[Wild Thing]

We got talking about storage cases for SD cards on another thread and it reminded me of another issue I had with SD Cards. After you download the images from your SD cards onto your computer you delete those images from the card - right? Problem is, eventually when you plug the card back into your camera you will get the "SD Card Full" message and you can't download any more images onto the card.

Ever been there? Me too. I actually tossed a few cards in the trash thinking they were faulty. I finally found this tutorial on the net on how to "format" the card again to delete the data from the card.

It is really simple and this youngster explains it very well. Don't trash any more of those SD cards - just do this:

PreviewPreview3:13SD card says its full even though it's not: HOW TO FIX IT (3:12 minutes)

I am sure most of you "Tech Savvy" guys figured this out on your own long ago, but for those like me that aren't quite that sharp, hopefully you will find this useful.

I even made a few notes for myself....just in case.

 

[FREEPOP]

I had one camera that won't read right unless I format the card in the camera.

You can do format on a computer also.
1. Insert disk
2. open explorer
3. right click on the drive of the card
4. format
5. check settings (most common is fat32)
6. okay
7. are you sure all data will be lost? yes

It is much safer doing it in your camera so you don't accidentally format your hard drive.

 

[Wild Thing]

I have tried re-formatting the cards in my trail cameras and it did not erase the data. Doing it in my Canon DSLR worked great.

It can probably be done on my computer as well. I have a Apple iMac...just haven't looked into it and it is a simple process on the Canon camera I have.

 

[FREEPOP]

I've never had the problem that the card was full and needed to be reformatted. Deleting the pics has always been enough.

 

[Wild Thing]

I've never had the problem that the card was full and needed to be reformatted. Deleting the pics has always been enough.

Most of my cameras (and SD cards) have had thousands of photos taken on them. When the "SD Card Full" issue started popping up and I learned how to fully delete the data, I went through all of my 2 dozen + SD cards and found they all had close to capacity data left on them and would soon be giving me the same message. I sat down and ran them all through the above process and now they are all as good as new. In a year or two I will likely be doing it again.

 

[FREEPOP]

Most of my cameras (and SD cards) have had thousands of photos taken on them. When the "SD Card Full" issue started popping up and I learned how to fully delete the data, I went through all of my 2 dozen + SD cards and found they all had close to capacity data left on them and would soon be giving me the same message. I sat down and ran them all through the above process and now they are all as good as new. In a year or two I will likely be doing it again.

That seems odd.
When you delete I know a file is really isn't deleted but marks it as "over writeable".

Any particular camera brands?

I've had Busnell's for over 15 years that I leave out year round and never ran across this.

 

[Wild Thing]

Almost all Brownings and a few Moultries.

 

[mbrewer]

Most of my cameras (and SD cards) have had thousands of photos taken on them. When the "SD Card Full" issue started popping up and I learned how to fully delete the data, I went through all of my 2 dozen + SD cards and found they all had close to capacity data left on them and would soon be giving me the same message. I sat down and ran them all through the above process and now they are all as good as new. In a year or two I will likely be doing it again.

I format every card every time I check them. Scares all the the B1G1s away if you don't. They can smell the old data.

 

[Tom Fine]

We got talking about storage cases for SD cards on another thread and it reminded me of another issue I had with SD Cards. After you download the images from your SD cards onto your computer you delete those images from the card - right? Problem is, eventually when you plug the card back into your camera you will get the "SD Card Full" message and you can't download any more images onto the card.

Ever been there? Me too. I actually tossed a few cards in the trash thinking they were faulty. I finally found this tutorial on the net on how to "format" the card again to delete the data from the card.

It is really simple and this youngster explains it very well. Don't trash any more of those SD cards - just do this:

PreviewPreview3:13SD card says its full even though it's not: HOW TO FIX IT (3:12 minutes)

I am sure most of you "Tech Savvy" guys figured this out on your own long ago, but for those like me that aren't quite that sharp, hopefully you will find this useful.

I even made a few notes for myself....just in case.

View attachment 484545

I always delete my videos off the sd cards after I download them onto my computer. I have 2 sd cards for each camera and just swap them out. Never have any problems doing it this way. I’ve heard switching sd cards in different cameras can screw them up.

 

[Wild Thing]

I always delete my videos off the sd cards after I download them onto my computer. I have 2 sd cards for each camera and just swap them out. Never have any problems doing it this way. I’ve heard switching sd cards in different cameras can screw them up.

I always delete my videos off the sd cards after I download them onto my computer.

I always delete the photos off of the cards as soon as I download them too. The images are gone but they are still taking up space on my cards. If you can still use them forever and it ain't broke - don't fix it. I can't do that.

I’ve heard switching sd cards in different cameras can screw them up.

Must be an old wives tale TF - I've been doing it for many years and have never had any issues.

 

[Tom Fine]

I always delete my videos off the sd cards after I download them onto my computer.

I always delete the photos off of the cards as soon as I download them too. The images are gone but they are still taking up space on my cards. If you can still use them forever and it ain't broke - don't fix it. I can't do that.

Yea so far so good. I only run cameras a few months out of the year so that maybe why I’m having good luck with sd cards.

I’ve heard switching sd cards in different cameras can screw them up.

Must be an old wives tale TF - I've been doing it for many years and have never had any issues.

I haven’t personally experienced it but if I want to keep a camera in the woods I’m going to need 2 sd cards a camera. I figured I might just keep the same 2 for each camera.

