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Formatting a CF card
The D500X requires the CF cards to have a FAT32 file system. If you are unsure about this,
insert the CF card into a card reader connected to your computer, open Windows Explorer and
right-click on the drive containing the CF card. Select “Properties” from the menu and check
that “File system: FAT32” is shown.
To format a CF card, open Windows Explorer and right-click on the drive containing the CF
card. Select “Format” from the menu and select File System FAT32. You can also enter a
name for the Volume Label to describe the card. In the Format window, the size of the
allocation unit can also be selected. Selecting a larger size will speed up the scanning of the
CF cards when the D500X is powered up.
From firmware version 2.1.3 and up, a CF card can also be formatted in the D500X. The format
a card this way, select the UTILITIES alternative in the F1 menu and then FORMAT CF CARD.
To select which CF card to format, use the right/left arrow keys when <- CF FORMAT -> is
displayed and follow the instructions on the screen.
Before starting a new recording session, the CF card should be formatted in a Windows
PC, selecting FAT32 as file system, or in the D500X. This will erase any files on the card.
Just deleting individual files in Windows Explorer will not necessarily free the
corresponding space on the CF card for the D500X.
D500X firmware version 1 used a different method to store the files on the CF cards, requiring the CF cards to
first be “prepared” using the D500X Utility program. The preparation stage has been eliminated in firmware
version 2, so this version only requires that the CF cards used have been FAT32 formatted as described above.
Cards to be used with firmware version 2 must not be “prepared”. A prepared CF card will appear to have no
space left to the D500X.
CF card precautions.
Always follow the instructions supplied with the CF card and any CF card reader
you are using. To read files from the CF card in your PC using a USB card
reader, insert the card in the reader and then plug the USB connector into a USB
port of the computer. To remove the CF card from the computer, use the Safely Remove
Hardware application, if the Safely Remove Hardware icon appears in the notification area
on the computer screen (click on the icon and follow the instructions).
Make sure the D500X is turned off using the INT/EXT Power switch before you insert a CF
card into the CF card slot or remove a CF card from the slot.
To safely switch the power off, first put the D500X to sleep with the 1/0 key and then set the
INT/EXT switch to OFF (or remove the external power supply). Failure to follow these steps
may cause loss of recorded files and/or corruption of the CF card.
Before inserting a CF card into the D500X, check that the pins of the CF card holder are not
bent or have other defects. When inserting a CF card into the D500X, make sure that the card
is oriented correctly. Make sure that the correct side of the card is facing up and that you
insert the correct side of the card into the detector. Damage to the CF card holder of the
D500X resulting from any of the above conditions is not covered by the warranty.
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