Can a videogame erase your save files on the memory card?

[Benthos]

Hey guys I need a help please!! This happened to me now. My memory card started to not show the icons of the save files and asked to format them. And then, all the data appeared to be inexistent. I don't know why this happened or how could've happened. If someone could clarify this to me...

I don't know what to do. If I lost everything in there I will go crazy!!!!

[Quing]

All, right, I am officially in mourning for your memory card. It has unformatted itself. All of your saves are gone and cannot be regained. I know. This happened to me once. If I don't miss my mark, you were using one of those huge memory cards, or at least one not made by Sony. There's nothing that I know of to do, but seal it away for 1000 years. I'm very sorry for you.

[Benthos]

Oh, f....!!! There was something important there. The perfect endings of Suikoden I and II were there. I can believe that after almost five years this memory card got crazy like that!!!

[Godsmoney]

We are talking about a Ps1 memory card yeah?

Then Know this: Some memory cards out there (including early authentic sony ones) use a type of storage memory that like the PCs RAM requires constant power available to store data, this is provided via a small battery similar to that of a wrist watch that is inserted inside the memory card itself.

This has happened to me before. I lost my entire Gran Turismo 2 completed save file. which meant losing 4 months of my life time.

What I suggest you do is this: gently open your memory card with a screw driver and check if it has a battery. If does, take some time to morn alone in your bed room. If it doesn't, use a game enhancer (gameshark or action replay) and check your memory card from there. I have a memory card that wouldn't show my anything on the normal browser but it shows every thing in my AR menu

[Occam Arkitect]

I feel your pain, guys. I had a year worth of saves deleted too, so from that moment on I became more careful. (removing memory cards when system is turned off,etc.)

[eternal_sins]

I had that feeling before. . .
Your hard earn gameplay just gone like that. . .
I was going to cry cause i lost the memory card. . .
But thank god i found it. . .7 month later. . .

it contain the most important file such as,

FinalFantasyXII-Gotten Tournesol, beaten an irritating hunt mark(White Chocobo),Good gambit and license.

[Jam-Jul Lison]

I have had this happen on PS1 and PS2 memory cards. As long as yours is not one of those with a battery, try viewing it through PS2. You should be able to reformat it using it. I can't remember if I was able to do this with a PS1 one or not but I do remember doing it with a PS2 memory card.

PS1 wipes are pretty rare though. Especially on the ones without batteries. One time mine came up missing in the fall and the following spring i went outside and found my memory card outside. It has been out there all winter getting snowed on and stuff. After letting it dry out and everything, I loaded it up and all my data was still on there. lol. The PS1 memory cards are pretty durable. Well except for the ones that need batteries. lol

[genso19]

Yeah, it pretty gets reformatted, especially the PS1 memory card

the most common/obvious reason is taking the memory card or turning off the console while saving/loading, it can happen also seconds after saving/loading, bad luck for you if a brown-out happens while saving/loading

Or some file transfer error made the memory card delete its files

I know what you're going through, but you'll recover and forget it sometime soon, the experience of the game is worth a lifetime, much more than the months of playing the game