 

[bowhunter426]

Word of caution about using a digital camera to format an SD cards. A lot of times they create subfolders they need when doing the format. Those folders have caused several of my cameras to not work.

Using Format on the PC is the most robust method of wiping out a card.

 

[jrs1986]

I had several issues with this in browning cameras. I would delete all pictures and it would regularly read "card full".

I tried reformatting, no dice. Same crap.

Then I started deleting the entire folder that the pictures were in, solved the problem almost flawlessly. I believe in a browning dark ops the directory folder is called BTCF or something along those lines.

Its simple and might be worth a try if all else fails.

 

[kdogger]

There is a little slide tab on the side edge on the SD cards that locks them that sometimes gets slid to the lock position and then you can’t write more images on it.

 

[sparky18181]

I delete mine after they are downloaded and also format them each time I put a new card back in the camera. Never any issues so far.

 

[Newaygo1]

Some Brands recommend that You use the Same Card in only that Brand Game Camera as like you said it shows the Card is Full, Sometimes because you have different Brand Cams you could mix one up from lets say a Browning to a Stealth or Moutrie depending on what brand Cams you Have. If you open the File Group it shows you the different Format like MP4 or AVI and so on. And sometimes because you used a SD Card from a Different Brand it does not like it. I have Always Reformatted a Card After Every Check in that Cam. I have most Browning Spec Ops Now, but have a couple older Stealths, Moultries and a a Newer Stealth DS4K and Now a DS4K Max. I found that the DS4K's have the capability of High Video Resolution and my Laptops do nor Support that I cannot View once I transfer them off the SD Card to the Laptop. I had not lower the Resolution and it works fine now. I also like the Newer Cams that can use a Large Storage SD Card up to 512GB where as most were limited to 32 GB I use 64 GB in the in my BTC-8FHD PX and the DS4K Max as all my Cams are out 24/7. And I only Do Video that uses a lot of Space at 30 seconds over the Winter and 1 Minute come May. As the Browning can only do 1920 x 1080 which what seems to work with Windows 7. Anyway I would suggest as others have to reformat every time in that Cam you are putting that SD Card In. And Not mix a Card with another Brand or Model. If you have notices some transfer the Data from the SD Card Faster than Others maybe because of the Format that Brand uses. For me Stealth takes a bit longer that others. Which slows me down from checking Cams. Also now most SD Card's Speed have jumped from 45 MPS then to 95 MPS and now 170 MPS not sure some Cams can Accept / use that fast a speed as years back some did not like the faster Speeds but you cannot find the slower ones these days. Years back also doing Video seem to require a Class 10 as early Class 4 was okay. I only use SanDisk and once once had a bad one that was an Ultra since I switched to the Extreme and Extreme Pro Models but bow the lesser Speed Cards are easy to find. Cannot say that these Newer faster SD Cards can be an issue but as we know Tech is changing way To fast and hard to try and Keep Up.
Newaygo1

 

[michiganreaper]

Format them on your computer. Not your camera. I found it helped my cameras. I have 5 Browning's. I had the same issue with them until someone told me to use the computer.

 

[Newaygo1]

It is Odd Never had any Problems with my 7 Browning Formatting the SD Card in the Camera. Seems odd that some Do and Some Don't? Why could that Me? Brand of SD Card? Again it is puzzling that some Do and yet Some never have been running some Browning Cards since 2013 and others since 2016 and yet Never had a Problem...
Yet never had any Issues with the Other Brands but 1 Time with a SanDisk Ultra. been Running Many Different Brands: Covert, Moultrie, Stealth, Uway & Browning, Guess I Found the Better ones that Have Worked for me. Guess I am Lucky never having Issues with all these Different Brands! And Never yet to Format any SD Card in any of My Laptops...
Just Sayin...
Newaygo1

 

[old graybeard]

I use all Sandisk cards, format all of them in my cannon camera and mix the use of them all up in several brands of cams. I always delete the images from each card after loading them on my PC and I have never had any issues and have been doing it that way for years. Guess I've been lucky. Hope you figure out your issues.

 

[Wild Thing]

I had several issues with this in browning cameras. I would delete all pictures and it would regularly read "card full".

I tried reformatting, no dice. Same crap.

Then I started deleting the entire folder that the pictures were in, solved the problem almost flawlessly. I believe in a browning dark ops the directory folder is called BTCF or something along those lines.

Its simple and might be worth a try if all else fails.

This could possibly be the issue jrs1986. I don't typically delete the individual sub-folder (100_BTCF, I believe)....just the main DCIM folder.

Format them on your computer. Not your camera. I found it helped my cameras. I have 5 Browning's. I had the same issue with them until someone told me to use the computer.

Have never formatted from my computer Miichiganreaper - this could solve the issue...

I use all Sandisk cards, format all of them in my cannon camera and mix the use of them all up in several brands of cams. I always delete the images from each card after loading them on my PC and I have never had any issues and have been doing it that way for years. Guess I've been lucky. Hope you figure out your issues.

Mostly all San Disk SD cards here too OGB and I mix cards and cameras routinely as well. It really isn't an issue anymore now that I know how to clean up the cards but, as others have mentioned, I could probably achieve the same thing if I deleted the sub-folders or formatted the cards on my desktop computer.

Thanks to all for your contributions to the thread. Hopefully, if there is somebody else out there who was stumped like I was, these tips can help them out.