How remove a memory card?

[Rick]

Hi -- how do I remove my camera's SanDisk memory card from my computer after
I've copied its files? I tried right-clicking and then choosing 'Safely
Remove' and then pulling it out, and then inserting another one in, and
afterwards my computer got (temporarily) very screwed up and I couldn't
reboot the computer. Maybe it was the re-insertion that caused the problem?
I sure did something wrong. Does the computer have to be off when you
insert a card, or remove a card? Thanks.

 

[Bill Yanaire]

Your process you explained is correct. I don't think inserting another card
is the problem unless you tried to remove or insert a card when copying or
some other activity was going on with the card. There could be other
issues. Do you have an UP TO DATE antivirus on your PC?

 

[Paul Randall]

Hi -- how do I remove my camera's SanDisk memory card from my computer
after I've copied its files? I tried right-clicking and then choosing
'Safely Remove' and then pulling it out, and then inserting another one
in, and afterwards my computer got (temporarily) very screwed up and I
couldn't reboot the computer. Maybe it was the re-insertion that caused
the problem? I sure did something wrong. Does the computer have to be off
when you insert a card, or remove a card? Thanks.

'Safely remove hardware' is typically used to unplug a USB hard drive or USB
card reader and some but not all other USB stuff. It makes sure no software
has a 'hold' on anything related to that USB port, then disables the port.
The computer won't see any changes to that port until you plug something
into that port (meaning unplug the current thing and plug in the same or
different USB device).

'Eject' is used to remove a flash card from a card reader. It verifies that
no software has a 'hold' on the flash card but does not disable the port.

If your flash card slots are built into your computer, you can't unplug the
slots and replug them in, so DON'T use 'safely remove hardware'. Use
'Eject'.

Typically you will be in the computer window (the window formerly known as
my computer) when you do this. With no flash cards plugged in, one or more
of the flash card slots will have drive letters associated with them, each
typically labelled 'removable device' but it varies from one computer to the
next.

Flash cards emulate a disk drive which can be formatted and can have an
internal label. Depending on your camera or how you format the flash card,
the label may be blank or have the flash card brand or camera brand or other
info.

When you plug a flash card into a slot on your computer, the label typically
shows up in the computer window, but of course this varies from one computer
to the next. If the flash card is unlabeled or blank, it typically shows up
as 'removable device', or no change from when nothing was plugged in to that
slot.

My recommendation is to make sure your flash cards have unique labels so you
can tell them apart and so that you can see in the computer window that they
are plugged in. When you want to unplug them, right click on them in the
computer window and choose eject. When it is safe to remove them the label
displayed in the computer window will change to 'removable device' or
whatever your system displays when that slot is empty.

-Paul Randall

 

[Rick]

Thanks. So I insert my memory card (is that the same thing as a 'flash
card'? -- it's a 1 gig SanDisk card) while the computer is on and I'm in
Windows Explorer (the 'computer window'), yes? When I right-click and
choose Eject I have to physically remove it myself, right? Thanks.

To insert another card I shouldn't have to turn the computer off, should I?

 

[Lang Murphy]

Thanks. So I insert my memory card (is that the same thing as a 'flash
card'? -- it's a 1 gig SanDisk card) while the computer is on and I'm in
Windows Explorer (the 'computer window'), yes? When I right-click and
choose Eject I have to physically remove it myself, right? Thanks.

To insert another card I shouldn't have to turn the computer off, should
I?

<snip>

If it doesn't have moving parts, it's a flash card. There are USB "cards"
that are actually hard disks.. so they get treated differently...

That said... when you insert your card, whether it's SD or CF or whatever,
it will, well, should, mount automatically. To remove it, right click on the
card's icon in the Computer window (after you've opened Windows Explorer,
AKA "Computer"... LOL) and select Eject. When the card's icon in the
Explorer window turns grey, pull the card.

No, you shouldn't have to boot the PC prior to mounting another card. If you
do, yeah, there's something out of whack.

Lang

 

[Rick]

Hi -- thanks for this. How do I label my individual flash cards? Right now
when I plug in a card, the name stays as "Removable Disk", just as it was
before I inserted it. Is labeling a card always done as part of the process
of formatting them? Right now I always "format" them by just deleting all
photos off the card when it's in the camera.

Very much appreciate the help I'm getting here.

 

[Paul Randall]

With the flash card inserted, right click on that drive and choose
properties. In the General tab, near the top, there should be an empty box.
Type the label there. All cameras and OSs allow 11 characters upper case,
but many allow more characters and mixed case. Just below where you type
the label it may show the format type, like Fat or Fat32. If Fat, don't use
more than 11 characters. After you label it test the flash card in your
camera by taking a few pictures and bringing it back to your computer. If
the camera has not changed the label and the pictures are OK, there isn't a
problem. I suppose if the camera doesn't like the label it will ask you to
format the flash card. Experiment.

-Paul Randall

 

[Paul Randall]

Comments inline

Thanks. So I insert my memory card (is that the same thing as a 'flash
card'?

Flash refers to a type of memory. It is typically slower and each storage
'bit' is physically bigger than the main memory in your computer, but it
retains its information when the power is off. No moving parts. To confuse
things, some CF (compact flash) cards are actually tiny hard drives with
moving parts; the eject procedure is the same. Modern technology is
shrinking the size and increasing the speed of each bit in flash cards.

-- it's a 1 gig SanDisk card) while the computer is on and I'm in Windows
Explorer (the 'computer window'), yes?

Yes, flash cards are 'hot' pluggable - they can be inserted and removed
while the computer is on.

When I right-click and choose Eject I have to physically remove it myself,
right? Thanks.

Yes, there is no motorized ejection mechanism.

To insert another card I shouldn't have to turn the computer off, should
I?

I suppose there is some tiny chip that controls each flash card slot on your
computer. It probably constantly monitors certain pins on each flash card
connector slot, and notifies the computer when a flash card is inserted or
removed, so the computer can take approprate action and keep you informed.

-Paul Randall