Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!

Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: CKG10
CKG10 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

My Macbook Pro won't read my Compact Flash card

Here’s the problem.


Mavericks won’t acknowledge the existence of my Compact Flash card when presented in a card reader (I have tried two readers). It is a card I have been using with Lion on my Macbook Pro for some time quite happily.


There is nothing wrong with the card; it works just fine in our Windows machine and in my camera.


My Compact Flash card is a Kingston 4Gb card. It was formatted in the camera.

The camera was bought approx 2003. Its a digital Pentax Optio 33GS (top of the range at the time shooting 3.2 megapixels!).


On my Macbook Pro 15” (bought new approx 2010) the card does not appear in Finder but does appear in Disk Utility.


The information for the main entry on the LHS in Disk Utility is displayed as follows:


Disk Description: 4Gb Generic Storage Device Media

Write status: Read/write


The sub entry which appears as disk1s1 on the LHS is:


Mount point: Not mounted

Format MS-DOS (FAT16)


I attempted to erase the Card using Disk Utility; I selected the main entry on the LHS and I chose the format MS-DOS (FAT). This returned a Disk Erase Failed msg “Wiping volume data to prevent future accidental probing failed.”


I then tried again, this time selecting Windows NT File system (Tuxera NTFS) as I have Tuxera installed. This did not work either; it failed with the same error msg.


OK so then I tried Mac OS Extended (Journaled) but this failed as above also.


I am not quite sure why, but when I reinserted my card into my camera, my camera could not read the card so I had to reformat the card within the camera.


Oh yes, I also tried rebooting my Macbook with the card inserted but this made no difference.


I have run our of ideas. All help gratefully received.


Thank you. Carol


PS ... apologies to anyone who saw my previous post in which I referred to my card as an SD card when in fact it is a Compact Flash card



MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9)



I have this question too ( 0


MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Nov 7, 2013 8:35 PM

Reply
17 replies
User profile for user: CKG10
CKG10 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Nov 8, 2013 12:29 AM in response to Donald Morgan

Sorry Donald ... I believe you are barking up the wrong tree.

The card was formatted by the camera and was previously happily read by both our Windows machine as well as my MacbookPro (Snow leopard and Lion). The USBs on my Macbook are USB 2.0. I don't believe the card reader is capable fo being formatted.

Thanks for your contribution though.

Reply
User profile for user: CKG10
CKG10 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Nov 8, 2013 12:35 AM in response to William Lloyd

Thanks William.

I have two card readers, both of which worked fine under Lion. I never did install Mountain Lion but leapt (in a feline way you understand) straight to Mavericks (what sort of animal is this?).

I suspect that Apple in their wisdom has deemed FAT16 too old to be catered for and will only serve FAT32 (note consistency of metaphor)😎. I hope I am wrong. But this is all I can conclude at the mo.

Reply
User profile for user: CKG10
CKG10 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Nov 8, 2013 4:34 PM in response to CKG10

I just tried to repair the card again using Disk Utility and this is the msg I received:

"

Verify and Repair volume “disk1s1”Checking file system** /dev/disk1s1

Filesystem too big (121847 clusters) for non-FAT32 partition

Volume repair complete.Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.Error: Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files."


Does this mean that I need more than one partition on this card; it currently has just the one partition?


How would I go about creating more partitions on this card?


Thanks for any help.


Carol

Reply
User profile for user: CKG10
CKG10 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Nov 8, 2013 5:08 PM in response to CKG10

OK, so I have found out how to create more partitions on the card using Disk Utility (it's part of the Erase process I think).

So I created 4 partitions each of approx 1 Gb.

And lo, I am very excitied to discover that my Macbook can now read the card and write to it. The card has been formatted to MS-DOS (FAT32) by my Macbook.


BUT ... the camera cannot read the card, Bother.


HOWEVER ... this does lead me to consider that if I purchased a CF card of 1 Gb instead of 4Gb then when it was formatted by the camera, my Macbook just might be able to read it.


I have a horrible suspicion that this will not work, but must try ...


ADDED LATER - more info re PARTITIONING ... Partition is not part of the Erase function in Disk Utility. Partition comes up as an option (along with First Aid, Erase, etc) when I select the main entry for the card on the LHS.


Message was edited by: CKG10

Reply
User profile for user: Jack Slice
Jack Slice
User level: Level 1
51 points

Nov 13, 2013 6:44 AM in response to CKG10

I have the same issue. ONLY compact flash cards give me trouble and I have tried 4 of them in 2 different readers. Copying TO them works fine, but in every case, copying from them (either through the finder or importing into lightroom) causes a failure, and the card ejects itself and then remounts. Occassionally a couple of file will copy before the failure. These cards have been formatted in a Canon SLR and have worked flawlessly prior to Mavericks.


