Request for help reading a memory stick

[StrollerEd]

I've searched old threads here but to no avail - nor can I find anything useful on t'Internet ...

I have oodles of photos I wish to (re-)retrieve from a SanDisk card I used with my Sony compact. The info on the card says:

Memory Stick PRO Duo, SanDisk Ultra, Magic Gate 15MB/s

The 4GB of photos are viewable in the camera. (I'm still searching for the cable that connected to USB.)

When I connect using an SD reader to the USB it does not show on my MBP 2015 - which has also has its own SD reader.

I see that there are supposed to be adapters into which the Memory Stick PRO Duo fits but any experience in these or are they a waste?

Any other suggestions? - or 'just re-double effort in finding that cable' ?

 

[mollyc]

I would hunt for the camera usb cable or find a new/different card reader. Did you try the actual reader in your machine?

It's possible the card is corrupted, so at this point probably the best option is to DL directly from the camera if you are able then pitch the card for a new one. However, it is also possible that your card reader has gone bad. You just need to find one alternate to narrow down the issue.

 

[mackmgg]

Probably not corrupted, it’s just not an SD card. Memory Stick looks almost identical, but it’s not quite the same. Some readers can do both, others can’t. I would either get a USB Memory Stick Duo reader, or plug the camera directly into the computer if it has USB port.

 

[StrollerEd]

Thanks for the replies. I have tried the SD card slot on the MBP 2015 (one of the several reasons I've kept that m/c) and have just taken delivery of yet another card reader, but no joy.

From a search which included Catalina it seems that others have experienced problems with the SD slot and that o/s.

Yes, I need to search harder for the USB connector for the camera ...

 

[StrollerEd]

I'm going to try re-booting MBP using an older o/s which I have kept.

 

[StrollerEd]

am also checking eBay for replacement cable which seems simplest solution ..

 

[StrollerEd]

Have now established that the SD port does work, but not in Catalina
But the adapter for the Memory Stick Duo into SD does not.
So, having now ordered a replacement cable for camera to USB, making double-sure that I had specified the correct Sony Cybershot model, I must wait once more.

 

[jz0309]

Has it ever worked with the MBP? I seem to recall that Sony used a proprietary format and I thought that the memory stick was that? Also, what OS is that card formatted in, MacOS can read a few but not all and given it’s a Sony...
Did a quick google search with the below and some interesting results...
can macos read a sony memory stick pro duo

 

[StrollerEd]

I can't recall having tried with this 2015 MBP but once upon a time I must have transferred the contents of that card/camera to a Mac. One page I found from your helpful search terms says, "My wife’s iMac 2015 running OS 10.2 mounts the memory stick pro duo fine so thankfully I was able to savage the photos".

Hopefully the replacement cable might do the trick - altho I might have to track down a driver.

 

[jz0309]

I hope you’ll get it to work, keep in the back of your head that Catalina stripped 32bit support... maybe also ask someone with a windows computer that might be able to help, just in case

 

[Fishrrman]

I think jz0309 could be onto something with the comment about "32 bit support".

Once you get the new cable, try a direct connection between the camera and Mac.
See if that works.
If it does, get what you can from the card (while in the camera), onto the Mac, ANY WAY that you can.
Worry about "sorting things out" later.

Just wondering...
Do you have another card you can experiment with?
If you connect the reader to the Mac, can you put another card into it and then read it?
If it's possible, can you open disk utility and "see" the card?
If you can see it, can disk utility erase it?
If NONE of this works, could be a conflict with the card reader itself (as well as with the card).

 

[StrollerEd]

I have made a little progress with an SD card from my partner's Panasonic. I have been able to read that from the SD slot, importing over 800 shots into Photo.

The replacement cable for direct connection between Sony camera and MBP should arrive on Saturday,

 

[StrollerEd]

Update: I took delivery of the USB cable data transfer lead today. All 900 photos now transferred, so no loss of the memories. But disappointed with the quality of the photos - some digital edges visible and I don't seem to be able to edit within Photos. Before I blame that on the cable I'll try a direct transfer to disk first.

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[jz0309]

Update: I took delivery of the USB cable data transfer lead today. All 900 photos now transferred, so no loss of the memories. But disappointed with the quality of the photos - some digital edges visible and I don't seem to be able to edit within Photos. Before I blame that on the cable I'll try a direct transfer to disk first.

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so this was camera attached to computer via USB?

 

[Capeto]

Memory Stick Pro Duo is a different format than SD, and will not work on your Mac’s SD card reader. It’s a proprietary format by Sony so as others have said, you will need an adapter.

 

[StrollerEd]

so this was camera attached to computer via USB?

yes

 

[Slartibart]

I don't seem to be able to edit within Photos. Before I blame that on the cable I'll try a direct transfer to disk first.

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the transferred files might be write protected. You can change that using the Info window of the finder - select the folder with the photos, open Info (command + „I“), and change the rights for your user (or everyone and admin).

 

[StrollerEd]

Update: I took delivery of the USB cable data transfer lead today. All 900 photos now transferred, so no loss of the memories. But disappointed with the quality of the photos - some digital edges visible and I don't seem to be able to edit within Photos. Before I blame that on the cable I'll try a direct transfer to disk first.

​

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Another update: I did a direct transfer via replacement cable, from camera to iCloud. Then I read into Photos, having filed the previous load into an album, and I have now achieved a state of happiness