Memory cards are small and durable but, like all technology, they are still vulnerable to failure. Here are twelve ways that you can protect and extend the life of your memory card.

1. Keep it clean. When your memory card isn’t in your camera, keep it in a plastic case or even a plastic bag. This can also protect your camera, as you don’t want to be inserting a dusty and dirty card into it. Heed this advice especially if you’ll be photographing in sandy areas like deserts or the beach.

2. Ensure your batteries are fully charged. If your batteries fail during card usage it may result in file corruption and could even permanently damage your card. Also do not turn off the camera when removing or inserting the card. Keep your rechargeable batteries well charged, and always have a fresh supply ready. Also remember that some batteries - such as Li-ion batteries are more susceptible to cold tempetaraures and may not function properly, this will in turn cause corruotption on the memory card if the batteries fails whilst the card is being accessed by the camera.

3. Be patient - if you remove your card whilst it is still being accessed it will almost certainly result in file corruption and permanent damage to the card. Wait for your host device to finish reading or writing the data before ejecting the card.

4. Format the card. Sometimes, if the memory card is acting strangely or malfunctioning, formatting can fix the problem. It is recommended that if you want to format the card, that you do so using the device it is to be used in or as a secondary option a card reader attached to your computer.

5. Protect your card from the elements. Heat and water can all wreak havoc on a memory card. Don’t leave them in the car on a hot day and keep them away from rain, snow, or water. Be extra careful when handling your card in dry, low humidity situations as a static shock could corrupt files.

6. One device, one card. Try to use each card specifically for each device. An MP3 player may access the card differently than a camera or voice recorder. It’s best to keep a separate memory card for each electronic device that you have. This way, you can also protect the data structure on the card.

7. Do not edit data whilst it is on the card. Always download your files before editing them on your computer. Do not edit the file whilst it is still on the Memory Card, it will shorten the life of your card.

8. Don’t bend the card. Memory cards are not designed to be flexible and as durable as they are, they can break. If the card won’t fit in a slot, then don’t force it. Memory cards are designed to only fit one way into their corresponding slot. If it’s not going in properly, then try flipping the card around or double check that you have the right card for your device.

9. Avoid magnets. Magnets are a memory cards worst enemy - Keep your card away from strong, magnetic fields. Walk through airport x-rays and scanners are usually quite safe, but be careful of the stronger x-ray equipment used to examine checked in baggage. Strong magnetic forces can destroy or corrupt files on a memory card.

10. Flush the cache. If you are using a card reader on a Windows 2000, XP or Vista computer, always flush the cache before removing your card. This can be done by right clicking on the green arrow in the system tray at the bottom right hand corner of your screen and ejecting your drive letter.

11. Keep a back up copy of your data. Every time you have been out on a shoot, copy the data on to your hard drive and also archive on a CD or DVD, once you have safely backed up all your files, reformat your memory card.

12. Keep it clean. Memory cards are tough but, like all technology, they have their vulnerable spots - so it’s important to keep them clear of dirt, water and heat and to protect the data on it. Follow these tips and your cards should last for thousands of cycles.

NB.
Be cautious when using any “Delete All” or “Format” options, especially when using SmartMedia or xD Picture cards. These card types have no controller chip, and selecting “Delete All” or “Format” is an irreversible action which no recovery service will be able to recover from.

If you do run into difficulties, do not reformat the card or attempt to save or delete more files; you can attempt to recover data using a recovery program such as Image Recall. Although not always successful they do often enable you to recover some of the lost or corrupt data. All you need to use the software is a Card Reader or a USB enabled host device that allows a logical drive letter.