Secure Digital Card Error "Disk in Drive <X> Is Not Formatted"

[Guest]

This particular machine (an IBM Thinkpad X40) has an SD card reader built
into it. Runs XP, SP2. All BIOS and driver updates recommended by IBM have
been installed.

Whenever I attempt to read an SD card out of my camera, I get a message,
"Disk format error - Format?" Of course, if I say yes, the SD card is then
unreadable by the camera. I bought a USB port SD card reader and got exactly
the same message. I also get the same message when I try to read the card
while it is in the camera using a USB connection.

This card and camera work just fine on my IBM T42 laptop, so the problem
does not lie with the camera or the card. FWIW, the card shows up with a FAT
file system when I view its properties on the T42.

The X40 recognizes the card as a USB mass storage device, and in fact, the
driver information is identical to that on my T42 laptop. Yet the X40 gets
the format error.

I have attempted to load the SDIO driver that exists in the IBMTools/Drivers
directory but no matter what I do, it tells me the driver is already
installed. I have recently learned that SD support is now part of SP2, which
is why the driver information matches the T42 information exactly.

There is a similar but not exact problem listed on MS website.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;823084

That is for Win 2K, and only under certain conditions. Mine is a hard
failure, no matter the state from which the PC was roused.

The USB ports work fine for all sorts of other devices including a DVD
burner, thumb drive, external hard disk, mice, and printers.

Tips greatly appreciated.

 

[Guest]

FWIW, when I checked the disk format on the X40 PC (the one with the disk
format error) it says it has a file system of RAW.

 

[Guest]

Bump!

 

[Sharon F]

This particular machine (an IBM Thinkpad X40) has an SD card reader built
into it. Runs XP, SP2. All BIOS and driver updates recommended by IBM have
been installed.

Whenever I attempt to read an SD card out of my camera, I get a message,
"Disk format error - Format?" Of course, if I say yes, the SD card is then
unreadable by the camera. I bought a USB port SD card reader and got exactly
the same message. I also get the same message when I try to read the card
while it is in the camera using a USB connection.

This card and camera work just fine on my IBM T42 laptop, so the problem
does not lie with the camera or the card. FWIW, the card shows up with a FAT
file system when I view its properties on the T42.

The X40 recognizes the card as a USB mass storage device, and in fact, the
driver information is identical to that on my T42 laptop. Yet the X40 gets
the format error.

I have attempted to load the SDIO driver that exists in the IBMTools/Drivers
directory but no matter what I do, it tells me the driver is already
installed. I have recently learned that SD support is now part of SP2, which
is why the driver information matches the T42 information exactly.

There is a similar but not exact problem listed on MS website.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;823084

That is for Win 2K, and only under certain conditions. Mine is a hard
failure, no matter the state from which the PC was roused.

The USB ports work fine for all sorts of other devices including a DVD
burner, thumb drive, external hard disk, mice, and printers.

Tips greatly appreciated.

I had a camera that said the cards must be formatted by the camera and not
the operating system. Unfortunately, it required installing the camera's
software which did run in WinXP (old camera). Before XP, I followed the
manufacturer's recommendations. Had to pinch hit after switching to XP.
Oddly the camera does fine with a new disk, right out of the box. Bottom
line: I never format the disk with camera software, camera or the operating
system. I just delete files as the disk fills up. So far that's worked for
me.

Anyhow, something is different on your system that is not reading the card.
Even though it doesn't appear to be a camera issue, that's where I would
start with troubleshooting: Checking with the camera manufacturer about why
a disk formatted with the camera is having trouble being read in XP SP2.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the response, Sharon. However, I do not believe the camera is
at fault since I can read it just fine on my IBM T42, which has no camera
software installed. Thus, I conclude that the fault lies with the software
on the IBM X40.

I think I am going to have to reload the entire operating system, and see if
IBM will do this under warranty. Originally, the SD reader software was a
special dirver that had to be installed after XP, SP1 was installed. XP, SP2
includes the dirver, and the computer came with XP, SP2 installed by IBM.
Thus, I think they have gummed up the works one way or another.

Cheers.

 

[Sharon F]

Thank you for the response, Sharon. However, I do not believe the camera is
at fault since I can read it just fine on my IBM T42, which has no camera
software installed. Thus, I conclude that the fault lies with the software
on the IBM X40.

I think I am going to have to reload the entire operating system, and see if
IBM will do this under warranty. Originally, the SD reader software was a
special dirver that had to be installed after XP, SP1 was installed. XP, SP2
includes the dirver, and the computer came with XP, SP2 installed by IBM.
Thus, I think they have gummed up the works one way or another.

You're welcome. Just wanted to make it clear that I wasn't saying the fault
was with the camera. Instead I think that the camera manufacturer may have
info on "known problems" concerning specific hardware drivers. They may put
you off and say "not our problem" but it might be worth a try.