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Windows XP and Mac OS-X put "stuff" on my card
There have been many recent threads about memory cards, but I haven't
seen any that mentioned this specific item. Windows XP and Mac OS-X added files and directories to the memory card in my camera. I use nether of those two operating systems on any of my computers, so here is how it happened. I was using my Oly C-4000 at a friend's house who uses Windows XP. She wanted copies of the pictures I had just taken, so I removed the 128MB SM card from the camera and placed it in a card reader connected via USB cable to her computer. She then selected the image files on the card that she wanted and copied them to the hard drive. Everything was done with My Computer in XP. I'm not a Windows expert, but it looked like it was a standard copying operation. No message appeared other than the usual animated sheet of paper flying from the card reader to the HD. When that procedure was finished, I removed the card from the reader and placed it back in the camera. I took more pictures afterward. The camera worked fine and the previous images were still available to view in the camera. When I got home and was transferring the new images to my own computer, I noticed that there was now an additional directory and a few small files that were not graphic images. Even though they did not seem to affect the camera operation, I removed them on general principles. A month later, I visited a different friend who has a new iMac running OS-X. We did the same thing, copying selected files from my SM card to his computer via an external USB card reader. I also tried leaving the card in the camera and connecting the Oly USB cable from the camera to his computer. In both cases, the card appeared properly as a drive letter. Afterward, everything worked just like it did in my previous experience with Windows XP. When I returned home and read the card with my own computer, there was similar additional stuff on it. I again deleted it, leaving only the image files in the directory tree that the C-4000 creates. BTW, I did not reformat the card, nor need to. DOS has always been very reliable for editing files and directories on camera cards. Also, as expected with non-camera files, the added items could neither be viewed nor deleted with the camera. When any type of file is added to a camera card, it reduces the space available for camera images. But since the additional stuff totalled only a few kB, that was not a problem. Also, when I examined the mysterious file(s), it looked like some kind of database index, not an executable or anything suspicious. I think I read somewhere that XP has a "feature" which makes it easier to view, sort, or catalog images. If so, I'm sure Microsoft copied it from Apple. I might be considered overly fussy, but I don't want Bill Gates or Steve Jobs putting "stuff" in my computer or camera, especially without asking permission. In any case, I'm curious whether there is an option that I could tell my friends about which turns off that "feature". Bruce P.S. This might be the cause of some of the more mysterious or "mystical" problems that other users are having. It also might be why some people feel that routine reformatting does improve performance. |
#2
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Bruce Patis wrote:
... a friend's house who uses Windows XP.... I placed [the card] in a card reader .... She then selected the image files on the card that she wanted and copied them to the hard drive.... when I examined the mysterious file(s), it looked like some kind of database index .... That's the Thumbnail Database Index, or THUMBS.DB, created by Windows XP to shorten the lag next time you access the directory with Thumbnail View. I don't want Bill Gates ... putting "stuff" in my computer .... I'm curious whether there is an option ... which turns off that "feature". Yes. In Windows Explorer, go to: Tools, Folder Options, View, Advanced and check the "Do Not Cache Thumbnails" box. You will also find PSPBRWSE.DB files created by Paint Shop Pro, and other database files to store thumbnail info from a variety of multimedia programs like ACD See, Photoshop, et alia. These are all created on your storage media if you access them in this way, just like on your hard drive. Most of these apps have similar toggles. They serve a purpose, of course. If you have large numbers of image files, it can take a lo-o-ong time for those thumbnails to generate, especially if you use archival TIFFs. |
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#4
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I might be considered overly fussy, but I don't want Bill Gates or Steve Jobs putting "stuff" in my computer or camera, especially without asking permission. In any case, I'm curious whether there is an option that I could tell my friends about which turns off that "feature". I think you're probably just going to give yourself ulcers if you stress too much about this sort of thing. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs aren't trying to spy on you or anything. I'm not trying to be insulting or anyting, but in general you can probably assume that both of the OS's are putting stuff there to make things faster and easier for them next time you put the card in the computer. But as most people in the other threads have said it's not a bad idea to re-format the card to clear it when you put it back in the camera. It'll remove any unnessessary files. And before anyone says, yes I know that re-format doesn't *ACTUALLY* remove anything, but for all intents and purposes the files are gone and the space is free to be used for images, rather than redundant thumbnail cache files. |
#5
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Hunt wrote:
Also Tetractys, I didn't know about the Do Not Cache Thumbs, thanks. Cheers, mate. |
#6
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On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:19:34 GMT, Bruce Patis
wrote: There have been many recent threads about memory cards, but I haven't seen any that mentioned this specific item. Windows XP and Mac OS-X added files and directories to the memory card in my camera. I use nether of those two operating systems on any of my computers, so here is how it happened. I was using my Oly C-4000 at a friend's house who uses Windows XP. She wanted copies of the pictures I had just taken, so I removed the 128MB SM card from the camera and placed it in a card reader connected via USB cable to her computer. She then selected the image files on the card that she wanted and copied them to the hard drive. Everything was done with My Computer in XP. I'm not a Windows expert, but it looked like it was a standard copying operation. No message appeared other than the usual animated sheet of paper flying from the card reader to the HD. When that procedure was finished, I removed the card from the reader and placed it back in the camera. I took more pictures afterward. The camera worked fine and the previous images were still available to view in the camera. When I got home and was transferring the new images to my own computer, I noticed that there was now an additional directory and a few small files that were not graphic images. Even though they did not seem to affect the camera operation, I removed them on general principles. A month later, I visited a different friend who has a new iMac running OS-X. We did the same thing, copying selected files from my SM card to his computer via an external USB card reader. I also tried leaving the card in the camera and connecting the Oly USB cable from the camera to his computer. In both cases, the card