SD Camera cards have a switch

letterman · External Since: Feb 17, 2009 Posts: 16

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Brian A. · External Since: Apr 14, 2009 Posts: 5

> I just noticed that one of my SD camera cards has a tiny switch or
> some sort of tiny plastic thing on the edge that appears to slide.
> The brand is a "Digital Media". Is this a lockout similar to the ones
> on floppies? If not, what is it?
>

It's a write protect switch similar to that of a floppy.

--

Brian A. Sesko
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Cash · External Since: Mar 07, 2009 Posts: 2

letterman.DeleteThis@invalid.com wrote:
> I just noticed that one of my SD camera cards has a tiny switch or
> some sort of tiny plastic thing on the edge that appears to slide.
> The brand is a "Digital Media". Is this a lockout similar to the ones
> on floppies? If not, what is it?
>
> I never noticed this before and have never read anything about SD
> cards having them ????????
>
> LM

It's to write protect the SD Card - exactly the same as a floppy!

Franc Zabkar · External Since: Sep 03, 2005 Posts: 991

On Sat, 16 May 2009 14:41:36 -0500, letterman DeleteThis @invalid.com put finger
to keyboard and composed:

>I just noticed that one of my SD camera cards has a tiny switch or
>some sort of tiny plastic thing on the edge that appears to slide.
>The brand is a "Digital Media". Is this a lockout similar to the ones
>on floppies? If not, what is it?
>
>I never noticed this before and have never read anything about SD
>cards having them ????????
>
>LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_card#Optional_write-protect_tab

"On the left side may be a write-protection notch. If this is present,
the card cannot be written to. If the notch is covered by a sliding
write protection tab, or absent, then the card is writeable. This can
be overridden if the device reading it wishes to (and supports it)."

So it appears that the SD Write-Protect notch is not similar to the
write protect tab on floppy diskettes. The latter cannot be defeated.

- Franc Zabkar
--
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"J. P. Gilliver · External Since: Feb 08, 2009 Posts: 44

In message <gjgu05h8cr68s7anjqf1n20qq4e0u66fn8.RemoveThis@4ax.com>, Franc Zabkar
<fzabkar.RemoveThis@iinternode.on.net> writes:
>On Sat, 16 May 2009 14:41:36 -0500, letterman.RemoveThis@invalid.com put finger
>to keyboard and composed:
>
>>I just noticed that one of my SD camera cards has a tiny switch or
>>some sort of tiny plastic thing on the edge that appears to slide.
>>The brand is a "Digital Media". Is this a lockout similar to the ones
>>on floppies? If not, what is it?
>>
>>I never noticed this before and have never read anything about SD
>>cards having them ????????
>>
>>LM
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_card#Optional_write-protect_tab
>
>"On the left side may be a write-protection notch. If this is present,
>the card cannot be written to. If the notch is covered by a sliding
>write protection tab, or absent, then the card is writeable. This can
>be overridden if the device reading it wishes to (and supports it)."
>
>So it appears that the SD Write-Protect notch is not similar to the
>write protect tab on floppy diskettes. The latter cannot be defeated.
[]
It can, if you use a device which "doesn't support" it - i. e. in which
the sensor has been bypassed in the appropriate way (or the hole taped
over, or not, as required). The difference is that the standard for
floppies was laid down before the drives were mass-produced, so most
drives _do_ implement the protection, whereas the standard for SD cards
developed more or less in parallel with reader/writers, so some do some
don't.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

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