CF reader now states inserted card not formatted (wrongly)

After using a Belkin USB CF reader for some time with no problems, it now
informs me that any card inserted is not formatted. I've removed and then
reinstalled the drivers, and the LED indicator on the drive suggests that
all is functioning correctly - is this our old friend XP (+SP2) screwing
things up once again?

Constructive suggestions, please.

RM

 

Probably not an OS problem, especially if your camera sees the card. Belkin
makes great cables and such, but I don't trust anything they produce that
has Windows drivers. I had a Belkin USB to RS232 converter and guess what?
It rarely worked properly. I had a Belkin USB wireless unit and guess what?
It didn't work properly.

CF card readers are inexpensive. Get another (non-Belkin) one.

Scott Chapin

 

sounds like a fault in the reader, not an OS problem.

 

I doubt it's an XP/SP2 problem; it would have always been flakey if it
were.
Why does the Belkin reader need drivers? XP has the drivers built in
for card readers. I'd suspect the reader; they're cheap, get another,
one that will work out of the box with XP (just about any currently
marketed USB reader).

 

To be honest, I got a Belkin unit as I've always thought their cables, etc.,
were pretty rugged and assumed that a simple card reader ought to be
similarly bomb-proof.

But... if I take out the cable from it and connect directly to my camera
body, all transfers with no problems - albeit a bit slowly. I'll try using
the XP driver before assuming the reader is a basket case, as it's pretty
new and has never even been out on the road. I'll also try it on my notebook
PC; if it works on that, well...

Thanks for the responses!

RM

 

Have the camera reformat the card after you've downloaded the next batch
of photos. Longish shot, but might do it.

==
John McWilliams

 

Indeed, and most probably the drivers and not the hardware.

Scott Chapin

 

<SNIP>

That's why I went with Belkin, until two USB items of theirs had crappy
drivers!

Good Luck,

Scott Chapin

 

Did the instructions that came with the Belkin reader tell you to
install drivers for WinXP? Or did you simply install them because they
were there?
If the latter, yes, remove them.
If the former, replace the Belkin reader; they obviously don't know
what they are doing. Everyone else can build a reader that needs no
other drivers than those in XP.

 

Well, maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusions - the unit works fine on my
notebook, and - surprise, surprise - my old USB1.1 card reader shows the
same problem on my main machine as the Belkin unit. I pop in a card
containing images, only to be told it's not formatted.

I checked the Belkin install disk, which despite the Install Driver menu
item doesn't seem to contain a driver at all; maybe it simply checks that
the native Win XP driver is there. Anyhow, my guess is that the driver is
corrupt, but I may be wrong - now all I need to do is figure out how to
replace it (bearing in mind I have SP2 installed, so that rules out the
original Windows install disk... we'll see.

Strange, never had this problem with film

Stay tuned...

RM

 

Please, try another reader.
I've never heard of an install disk that was designed to check to see
if XP has a driver installed; MS is pretty decent about letting device
makers know which drivers are there, so the makers can make devices
that work; it's to MS's benefit to do this.
Again: did the instructions tell you to use an install disk with XP?
If so, Belkin is suspect, as other USB readers don't need to do this.

 

Are there any yellow bang marks in your device drivers?

Scott Chapin

 

Look down inside the reader slot and check for bent pins.