Strange issue when uploading images from card to computer

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day all

Gotta very odd thing happening - suspect it's a Windows issue rather than camera... using W7 by the way & camera is panny G2

For years now, my SOP for uploading images from camera to computer is via Windows Explorer - a simple Cut > Paste into a target folder that then is used so sort the wheat from the chaff and further processing etc

I just plug the SD card into the laptop's SD slot - it comes up as a removable drive and away I go ...

In recent times I have been unable to undertake the Cut > Paste, only been able to Copy > Paste with File > Delete even greyed out on the drop-down list

If I exchange cards from a 2nd camera, I can do a Cut > Paste for one maybe two times, before Windows swaps things over to only let me Copy > Paste

It's driving me nuts

I've been thru 'My-computer > Folder Options' and can't see anything there
There's nothing in the panny menus to set anything like this
Any suggestions anyone?

Regards, Phil

[mudman]

g'day Phil
how ya suffering on the coast these days?
simple solution, buy a card reader and plug it into a USB port. they only cost a few $$$
sounds to my like the computer slot may be faulty somehow and corupting the card
cheers

[Speedway]

How long is it since you reformatted your cards.
Keith.

[ameerat42]

No idea as to why, Ozzie, except that the card(s) or the files must have somehow become WRITE PROTECTED. That's why you can only COPY (READ) them, rather than effectively delete them via the MOVE operation that is Cut and (Thrust of politics? - No!!!) Paste.

Have a look at the attributes of the files on the card.

But another thing. OK that cut and paste is fairly safe, in that the files will not be "deleted" until they have been copied. But say after a seccessful move from the card something happens to that temporary folder on the computer you mentioned. Then you would have no such folder and none on the card.

In a way the copy and paste restriction is a safer option. I use C&P until I have made several copies in different locations, then I delete from the card.

Good luck with it.
Am.

[ScottM]

My first thought was the same as Am's - the files or card itself have become read only.
SD cards have a little slide switch on them that locks the contents from being modified. I wouldn't be surprised if it's been inadvertently slid, possibly only part way. You wouldn't be able to take any more photos on that card if this was the case too.
If that doesn't work I'd try a reformat.

[ameerat42]

My first thought was the same as Am's - the files or card itself have become read only.
SD cards have a little slide switch on them that locks the contents from being modified. I wouldn't be surprised if it's been inadvertently slid, possibly only part way. You wouldn't be able to take any more photos on that card if this was the case too.
If that doesn't work I'd try a reformat.

Quite right, Scott, and I didn't say anything because I thought that since Phil could take the pics, then... But I'm wondering if the camera itself has managed to put a "read only" attribute on the images it stores.

A bit of "check camera settings", Phil.

[ScottM]

Mmm, it'd be odd for a camera to add R/O attributes, but definitely possible.

I protected a card a while back so I didn't overwrite some important family photos, but didn't download for quite a while. When I tried, I couldn't write to it. D'oh. Then worked it out pretty quickly what I'd done 6 months beforehand

Well... This partly explains things - you're right Am and MudMan, it's a camera feature:

Excerpt from here:

This is normal for all current Lumix cameras. You can only delete
images on the camera itself, or on the computer by inserting the SD card
into an attached SD card reader. Not very practical, but that's the way
it is!

The camera looks to be putting R/O attributes onto the files

[arthurking83]

Most camera's that I know of have an ability to 'protect' image files from accidental deletion, either from the camera itself or off the card via another computer.
Both my Nikon's have this feature, and using the windows file copy system my be respecting the camera's file protect bit within the file itself.

When I come across this issue, one way to unset the protect bit in the image files is to use Nikon's viewing software, which allows the protect bit to be overwritten.
I've never found, nor looked for a way to do this via Windows directly .. and don't really need too as I can do it easily with Nikon's software.

The tell tale with Nikon files is that the image may have a small icon overlay on the image itself, which is an image of a key .. is there anything at all to indicate that the images from the G2 have been accidentally set to 'protect'??

Otherwise check the lock switch, as Scott mentioned,on the side of the SD card. That's also easy to accidentally hit whilst removing/inserting the SD card(I hate handling them due to their small size, and much prefer the size of CF cards).
The only reservation I'd have with the lock switch as being the culprit is that if the card is then installed back into the camera with the lock set to 'protect' mode, you still couldn't delete or format the card to rid yourself of the now 'backed up' images!

