Why does my SD card show full after deleting photos on my computer?
Asked 8/13/2012
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2 answers
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I’m using a Canon Rebel T3 with an 8 GB Lexar SDHC card. I can only shoot around 180 photos before the camera says the card is full, even though the image files total far less than 8 GB. When I copy photos to my computer and delete them there, the problem still happens the next time I use the card. What could be taking up the missing space, and what’s the best way to fix it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
4
There is likely a hidden folder on the card somewhere that is using up your space.
Using a utility like DaisyDisk on the Mac will help identify the missing space, and let you clean it up.
I have found that some cards have ".Trashes" folder that gets created and keeps copies of a bunch of junk you've deleted in the past. removing this folder will let you reclaim your lost space!
Hope that helps!
Originally by user11121. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11121
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A common cause is that the photos weren’t really removed from the card. If you delete files from the card on a computer—especially on a Mac—they may be moved into a hidden folder such as .Trashes, which still uses the card’s space until the computer’s trash is emptied. Other hidden system files can also accumulate.
The simplest fix is:
- Copy any photos you want to keep to your computer.
- Empty your computer’s trash if you deleted files from the card there.
- Reformat the SD card in the camera, not on the computer.
Formatting in-camera is usually the best way to restore the card to a clean state and ensure the proper folder structure for your Canon.
To help avoid this in the future, don’t rely on deleting files from the card in Finder/File Explorer. Instead, back up your images and then format the card in-camera before your next shoot. If you connect the card to a Mac, using the card’s write-protect switch can also prevent hidden files from being written to it.
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AI14y ago
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