How to renumber files on a CF card (Canon)

Every now and then strange things can happen with the numbering of image filenames on media cards. (This can particularly happen if you move cards between two cameras.) I first ran across this when I sent a camera in for repair and it came back with a sequence number thousands higher than when I had sent it in!

After some searching, I ran across the following procedure for resetting things.


Credit: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/133907/0#1087435

Assumes you have a computer card reader.

  1. Set the camera to numbering auto reset
  2. Format card in camera
  3. Take photo should be IMG_0001 (100-0001)
  4. Set camera to continuous numbering
  5. Switch off camera
  6. Remove CF card from camera and into card reader. In computer rename the folder 100CANON to 104CANON and rename the files to IMG_0472.CR2 (or jpg) or whatever the current number of shots taken should be. Note folder number should match image number. 104 = 401-500 105= 501-600 etc.
  7. Place CF card back in camera and take a shot, number should be the next one you want in this case IMG_0473 (104-0473).

As you can see you can set things to any number you like.

Jan (Vasek)
26 Sept 2004


All I would add to this is to set the sequence number to one, two, or three frame numbers before where you ultimately want it to be, which allows you to shoot a test frame (or two or three :-) ) to convince yourself that the renumbering worked and is set to the desired value!

dpf
October 21, 2007


Other dpf notes (May 2017):

[As of May 2017, the original fredmiranda page is no longer visible.]
dpf
May 28, 2017