Incidentally, the SAME readers will work fine with Canon formatted SD cards. My Canon 5D MKIII has both cards in it and has formatted both cards. I shoot so the images are copied to both at the same time. The camera has never failed ot copy the files to both cards.


AND lastly, this is why I know it is Mavericks. I took the same Compact Flash card that failed on my Macbook Retina and plugged it into a Macbook Air running Lion. SAME card. SAME reader. Copy went flawlessly in all cases. It is NOT the card. It is NOT the reader. Mavericks seems to have an issue with compact flash cards. Not SD cards, but the compact flash ones only.

Reply
User profile for user: CKG10
CKG10 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Nov 27, 2013 8:33 PM in response to CKG10

Well ... Hallelujah ... Problem solved.


I have just purchased a 2Gb Compact Flash card, genuine Sandisk Ultra. (I went to some trouble to ensure it was genuine.)

Not only does my Macbook read and write to the card but it recognises the card as a camera card and auto opens iPhoto as I wanted.

I checked using Disk Utilty and the card is formated to MS-DOS (FAT16).


The key to the solution was dear Wikipedia which informed me that the max volume of a CF card that can be formatted to FAT16 is 2Gb. FAT16 is what my camera formats a CF card to should formatting be required. (The camera can't read FAT32 I have concluded.) So ... altho Lion OS could deal with 4Gb of FAT16, Mavericks can't; it is less accommodating.


A contributing factor may also be that this newly acquired card is designed for cameras and is a genuine Sandisk card. The Kingston 4GB card I had been using previously did not come with the camera but was one I had purchased on the Internet. It was not advertised as being specifically for a camera.


So ... I am a very happy bunny.


Hope this helps others.

Reply
User profile for user: cyberchucker
cyberchucker
User level: Level 1
4 points

Dec 13, 2013 4:14 AM in response to Jack Slice

It's a Mavericks problem.


My situation is almost exactly the same as Jack's, with one slight difference:


I've got three different 32GB Compact Flash cards, and two different readers. All 3 cards work fine in my Canon 5D Mk. III. All 3 cards work fine on my Windows 7 machine with either reader. All 3 cards and both readers worked fine on Lion. Also, all my SD cards work fine on Mavericks and Windows, no problems there.


Here's where it fails: If I use Mavericks Finder to try to copy any of the cards using my USB 3.0 Kingston reader, it always fails with the same message: "The Finder can't complete the operation because some data in "" can't be read or written. (Error code -36)" I looked up error code -36, and it just means "I/O error" -- not very helpful.


Here's what's strange: If I use Mavericks Finder to copy the card with my junky old $2 USB 2.0 reader, it works!


So here's my summary: In Mavericks, Apple introduced a problem: You can't read a Compact Flash card with a USB 3.0 reader.

Reply
User profile for user: cyberchucker
cyberchucker
User level: Level 1
4 points

Dec 13, 2013 4:24 AM in response to cyberchucker

Aha! I just found another thread that indicates my problem is with the Kingston FCR-HS3 reader. Kingston acknowledges the problem, but the only fix they have is for Windows machines ⚠.


Here's the link to the pertinent FAQ, with the link to the Windows fix: http://www.kingston.com/us/support/technical/products?model=FCR-HS3


It says for Mac OS, contact technical support. I guess that's my next step.

Reply
User profile for user: cyberchucker
cyberchucker
User level: Level 1
4 points

Dec 13, 2013 3:05 PM in response to Jack Slice

Okay, I am making progress here now.


Using the link in my message above timestamped Dec 13, 2013 4:24 AM, I filed a tech support request describing the problem. Because they asked for details to confirm that the problem was with their product, I copied and pasted pretty much verbatim the text from my message above.


Around noon, same day, I got a message back from technical support saying they were sorry for the problem and would provide me with a replacement unit. Two hours later, I got a message from their RMA department saying that because the product has a two year warranty, they needed a copy of my receipt. I located a copy of my receipt for the purchase from Amazon on September 10, 2012 and forwarded that to them.


At this point, I am optimistic that it's going to work out okay. So far, I am very impressed with the responsiveness of Kingston's technical support and customer service departments.


If I actually do receive a working replacement, I will post an update here.

Reply

My Macbook Pro won't read my Compact Flash card

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.
Learn more Sign up