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day all

Thx so far for the thoughts - tho most are guesses & far from the mark
At varying times over the past 4-6 months, I have been thru most of the suggestions above

If I use the primary 8Gb SD card from the Pentax [before it got but away] now the Panny, I get this problem
If I have used 'her' Panny camera - her SD card works 'perfectly' ~ I can cut 'n paste images quite okay

The card has been camera-formatted about 1-dozen times over many months

In frustration tonight I went into Windows and with the SD card loaded, I right-clicked on Properties & went thru the tabs at the top of the dialog box
On a tab header titled "Ready Boost" I get the following msg:-
"the drive is mounted read-only ... locked by Bit Locker" [see image-1] ..... whatever the hell Bit Locker is all about

I am totally unable to format the card inside Windows - but I certainly can in the camera
Once formatted, the card no longer has any Bit Locker activity [see image-2] - but immediately I insert the card into the laptop's SD slot, it gets 'zapped' by Windows and that's the end of things

Image-1 ................................................................................ Image-2
&

FWIW - the computer is a bog-standard Toshy Laptop with nothing special:- Windows 7 + the regular windows updates & the usual anti virus + anti spyware stuff

Back you you fellas ...
Regards, Phil

[Mark L]

Time for a new card.

[rodw]

I am sure bit locker and ready boost are not part of the Toshiba build as I have had 2 toshy lappies. I reckon you've loaded this stuff when installing another program.

Search for these programs from the windows menu and see what they are. You have found the culprit, so track it down! There should be an option to make it read write again.

If still a prob, google the proggies.

[ameerat42]

For solutions just send mney.

For an explification, just read this Wikipedia article, gleaned with others through a "bitlocker" search.

Ah, bitlocker. I only heard of it in passing, now that you have mentioned it, as I have not yet installed Win7.

Here's a quote from the article...

BitLocker Drive Encryption is a full disk encryption feature included with the Ultimate and Enterprise editions of Microsoft's Windows Vista and Windows 7 desktop operating systems, as well as the Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 server platforms. It is designed to protect data by providing encryption for entire volumes. By default it uses the AES encryption algorithm in CBC mode with a 128 bit key, combined with the Elephant diffuser for additional disk encryption specific security not provided by AES

Now you can just go from mystery to mastery.

[Duane Pipe]

Good one AM I just searched it myself, never heard of it until now either
I had a quick read and I think you can turn it off. PS your link dont work

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/w...ures/bitlocker

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ff-no-tpm.html

[ameerat42]

Ta Duane. Trying again with that Wiki link.
Am.

[arthurking83]

Yeah this bit locker is a feature found in Win 7 above(and excluding) Win 7 pro .. that means Win7 Ultimate and Enterprise(or Server, or whatever).

I looked into it as well, as I found myself with a 32bit version of Win7 U, which is legit and given to me by a family member, as they're going 64bit.
I wanted to use it on my Win7 tablet, but found that the only extra feature of Win 7 Ultimate(on my DVD) over Win7 Pro(which I have on the Tablet) is this bit locker feature.
*PITA to stuff around with installing.

So you have a Toshiba with Win7 Ultimate installed, and bit locker enabled which is causing grief .. can you disable bit locker for good if it;s a feature you don't need.

My understanding of this bit locker feature is that it's good for encrypting a drive with 'sensitive' data on it.
I find that to usually mean in a business environment of some kind .. financial security, etc....

I think the important bit of missing information in this thread may have been the Windows 7 version.

Do a check to be sure but it seems you have Win7 Ultimate installed on your lappie.

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day all

@Arthur ... I'm usually pretty sure about most things ... here's a screen dump from Control Panel > System



Still looking for answers -

Regards, Phil

[arthurking83]

Apologies Phil.

I had a look at the Windows site a long time ago and checked out the pro and cons of each version of Win7 before I got my copy.
Decided that Win7 Pro was the best option irrespective of price for my needs.

Bitlocker was the only difference between Ultimate(available) and Pro(not available)!

Toshiba do have a tendency towards strange software on some of their devices sometimes .. maybe they've decided that their laptops are better off with a bitlocker feature.

Strange that they'd have a 4gig RAM setup and only use Win 32bit, which is physically limited to using only 3 of those 4 gigs of RAM too!

Your CPU is 64 bit capable and with that 64 bit OS you get to access all of that 4G of RAM too.
(not that you will get much of a difference in performance by having that 'missing' 1 gig of RAM available.. but it surely won't hurt!)

So can you turn off this bitlocker either for good(system wide) or just for any removable media?

[mudman]

have you tried their support number in the screen dump?