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How do I reformat the memory stick on my Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P200?

I have a bit of a dilemma: I need to reformat a memory stick to be able to work with my Sony camera, a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200, but I don't have a clue how to do it. Can you help me out, Dave? Thanks!

Dave's Answer:

Actually, Sony has a good support site where you can thankfully type in your model number rather than trying to navigate through their impressively large range of different products. I did just that, typing in DSC-P200, and immediately got the following set of frequently asked questions:

As you can see, you're not the first to ask this particular question. Click on How to format the Memory Stick or disc and you find that ... it doesn't actually lead to an article, but instead to a search of the entire Sony knowledge base, with 76 matches. Ugh. Indeed, the #1 match talks about networking errors you can encounter with your Sony PSP, of all things.

It's buried in the results, but one of the articles there is How to format the Memory Stick media in the camera [hopefully that link will work for you too. It's article #C400281].

That document explains that you format the memory stick - which will delete all pictures stored on the device as part of the process - by doing the following:

Insert the Memory Stick media® to be formatted in the camera.
On the camera, turn the MODE DIAL to the SETUP position.
Turn on the camera.
Using the CONTROL BUTTON, press the DOWN ARROW button to select MEMORY STICK TOOL.
Press the center of the CONTROL BUTTON.
Press the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW button to select FORMAT.
Press the RIGHT ARROW button.
Press the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW button to select OK.
Press the center of the CONTROL BUTTON.

Hopefully those instructions will help you get going again with your Sony digital camera. Good luck!

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Categorized: Sony PSP, MP3 Players, Etc. (Article 6610)
Tagged: formatting memory stick, sony digital camera, sony dsc-p200
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Comments

HI.
I has a Sony Cybershot MPEGMOVIEVX camera, and when she turns it on, the display says there is no memory stick in, but there is on in. It's a Sony memory stick so everything should work, but it doesn't. It's a new one because I broke the other {memory stick}. It used to do this occasionally, and it would stop on it's own and the problem would be over, you could take and save pictures fine. But now, it's completely incorporative. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Shawna

Posted by: Shawna at March 26, 2007 8:03 PM

Your instructions worked great. I had the same problem on the same camera and it's back to working great. Thanks!

Posted by: brian at February 10, 2008 7:13 PM

Hello Dave, thanks for the energetic answer to how to program a memory stick but guess what, you lost me at question 1 and I'm not stupid. There is no dial for setup and there is no down arrow. I've got a Sony CybershotDSC S700 and it's a stupid job really. It tells me I'm plugged in to a USB- I know that! It says usb mode mass storage internal memory switch on menu and sends me in a round the loop to where I started from. I want to unlock the bleeping memory card, get access to the delete function to rid the so called filled internal memory which really shouldn't impede using the card anyhow, and take some photos - I only have 7 of them in total anyhow!

Posted by: Anna at March 14, 2008 9:35 AM

Hi
When my Sony Digital Camera is on, I am not able to access any options. Only access appears when one particular memory stick is in.
Am I able to recover my photos and film off this memory card?

Posted by: sonja at June 15, 2008 9:48 PM

I have a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35. I've loved it for a very long time. Maybe I've loved it too much. I accidentally broke the screen but everything else works. All I need is to erase/reformat the memory stick because I can't take any more pics. Everything has been downloaded to computers but after I "delete" everything, when I try to take a new pic, it just beeps several times at me. When I take out the card, I can take picks on internal memory just fine.

So I need exact step-by-step instructions how to reformat the memory stick because the screen is broken.

Thanks,
Rog

Posted by: Roger Reynolds at February 8, 2009 8:25 PM

David i hope you can help me. i have a sony cyber-shot 2.1 i have pic on memory stick and want to delete them when i try it tell me memory stick locked. i have tried to unlock i have it in play and on menu, go to file/protect/when i chose protect it tell me memory stick locked. it will not give me a choice of on or off protection. i have tried to format and it also tell me memory stick locked. how can i unlock so i can either format or delete these pictures

Posted by: audrey at March 29, 2009 9:29 AM

I surmise that what you're seeing, Audrey, is that there's a tiny slide switch on the memory card device itself and that it's been slid to the "locked" or "protected" position. Pop the card and look very closely at it: these switches can be almost invisible, in my experience.

Posted by: Dave Taylor at March 29, 2009 2:54 PM

I have a Sony Cybershot 2.1 mega pixels digital camera.
I deleted the photos I didn't need. When I use
the camera now, I can't record a photo because
it says No Memory Space. I removed all the photos
I didn't need. What is wrong with the memory stick?
what can I do to take pictures again?

Posted by: Lorraine at April 6, 2009 10:21 AM

I have acquired a Sony Cybershot 5.0 (DSC-F717). It had no memory stick so I bought one at Best Buy. When I insert the memory stick the display say "No Memory Stick". I went to the "Setup Memu", selcted "Memory Stick Tool", and highlighted the "Format" command. When I use the scroll right arrow to begin the fomat process the display again says "No Memory Stick". ??? Is it a "dead" camera? Thanks!

Posted by: Rick at July 21, 2009 5:29 PM

Hi
I see several people have had the "NO MEMORY STICK" issue. Has anyone got an answer how to fix it please?
I have a SONY Cyber-shot 7.2 Mega Pixels DSC-P200. Ive come to use it after several months and it continually states "NO MEMORY STICK" on the display! Ive tired all x3 of my memory cards which I knwo are working as Ive used them on another camera - 32Mb, 128Mb and 4Gb.

Can anyone help please?

thanks

david

Posted by: David Hutchison at August 27, 2009 8:21 AM

Thanks for the help with formatting the memory stick. you rock!

Posted by: scott ferguson at August 28, 2009 7:25 PM

I followed the above instructions and my camera is reformatting the memory stick. However, once the formatting was finished, it went back to "format error" like before. Any other suggestions?

Posted by: Maritza at September 29, 2009 4:04 PM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!