Hi Rob,
On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 23:58:17 +1000, Rob Studdert wrote:
>Very interesting, which tool did you use to test the card?
My own, 'DFSee' :-)
I am a one-man data-recovery company, developing and selling a multi-platform
data analysis and recovery tool (for DOS, Windows-NT/2000/XP and OS2). See:
http://www.dfsee.com
To keep this more on topic: there is even a small gallery and Pentax images there :-)
Most of my efforts are aimed at FDISK kind of work, recovering from partitioning
errors from users-errors, crashes or viruses and UNDELETE of files.
The tool is also used in some large companies for automatic rollout
of computers (automatic partitioning and image restore).
I have a few enhancements planned now to make analysis of CF-cards and
the like easier, and perhaps will add a generic 'image-recovery' too.
>> It is possible (perhaps even likely) that a complete high-level format of the
>> card will correctly map all defect clusters out.
>
>Maybe, but I know little about how the defect mapping and formating is managed
>on such media, possibly someone can enlighten us? I wonder if the defect
>information (if any) is retained in a NV area which isn't affected by executing
>the format function in-camera?
Well, whatever the low-leve stuff does, as soon as bad-sectors are 'visible' for
FORMAT and programs like mine, it will mean the filesystem has to avoid those.
On a FAT filesystem that is accomplished by marking those clusters as 'BAD'
in the file-allocation table. The problem is that there often are sectors that are
not consitently failing, but intermittently ...
<snip>
>> And, more important, I contacted the seller, and they will most likely replace
>> the card with a 1Gb Ultra-II card and send the old one in to Sandisk under
>> guarantee. That would be a great replacement, so I am not trying to 'FIX' the
>> card now if I can get a faster and new card instead :-)
>
>An excellent outcome.
Right :-)
>It just makes me wonder if dubious cards like this find
>their way back into the market via eBay or other similar avenues?
Who will tell, I would not be surprised at all ...
Regards, JvW
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan van Wijk; http://www.dfsee.com/gallery
