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ProGrade Digital’s Refresh Pro software is designed to address multiple issues that arise with memory cards over time, including the fact that they get slower with age and use. It originally launched in 2019 for $30 but, citing the “vital” importance of what it can do, the company is making it free. Refresh Pro has three main features: a sanitize function, the ability to check a card’s health, and allows for firmware updates. Sanitize is billed as a way to bring a card back to factory-fresh speed. ProGrade says that over time, flash memory slows down (and it points to its white paper on the subject). “This sanitize function is available in hard drives and some removable storage formats but ProGrade Digital created the ability to enable this function on all ProGrade Digital Memory cards,” ProGrade says. “Refresh Pro can run this process in seconds compared to doing a secure format, level 2 on a Mac which can take considerably longer. ProGrade was also the first company to commercially make the Sanitize function available on SD cards through customization of its exclusive Firmware shipped with all Refresh Pro enabled SD cards.” Refresh Pro is also able to check a card’s long-term health — cards can wear out over time, and checking its health before important shoots can ensure that no valuable data is lost, the company says. Finally, Refresh Pro allows photographers to update memory card firmware — a feature that was added last year (the software also switched to a subscription model that cost $10 per year). “What many people don’t realize is that when new cameras are introduced to the market or as existing cameras have new codecs added, memory cards need to have their firmware updated to optimize the memory for these new functions to ensure 100% compatibility,” the company says.
While great, there was a catch: Refresh Pro only works with ProGrade memory cards that feature the “R” logo when plugged into a computer using ProGrade Digital memory card readers. Add to that the $30 surcharge and it requires multiple planets to align, so to speak, to be able to take advantage of the features. ProGrade Digital is today removing one of those barriers: the price. “Seeing the vital importance of all these functions for the hard-working creators, photographers, and filmmakers, ProGrade Digital is making Refresh Pro free for all customers,” ProGrade says. It being free today would usually mean anyone who recently purchased it would be out of luck, but ProGrade is breaking with the norm: anyone who purchased it within the last 12 months will automatically be refunded. Lifetime access to Refresh Pro can be downloaded for free from ProGrade Digital’s website.
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