ReelGuard Backup Checker
Free Backup Check & Card Eraser
App for Windows
Backup Check for Card Media
Wipe or Fake-Format Camera Cards
Free App to Prevent Media Loss
Safely erase your Card Media on Windows
Save Time, Prevent Media Loss, Erase with Confidence
ReelGuard is a free Windows app for anyone dealing with card media who needs confidence that every card has been backed up before it’s reused or reformatted. It detects inserted card media and confirms the files on the card exist in your backup destinations.
You can wipe or fake-format cards after the app performs a match of file name and file size in your specified backup destination(s) so you can reuse the card with confidence. Choose from helpful settings to make the app fit your workflow.
Who it’s for:
- DITs, Media Managers and Data Wranglers
- Edit assistants and post-production teams handling card media
- Anyone who wants a final “did we really back up this card?” check before reusing camera cards
ReelGuard is used by DITs, Assistant Editors and Data Wranglers on major large-scale productions across Australia and world-wide.
Used by DITs, Edit Assistants & Data Wranglers
working for major Production companies
*All trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. Use does not imply any endorsement or sponsorship.
Using ReelGuard Backup Checker
Comparing File Name & File Size - No Checksum
ReelGuard watches your computer for removable drives such as SD, microSD, CFexpress and XQD cards, as well as other external devices. As soon as you insert a card, it shows up in the cards view.
You can then run a backup check against one or more backup destinations you’ve set up. ReelGuard scans the files on the card and checks whether files with the same names and file sizes exist on those destinations.
If everything matches, the backup is marked as OK and you can move on with your selected card operation.
After a successful check, you can either automatically wipe the card (delete all files) or run a reversible fake format.
Fake format flips the bytes in the card’s file system area so the card appears unreadable to cameras and computers, forcing the operator or camera assistant to do a proper in-camera format before reuse.
Fake formatting is reversible for tested cards so you can restore the media via ReelGuard if needed.
Reversible Fake-Format
- Force operators to format card in camera after backup check.
- Flips certain bytes of the memory card to make it unreadable by any file system or device.
- Fully reversible for tested memory cards. Restore media if needed.
- Tested with CFexpress Type-A, CF, SD, micro SD, SDXC and XQD cards
- Tested with range of SONY, GoPro, Canon cameras
- Fake-Formatting requires to run the App as Administrator on you PC
- Reach out if fake-formatting doesn't work with your card type or camera model yet.
Delete all Files
- Delete all files from memory card with ease after backup check.
- Ability to wipe all files from the card
- Clear cards to be ready to use when re-inserted into a camera when your workflow requires it.
- It's best practice to format cards in camera before reusing them. This feature was added after receiving multiple user requests. Your workflow, your rules.
Flag File Extensions
- Define file types that should be flagged during the backup check
- Alerts you when specific file extension is detected
- Helps you to detect specific files before deleting the media
- Example: Flag .SLV files to detect and recover corrupt/unfinalised clips in SONY Cameras before media is deleted.
Backup Destinations
- Define up to 3 backup destinations.
Prep-Mode
- Temporarily bypass backup checks for quick card prep.
Hide Drives
- Hide/Ignore certain drives from showing in cards list.
Ignore Files & Folders
- Ability to ignore certain file types and folders during backup check.
Folder Mode
- Select any folders for Backup Check instead of checking whole card.
Display Settings
- Various display settings to show file counts, hidden files and folders.
If you’re stuck, something doesn’t behave as expected, or you’ve got a feature request, feel free to reach out and I’ll do my best to help.
If ReelGuard saves you time on set or in post and you’d like to support the project, ongoing maintenance and future features, you can buy me a coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the tool updated and new features coming.
Is the app really free?
Yep, ReelGuard Backup Checker is completely free to use. If it saves you time and stress on a job and you’d like to support future development, you’re welcome to buy me a coffee via the link below. Any support is greatly appreciated and helps with maintaining the app and adding new features down the track.
I see a blank screen when loading the app. What can I do?
ReelGuard can take a few seconds to start up, so a brief blank window is normal. Occasionally, the app may not fully load. If that happens, simply close the window and restart the app. If it’s still stuck, reboot your computer and try again.
If the issue keeps happening, please reach out with your system details so I can look into it.
How do I install ReelGuard?
1. Download the latest release from this page
2. Extract the ZIP file
3. Run the installer (`ReelGuard_{version}_Setup.exe`)
4. If Windows SmartScreen shows a warning, click “More info” then “Run anyway”
5. Follow the installer prompts
6. Launch ReelGuard from the Start Menu
All dependencies are bundled with the installer, so no additional software is required.
How does the backup check work?
