Memory Card Failures

[Mike Farley]

After a lengthy period in which my memory cards have performed faultlessly, I have had two failures in a week. Following the hockey match last week, I discovered that one of the four cards I had used was unreadable. Fortunately, I was able to retrieve all the images using recovery software. Then, today, I had a read error while the card was in the camera, but they were subsequently read without problem by my computer.

Neither was a cheap card. The hockey images were on a Sandisk Extreme Compact Flash card, the ones from today on a Lexar Professional SD card. Neither has had much use, which makes wear and tear an unlikely explanation. While most of my failures have been with Sandisk cards, that is due to my buying more of them until recently, when I switched to Lexar.

A possible reason for the Sandisk failure is that it is the one card which I filled on the day. That can lead to problems with the header being overwritten. (I swapped out all the others before they were full during breaks in play.) That said, I have filled cards on that camera before without experiencing a corruption. After I had downloaded and backed up the images, I was able to format and use the card for some test shots. I doubt I will want to use it again for anything serious, though. The Lexar failure is less easy to fathom. I was using a Fuji X-E2 and, given that the card was still readable on my computer, there might be an issue with the camera's firmware. In both instances, I am speculating about causes and have no evidence other than my observations stated here.

If it does prove one thing when doing a shoot which involves taking a lot of images, it pays to spread them across a number of cards. A large card might be convenient, but I would rather have a number of smaller ones in my bag to encourage a swapout. In that way, a problem with one does not mean a complete loss. In the case of my Compact Flash card, it had around a quarter of the shots from the day and, similarly, around a quarter of the keepers. If I had not been able to recover them, I would still have retained something.

The other thing I would say is that memory cards are cheap these days. I would rather discard any which cause problems rather than attempt to reuse them.

[Mike Farley]

I have now had an opportunity to look more closely at the images I took yesterday. The last shot on the Lexar SD card has a strip running through it where nothing has been recorded. Almost certainly there is a problem with the card rather than the camera. Given the choice between a faulty camera or a faulty card, naturally I would always opt for the latter.

I used the data recovery software supplied by Lexar to see what was on the card and it looks as though it is only the second time it has been in a camera. The first time it appears to have been in my X-Pro1. As it is from Lexar's "Professional" range, it has a limited warranty under which Lexar will repair or replace the card for the period during which I own it. The limitation in the warranty comes from Lexar only being responsible for the performance of the card, but not the data held on it. To invoke the warranty, I need to provide proof of purchase and get a RMA return numner before I can send it back. Which all seems like a lot of hassle for something which only cost a few pounds, but I might do it simply to see what happens.

[Mike Farley]

Well, there is good news and bad news.

Bad news first. I cannot find the receipt for the Lexar card, without which I cannot get a RMA number to return it. I can find the receipts for all the other Lexar cards in my posession, just not this one. Lexar wins. Kind of. It is supposed to be a lifetime warranty, so the receipt should not matter.

However, I can find the receipt for the Sandisk Compact Flash card and have completed an online form to obtain a RMA number. Of the two, that is the card which would be most useful to have a replacement. Mike wins? Maybe. We will see what happens next.

If anybody needs it, below is the link for the Sandisk form. Note that the date has to be entered in US format, i.e. MM/DD/YYYY. The serial number is in small lettering on the edge of the card, but I was able to take a readable photograph using the Fuji XF 18-55 lens. Usefully, the lens cap had a couple of indentations which were just the right size to support the card while I photographed the edge.

https://kb.sandisk.com/app/rmaform

[Mike Farley]

The saga continues.

I thought I would persist with pursuing the Lexar warranty, so I found a phone number for them. Which would be great if the company actually answered it promptly. Repeated ad infinitum: "Bear with us, we will answer your call as quickly as possible." I was on the point of giving up after around 25 minutes when someone finally picked up the phone. At least the company did not state how important my call is to them. The rep blamed call volumes for the delay in answering.

There is an online chat facility which was shown as being available. I tried it while I was waiting on the phone, but all that came back was a response that my "message has been successfully sent". Maybe that will change in future, as I mentioned it to the rep who said he would inform technical support.

lexar.JPG (200.01 KiB) Viewed 5192 times

The upshot is that I have now received via e-mail a RMA number from Lexar and a freepost address to which I can send my card. It turns out that it is actually part of Micron Consumer Products Group which also has Crucial amongst its brands, under which the name the the e-mail was sent. No mention has been made of needing a receipt.

The e-mail states:

"In order to protect your privacy and other interests, please securely delete all data from the product before you return it to Crucial. The returned product may be repaired and resold to another party as a refurbished product by Crucial. As part of the repair process, Crucial will take reasonable steps to overwrite any remaining data on the product, however, Crucial is not liable for loss or misuse of any personal data stored on returned products."

The software supplied with the card has a secure format option which is supposed to ensure all data is erased. I find it difficult to believe that the card will be resold, but you just never know as companies try to maximise revenues and sell on parts even if they are defective.

[Mike Farley]

The Lexar card is now on its way back to the company. After proving difficult to contact initially, it was quick to respond once communication was established and authorised the return without requiring proof of purchase. I even received a freepost address.

By comparison, Sandisk has an online form to initiate the returns process, but wanted more information. That comprised a copy of the purchase invoice and images of the card - front, back and serial number. So far, I have heard nothing more other than a customer feedback request. Presumably that was generated automatically as a result of my initial online chat session to establsh the returns protocol. Talk about being premature as I cannot give a meaningful response at this early stage of the transaction.

Incidentally, just as Lexar is part of Micron which also has Crucial as one of is divisions, it turns out that Sandisk is owned by Western Digital. Small world. Large corporations.

[Mike Farley]

SanDisk has authorised the return of the card. It is going by courier to the Czech Republic at their expense. The card cost around £20 when new.

[davidc]

I must admit I'm surprised you are going to all this effort. When I have cards die I just buy new ones.

[Mike Farley]

I must admit I'm surprised you are going to all this effort. When I have cards die I just buy new ones.

Which is exactly what I have done in the past. I am simply curious to see how effective these warranties are.

[davidc]

So far all my fails have been physical, long after the warranty has expired. Usually the small plastic "fins" near the metal contacts snap off. One snapped off inside the camera, that was tricky to remove!

[Mike Farley]

So far all my fails have been physical, long after the warranty has expired. Usually the small plastic "fins" near the metal contacts snap off. One snapped off inside the camera, that was tricky to remove!

All my failures have been corrupted cards. None has failed totally and until the problems with the Sandisk one the other week, when I needed to use recovery software, I have at least always been read the images from the card without any aids. The last image on the Lexar card had a large strip missing, but the other shots were OK. Both cards have a lifetime warranty, although I suspect that devices which use them will be superseded in not too many years.