. tahts better than no pics.

I WANT MY PICS BACK!!!! I cant take them off the card!!!!!!!! BEst b uy said they cannot be taken off and only the SD card will read it.

Why haven't you taken those files off the SD card?

 

[danfifepsu31]

Everything. It's unpredictable. Two identical cards could perform very differently. It's random. I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOUR CARD WILL FAIL.

The files would look absolutely fine until you read them. You might even be able to copy them, but they'll be broken.

what aer oyu saying, when I last looked at the memory card 3 days ago the pictures WERE FINE. but what will the pics look like when broken. tahts better than no pics.

I WANT MY PICS BACK!!!! I cant take them off the card!!!!!!!! BEst b uy said they cannot be taken off and only the SD card will read it.

Why haven't you taken those files off the SD card?

they wont get off! when I Tried to plug it in the camera from a usb and the comp wouldnt recognize them. best buy said I cant get them off (The geek squad). I AM SO SICK OF THIs, when something goes wrong wit ha cell phone, camera, laptop I get nothing but guesses when I Try to get help.

 

[USAFRet]

OK...I'm late to the party here, but I did go read your other thread:

Specifically, what happens when you plug the camera in via USB?
Have you tried a card reader?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

BEst b uy said they cannot be taken off and only the SD card will read it.

OK, there's our problem. I'm pretty sure that's wrong, unless they're in RAW format and you don't have the software to read it or something.

What camera took them? What's the file format?

 

[danfifepsu31]

BEst b uy said they cannot be taken off and only the SD card will read it.

OK, there's our problem. I'm pretty sure that's wrong, unless they're in RAW format and you don't have the software to read it or something.

What camera took them? What's the file format?

what if they are in raw format and I used nixon. ARe the files stuck on there forever?????

how come I have memory cards that still work 3 years later?

 

[USAFRet]

BEst b uy said they cannot be taken off and only the SD card will read it.

OK, there's our problem. I'm pretty sure that's wrong, unless they're in RAW format and you don't have the software to read it or something.

What camera took them? What's the file format?

what if they are in raw format and I used nixon. ARe the files stuck on there forever?????

how come I have memory cards that still work 3 years later?

I have some SmartMedia cards that are almost 18 years old, and still work fine.
I've had other cards that have died within 6 months.

But I don't think I've ever left pictures on a camera card longer than a week or two. Those things are temporary storage.

Get your files off that card, by what ever means necessary. If you can't get them off....well...they're gone.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

I didn't say that they wouldn't work. However, if you leave them without using them in anything, they do lose charge. It's random.

Get Nikon's (I'm assuming) software for decoding the RAW files. Or any one of a number of other utilities. Lots of photographers shoot in RAW.

There wouldn't be much point in taking the photos if you couldn't use them, would there?

 

[danfifepsu31]

BEst b uy said they cannot be taken off and only the SD card will read it.

OK, there's our problem. I'm pretty sure that's wrong, unless they're in RAW format and you don't have the software to read it or something.

What camera took them? What's the file format?

what if they are in raw format and I used nixon. ARe the files stuck on there forever?????

how come I have memory cards that still work 3 years later?

I have some SmartMedia cards that are almost 18 years old, and still work fine.
I've had other cards that have died within 6 months.

But I don't think I've ever left pictures on a camera card longer than a week or two. Those things are temporary storage.

Get your files off that card, by what ever means necessary. If you can't get them off....well...they're gone.

what do you mean they are gone? they exist. and if I cant get them off, what help do I Go to get them off. what do I Do if I cant get the cards off?

 

[USAFRet]

what do you mean they are gone? they exist. and if I cant get them off, what help do I Go to get them off. what do I Do if I cant get the cards off?

Have you tried a USB card reader?

 

[danfifepsu31]

no but what if it doesnt work? The pictures SHOW in the camera. they cant be gone. they couldnt be unless the card was dropped in water or caught on fire.


Also what happens when one formats a memory card. how do they get the data back then?

 

[USAFRet]

what if what if what if....
What if it doesn't work? Well then, it doesn't work.

Copy the pictures elsewhere. Card reader, USB from the camera, whatever....
Otherwise, it was just a fun afternoon when you went 'click'.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

The camera likely caches thumbnails, possibly in a different place to the full images.

 

[danfifepsu31]

when does it catch thumbnails and of my pics I Saw them on the mnemory card in the camera 3 days ago and they are still there BUT I WANT MY PICS OFF THE MEMORY CARD. can someone help me!!!!! All I get for help from places like Best buy is nothing but guesses. What if a card reader doesnt work????????????????

can the card being a nixon have something to do with it???? I WANT MY PICS BACK


when the card decays what will the pics look like when I Try to retrieve them?


I need help other than just guesses.