Formatting CF Cards

I have a couple of 1 gig and 2 gig CF cards that I've been using for a year in a Canon 20D, and have never formatted them. I've just been dumping them to my PC using the Windows XP functionality and then putting the card back in the camera and selecting erase--all.

Recently I went on a trip (Ft. Desoto/Sarasota, FL.) and dumped a lot of images from these cards to an Epson P2000. Now that I'm back and transferring the images from the P2000 to my PC, I can see that each card has a ton of folders (Canon195, Canon196, etc.) under the DCIM folder which is under the Epson created date folder. Only the last two or three (highest numbered) folders for any given date/DCIM actually have any image files in them. Should I be formatting these cards regularly? (I read that in the camera is the safest way to format.) Will that kill the empty folders? Could these empty folders be causing me some read/write performance issues?

Thanks for any and all feedback.

Could these empty folders be causing me some read/write performance issues?

Yep, and other potential problems too (like File Allocation Table errors). Just put the card in your camera and FORMAT (not Erase All). Your cards will be all better.

I format my cards in the camera every time I use them (after making sure the images are downloaded and backed up successfully).

I don't know about performace issues but I format (in camera) everytime. Works for me. BTW I have a Canon 10D.

Thanks, I could never figure out how to lose the old folders. I guess i'd just done the erase all function instead of actually formatting.

I was told many years ago that it was best to format in the camera each and everytime you use the card. I have done this religously and I have never had a problem with cards that was not directly linked to something dumb I did. It takes only seconds and seems to prevent lots of problems.

Thanks to everyone. I'm surprised I hadn't read this information anywhere before, but glad to have such a great resource as fellow NPN'ers to set me on the right track.

Never erase all. Always format.

We have a D60 at work, and for a while they had a 16 MB card to use with it. Once I tried to use it, and since the people who do use it regularly had always erased and never formatted, the FAT was so taking up so much space that I couldn't even take a single shot at a high quality setting. A format fixed that. That isn't much of a problem if you have a big card, but the FAT will take more and more space that can't be used for photos. And if it gets corrupted, you could lose shots.

-Paul

Well I have a Kingston 256 MB CF card that can't be formated any more, not in camera or with any external card reader ... any suggestions I might try ? Thanks

I never erase my cards. I always reformat them to accomplish the erasing process. To me it avoids any possible filing issues.