ReelGuard verifies backups by comparing filenames and file sizes. When you run a check, it:
1. Scans all files on the card (including subfolders)
2. For each file, checks if it exists in your configured backup destinations
3. Verifies that files with the same name also have the same file size
4. Reports which files are backed up, which are missing, and which have size mismatches
The check runs against all configured backup destinations. You can set a minimum number of destinations that must contain each file before it’s considered safely backed up.
The backup check takes a long time. What can I do?
The more files ReelGuard has to scan on your cards and backup drives, the longer the backup check will take. If things feel slow, try narrowing down your backup destinations to only the folders where you actually expect the backups to live – for example:
- Specific shoot day folders
- Camera-specific folders
- Dedicated card backup folders instead of entire drives
By pointing your backup destinations at more targeted folders instead of entire volumes or large archive directories, you can significantly speed up the backup check.
What does it mean if a file shows as “size mismatch”?
- The file was corrupted during transfer
- The file was modified after it was backed up
- The version on the card is different from the version in the backup
You should always investigate size mismatches before deleting or formatting the card to make sure your backup is complete and correct.
What happens if the backup check fails?
If the backup check fails (files are missing or have size mismatches), ReelGuard will show you the details in a table view. By default, you cannot wipe or fake-format a card when the backup check fails. You can enable an override option in Settings if it fits your workflow.
What is Wipe Mode?
Wipe Mode is the default mode after a successful verification. It lets you securely delete the contents of a card once every file is confirmed across the required destinations. To prevent data loss, system drives remain locked out so you shouldn’t be able to accidentally delete these. However, always check what card you are operating on and use with caution. File deletion can’t be undone. Use at your own risk!
What is Fake Format Mode?
Fake-Format Mode makes the card’s file system appear corrupted and unreadable to any device, including cameras and computers. When a fake-formatted card is inserted into a camera, the camera will detect it as unformatted and require the operator to format it before use. This ensures cards are properly formatted in-camera before shooting, which is important for optimal performance and file system compatibility.
How does the Fake-Format work?
ReelGuard performs a reversible bit-flipping operation on the file system data at the beginning of the card. This inverts bits in the file system structures, making them appear corrupted to any device trying to read the card. The actual file data remains intact on the card. ReelGuard also writes a special signature to mark the card as fake-formatted, which allows it to detect and restore these cards later.
Why use Fake-Format instead of Wipe Mode?
- Forces in-camera formatting: Operators must format the card in the camera, ensuring proper file system setup for that specific camera model.
- Prevents accidental reuse: The card appears broken, so operators won’t try to use it without formatting first.
- Fully reversible: Unlike a wipe, you can restore all the original data if needed (this should be done before the card is formatted in camera).
- Workflow safety: Ensures cards go through the proper camera formatting process before shooting.
How do I restore a Fake-Formatted card?
To restore a fake-formatted card:
- Click the “Scan” button in the Cards view to scan for fake-formatted cards.
- ReelGuard will check all connected cards for the fake-format signature.
- When a fake-formatted card is detected, you’ll see a “Restore” button next to it.
- Click “Restore” to reverse the operation and restore the original file system.
- The card will be immediately usable again with all the original data intact.
Important: You can only restore a fake-formatted card if it hasn’t been formatted in a camera yet. Once a camera formats the card, the original data is permanently lost. Always restore fake-formatted cards before inserting them into cameras if you need to recover the data.
The restore operation also requires administrator privileges, just like the fake-format operation. When inserting the card into your PC, Windows might ask you to format the card. Do not confirm the Windows format operation or you will lose your card media.
Is there a chance the app creates false-positive results?
Yes, this can happen in rare cases. ReelGuard checks whether your media is backed up by comparing the file name and file size of each file on the card with the files on your backup destinations.
If a different file on a backup drive happens to have exactly the same name and exactly the same file size as a file on the card, ReelGuard will assume it is already backed up and mark it as OK, even though the contents may actually be different. This is what we call a potential “false positive”.
In practice this is uncommon, but you can reduce the risk further by:
- Using clear, consistent and unique clip naming (avoiding very generic file names).
- Keeping your project folders organised so media is not duplicated under the same folder name.
ReelGuard is designed as a fast safety check based on name and size comparison. It does not analyse the full file contents or calculate checksums, which is why these rare false positives are technically possible.
What cards/cameras has Fake-Format been tested with?
Fake-Formatting has been successfully tested with the following camera and card combinations so far:
- SONY FX9 / FX6 / FX3 / A7S using XQD or CFexpress Type-A cards
- GoPro cameras using microSD cards
If you encounter any issues using Fake-Formatting with your cards or cameras, please feel free to reach out. I’m happy to help troubleshoot and, where possible, add support for your specific card/camera combination in a future update.