“Mark and eject”: a mark on the copied card
Instead of tape on a copied card, MultiSyncer Studio can put a mark right on the card. The camera does not recognise a marked card and offers to format it, so the operator sees at once that the card is copied. The mark is set only after two verified copies on different drives, the files on the card do not change, and the mark can be taken off. This is a test feature, Mac only for now.
A test feature, Mac only for now. On Windows the mark will come after testing on Windows computers.
What it is for
On set the camera operator needs to see at once that a card has been copied and can be formatted. Usually that is tape or writing on the card. MultiSyncer can leave a sign right on the card once every file is verified and the copies are safe: the camera does not recognise such a card and offers to format it.
When the app marks a card
- Only when every file of the card is verified by checksum and there are at least two verified copies on different drives (not a cloud folder, not one drive).
- Only on the very card that was copied: the volume ID, size and device match. Only removable media with exFAT or FAT are marked.
- Not by itself: after copying the card gets a “Mark and eject” button, and before marking a confirmation shows the card's name and the number of copies.
- Every mark is recorded in the app (Help → Marked cards) and can be undone.
How to turn it on and use it
Read the learning page
Read and confirm the “Marking copied cards” page once: in Help, or in the project setup, “Copying and folders” → “Learn how”. Without it the mark cannot be turned on.
Turn on the mark
In the project setup, “Copying and folders” section: “Mark copied cards”.
Copy the card
As usual, to two drives. After the check and two copies the card gets a “Mark and eject” button.
Mark and eject
Confirm in the window with the card's name and the number of copies. macOS asks for the computer's password once: writing to the card needs administrator rights. The card is unmounted while writing, then ejected.
What happens to the card
Only the first 11 bytes of the card's boot sector change: the mark MSYNCCOPIED is written there. The camera does not recognise the file system and offers to format the card, and that is the “copied” sign.
No recorded file is changed or deleted. Before the write the original sector is saved in the app; after the write it is compared; if it differs, the original sector is written back at once.
| Where the marked card goes | What happens |
|---|---|
| Into the camera | Most cameras offer to format the card: that means it is copied |
| Into a Mac, exFAT card | The Mac mends the boot area itself and the mark is gone. So put a marked card straight into the camera, not into the Mac |
| Into a Mac, FAT32 card | The Mac cannot read the card and offers to Initialize: press Ignore |
| Into Windows | Windows offers to format the drive: do not agree, it erases the files. Press Cancel |
How to restore a card
Help → Marked cards → “Restore the card” on the record. Insert the card (if the Mac says it cannot read it, press Ignore): the app finds it, asks for the password and writes the original sector back. A card can be restored only on the computer where it was marked.
Risks, read carefully
- The mark means “may be formatted”. If the copies later turn out to be unavailable and the card was already formatted in the camera, the footage is gone.
- The mark writes straight to the card with administrator rights. The app checks several times that it is the very card and compares what was written, but it is still the riskiest operation in the app.
- Cameras behave differently and may show “Card error” instead of “Format?”. Test every camera on a spare card before working on set.
How to test it with your camera
- Take a spare card and record a couple of short clips.
- Copy the card with MultiSyncer to two drives, turn on the mark and press “Mark and eject”.
- Insert the card into the camera and note what it shows.
- Restore the card (Marked cards → “Restore the card”) and check that the clips open.