SanDisk SD Card Trouble

kark_1999 · 02-23-03, 10:15 PM

"Would you like the system to format the SD Card2 folder so that the system can use it?"

This is the message I get when I turn on my Axim now. All was working fine, but I did a complete backup using ActiveSync, and the next time I turned it on, I get this horrible message. Note: I only have one 256MB SD card, and have never removed it. In fact, I have stored TONS of stuff on it, including most of my apps. Damn! I can't access anything now - no files, no games, nothing!

Any suggestions?? I might try a restore?????

cuttooth21 · 02-23-03, 10:18 PM

Lemme guess, you have a Sandisk card?

kark_1999 · 02-23-03, 10:21 PM

Yes, it is the damn Sandisk that Dell sent me. Are you saying that this is why people don't like these things? Should I return it to Dell?

cuttooth21 · 02-23-03, 10:24 PM

Yep, that's exactly why people don't like the Sandisk cards.

You're gonna have to format your SD card. I've gotten that message numerous times. It sucks. You lose everything stored on your card.

Mike C · 02-23-03, 10:25 PM

The only way you can backup or restore an SD card is if you copy the contents to a PC folder periodically, manually. Active Sync restore will not do the cards, only the RAM

I've gotten a memory problem warning once, and the offer to format, but I didn't believe it and declined. There wasn't really a problem.

Never accept the Axim call to format. Check the card with something like StorageTools.

cuttooth21 · 02-23-03, 10:34 PM

Yep, that's exactly why people don't like the Sandisk cards.

You're gonna have to format your SD card. I've gotten that message numerous times. It sucks. You lose everything stored on your card.

maarten · 02-24-03, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cuttooth21
Yep, that's exactly why people don't like the Sandisk cards.

You're gonna have to format your SD card. I've gotten that message numerous times. It sucks. You lose everything stored on your card.

Did you get that message ever after formatting the card? and how did you format it? let the axim do it or a storage product, and filesystem: fat12/16/32?

I formatted my card as fat16 and it seems to work ok now. (see topic about 128mb sd card)

cuttooth21 · 02-24-03, 08:24 AM

Yes, I received that message numerous times. I formatted with the Axim everytime. I don't think the Axim lets you choose which file system.

FEichinger · 02-24-03, 08:29 AM

Interesting, this was the first I had seen about the SanDisk problem.

I had bought my SanDisk elsewhere and I got the warning once, ignored it and have been rolling along happily ever since.

I did notice that I got the waring when I had MP3's stored on the SD card and haven't gotten it since I'm using it for data.

maarten · 02-24-03, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cuttooth21
Yes, I received that message numerous times. I formatted with the Axim everytime. I don't think the Axim lets you choose which file system.

Can you specifiy the situation when the problem occurs?

Like % used, (many) big/small files, time between failure?

Try to format it with http://www.softwinter.com/storagetool.html as fat16.. mine (was formatted in a Ipaq 3670 as fat32) is running fine a few days since failure :)

cybermage · 02-24-03, 01:12 PM

I've had my Axim about 4 days now and had to reformat the card twice.

I used StorageTools to turn it into FAT-32 1k and backup the FAT, but it still crapped out. StorageTools was able to recover about half my data after that...

BUT, something I've noticed is that it only corrupts if I install applications directly to the memory card. I can install to the main memory and the move it over with the internal file explorer, and everything's fine, but if I try to install directly to the card, it dies.

One of my coworkers has had the same problem. He called Dell and they said "No, there are no known problem. Do a hard reset." He cited all the chatter on the forums and she responded with "Please don't believe the forums..." HAHA That's kind of like saying "Let's not talk about the REAL WORLD..."

cybermage · 02-24-03, 02:28 PM

I take back my last post. I just had the problem after dragging some files from main mem to sd card.

I called SanDisk and explained that I had 4 Axim's with these cards, 3 of which have had this problem so far. I told him I wanted to check with him before I Returned them and got a different brand.

He typed and typed then said "Yes, we've identified the problem with all Axim's and with some Toshiba's. We have no fix at this time but are still working on it."

So, I'm returning these 4 cards to Dell and running to CompUSA to get different brand SD Cards.

02-24-03, 02:36 PM

Very interesting!

maarten · 02-24-03, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cybermage
I take back my last post. I just had the problem after dragging some files from main mem to sd card.

Have you tried formatting it in fat16?

cybermage · 02-24-03, 04:02 PM

Even more interesting is what the Dell rep told our local CompUSA...

He said that it's the metallic label on the SanDisk cards that is shorting out just enough to corrupt the card.

I don't know if it's true, but if you can't return your SanDisk for some reason it might be worth a try to carefully remove the label...