appeared properly as a drive letter. Afterward, everything worked just like it did in my previous experience with Windows XP. When I returned home and read the card with my own computer, there was similar additional stuff on it. I again deleted it, leaving only the image files in the directory tree that the C-4000 creates. BTW, I did not reformat the card, nor need to. DOS has always been very reliable for editing files and directories on camera cards. Also, as expected with non-camera files, the added items could neither be viewed nor deleted with the camera. When any type of file is added to a camera card, it reduces the space available for camera images. But since the additional stuff totalled only a few kB, that was not a problem. Also, when I examined the mysterious file(s), it looked like some kind of database index, not an executable or anything suspicious. I think I read somewhere that XP has a "feature" which makes it easier to view, sort, or catalog images. If so, I'm sure Microsoft copied it from Apple. I might be considered overly fussy, but I don't want Bill Gates or Steve Jobs putting "stuff" in my computer or camera, especially without asking permission. In any case, I'm curious whether there is an option that I could tell my friends about which turns off that "feature". Bruce P.S. This might be the cause of some of the more mysterious or "mystical" problems that other users are having. It also might be why some people feel that routine reformatting does improve performance. It sounds like there was some sort of software being used other than Windows Explorer (I know too little about the Mac to address that). I can use Windows Explorer in XP to copy files from my card to my hard drive with no added files put on the card. However, if other software is used, it *might* be putting an index file on the card; if so, it should be (as you reported) a very small file. Bill Funk Change "g" to "a" |
#7
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On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:19:34 GMT, Bruce Patis
wrote: There have been many recent threads about memory cards, but I haven't seen any that mentioned this specific item. Windows XP and Mac OS-X added files and directories to the memory card in my camera. I use nether of those two operating systems on any of my computers, so here is how it happened. I was using my Oly C-4000 at a friend's house who uses Windows XP. She wanted copies of the pictures I had just taken, so I removed the 128MB SM card from the camera and placed it in a card reader connected via USB cable to her computer. She then selected the image files on the card that she wanted and copied them to the hard drive. Everything was done with My Computer in XP. I'm not a Windows expert, but it looked like it was a standard copying operation. No message appeared other than the usual animated sheet of paper flying from the card reader to the HD. When that procedure was finished, I removed the card from the reader and placed it back in the camera. It was not the copy operation that added the files. It was viewing the files on the card/drive as thumbnails that did it. If you use photoshop CS to view them that won't happen, but it's a whole lot easier to just leave them as "details", copy everything and delete the ones not wanted. Any time you view the files as thumbnails Windows Explorer will create a thumbnail directory and cache the thumbnails unless it's told not to do so. More than likely the Apple system did something similar. I think I read somewhere that XP has a "feature" which makes it easier to view, sort, or catalog images. If so, I'm sure Microsoft copied it from Apple. Who copied it from Xerox who developed the "windows" look and feel. I might be considered overly fussy, but I don't want Bill Gates or Steve Jobs putting "stuff" in my computer or camera, especially without asking permission. They did ask although most users don't recognize the choice. When users understand the operating systems they find out those OSs will place these files on the drive when the files are viewed as thumbnails. Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member) (N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair) www.rogerhalstead.com |
#8
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On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 09:03:35 -0700, Big Bill wrote:
On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:19:34 GMT, Bruce Patis wrote: snip It sounds like there was some sort of software being used other than Windows Explorer (I know too little about the Mac to address that). I can use Windows Explorer in XP to copy files from my card to my hard drive with no added files put on the card. However, if other software is used, it *might* be putting an index file on the card; if so, it should be (as you reported) a very small file. Windows Explorer does it when the files are viewd as thumbnails while still on the CF card. Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member) (N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair) www.rogerhalstead.com Bill Funk Change "g" to "a" |
#9
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On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:19:34 GMT, Bruce Patis
wrote: Windows XP and Mac OS-X added files and directories to the memory card in my camera. I use nether of those two operating systems on any of my computers, so here is how it happened... Thanks, everyone, for all the info. Now I know that: 1. I didn't imagine it.grin 2. It should be reasonably safe to view or copy images from my camera cards with a computer running those OS's. 3. Things will be more predictable if I operate the computer myself. I was present the first time. However, since both owners also have digicams, I just told them to use their normal procedure to view and copy from a memory card. 4. If desired, there are options or procedures (at least in XP) to disable or avoid writing anything to the card. In any case, I'll probably leave things as is. The owners are used to just clicking (or double-clicking) on files to view them, and would be overly concerned if that no longer worked the same way. Also, neither knew that any additional items were put on their camera cards because it never affected their own camera's operation. Since now I know that the additional "stuff" is definitely not harmful, I won't confuse them by even mentioning it. Regarding Microsoft copying things from Apple, I agree that all computer companies copy ideas from their predecessors. Then the copier introduces it as a great new feature in the next version of their product. I just feel that Microsoft does that more often. Bruce |
#10
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On Sat, 09 Oct 2004 00:49:05 GMT, Roger Halstead
wrote: On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 09:03:35 -0700, Big Bill wrote: On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:19:34 GMT, Bruce Patis wrote: snip It sounds like there was some sort of software being used other than Windows Explorer (I know too little about the Mac to address that). I can use Windows Explorer in XP to copy files from my card to my hard drive with no added files put on the card. However, if other software is used, it *might* be putting an index file on the card; if so, it should be (as you reported) a very small file. Windows Explorer does it when the files are viewd as thumbnails while still on the CF card. By golly, it does! I never view that way; I just copy the files to a folder immediately. Viewing as thumbnails is so slow! Im retired, and don't have the time! :-) Bill Funk Change "g" to "a" |
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