Develop Bugs

Help!! Sd Card Not Seen By Device

Help! I have an XDA IIs which was working fine for the last two years. It has a 1GB SD Card in there. I used it for TomTom all this time, with no problems at all.
A couple of days ago, I forgot to grab my device from the car as I was in a rush and I left it in the car (powered off, but with TomTom running) most of the day.
When I got back in the car, TomTom wasn't working right so I closed it and tried to re-open it, whereupon I received the nasty message "Cannot determine location of data".
To put it simply, the device no longer recognises the presence of an SD Card! It's not in File Explorer, nor under Settings / Memory / Storage Card.
What is going on?
Here's a list of what I've tried already (none of these ideas has solved the issue):
o Tried a different SD Card
o Tried a soft reset on the device
o Tried a hard-reset on the device
o After hard-reset, tried a restore from a recent Active Sync backup-to-PC.
o Downloaded PocketPC Mechanic and played around A LITTLE (didn't do anything that seemed dangerous like defragging, registry cleaning, etc)
Any help will be VERY gratefully received!
Thanks
Matt

Update... but still have problem
Quick update
I also tried formatting the SD Card. No help (I have since copied all data back onto the card and it still doesn't work).

mattyboy said:
Quick update
I also tried formatting the SD Card. No help (I have since copied all data back onto the card and it still doesn't work).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently, the motherboard your device is dies slowly.

Have you tried a diifferent sd card? reinstalling the software all over again?

Replying to Rafa1215
Yes, I have tried a different SD Card (as noted in the original post, list of things I have tried). It's a 128MB one which works fine in the SD Card reader slot on my PC (my main 1GB card works fine in PC slot as well).
Here's a further titbit of information which may or may not be useful in helping me:
I've tried several times to restore the backup-to-PC I made at the end of April (essentially the same stuff on the device then as now, luckily). Normally, when you insert (or remove) the card, it turns the screen on. Each time I perform the restore (of the same backup, over and over again), the SD Card slot actually performs this function when I insert the card again - but ONLY ONCE each time I restore from backup.
As for reinstalling software all over again... I have performed a hard-reset on the device, and tried the card as soon as it is ready to use... no luck there either.
In reply to vovaxxxx:
Is that a serious comment? The motherboard slowly dies? If that's true then this device is fit for nothing but the rubbish bin!
More ideas are welcome please, I thank you for the feedback!!

If you're luck enough to have a friend that have a BA you could test his sd card on your BA and your sd card on his BA. If his BA can read your card and yours can't read his then you have 2 situations:
1) Your sd card slot is dirty or slightly melted so you have no good contacts, try to clean it.
2) Time to buy a new phone or try to buy a new circuit board for your phone but for the price I think is better you get a new phone.
Edit: If you have $100 you can get a new circuit board here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=310283

search google for panasonic sd formatter or something like this, this is a lil program which is used to format your SD properly. Insert your SD card into the card reader, start the program and reformat the SD card.
The problem is within the SD card file system

xplode said:
search google for panasonic sd formatter or something like this, this is a lil program which is used to format your SD properly. Insert your SD card into the card reader, start the program and reformat the SD card.
The problem is within the SD card file system
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that doesn't work try
Storage Tools by softwinter.com
You can at least do a Scandisk and fix any errors during the scan

OK I formatted the SD card with the Panasonic formatting utility. (Backed everything up to the PC first, from the card!)
Still no difference. To reiterate - the SD Card(s) I am trying to use are working fine in my PC's SD Card reading slot.
I think it's the hardware (i.e. the XDA itself)... LGSilva says I could try cleaning the contacts. Any recommended ways on doing this? The slot is too small to get any kind of decent cleaning implement in there, and I can't dismantle the device because it's held together with special screws (6-pointed-star-shaped heads).

Hi
the company i work for has around 300 device and this happens every now and again. not sure if this will help but normally call our mobile network and get a replacement. it's normally the card reader in the device.

mattyboy said:
The slot is too small to get any kind of decent cleaning implement in there, and I can't dismantle the device because it's held together with special screws (6-pointed-star-shaped heads).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screws are size 6 Torx bits, suitable sets of these drivers can be bought from Maplins in the UK, although you don't mention where you are located.
There is also a guide to taking the BA to bits in the WiKi and a very comprehensive one containing pictures etc. at the bottom of the WiKi page, well worth reading both before you try taking it to bits - Mike

8GB MicroSDHC Card

Hi -
I purchased the 8GB MicroSDHC card from Verizon a week ago. It worked fine on my AT&T Tilt for a few days and than it lost all information! Fortunately, I was able to restore from backup, and it seems to be OK again. Here's the strange part: even though the original files and directories are gone, the card still counts them in used memory. I.e., the used memory is about 200 MB more than it should be, the amount of space I was using before the card crashed. This applies whether I check the memory on the device, connected by USB, or with the Card Adapter that came with the card.
Any ideas what might be causing this and how to recover the used memory short of reformatting the card?
Thanks!

If you could tell us what you did for it to crash it would help
You probably tried to partition it or something...?
Looks like you will have to format the whole card.
Maybe there is a simple way to do this but here is how i would do, if it helps :
- install WM5Storage on your PDA main memory
- start wm5storage with the option memory card and connect your PDA to your PC
Activsync then wont be sync'ing and your memory card will be seen from your PC as an USB-key. Open it on your PC and check to make sure it is your memory card that you see (and not your PDA main memory).
Then use whatever format tool to format your "USB key" with FAT like format, for example you can use HPtool (be carefull to format the key and not another drive !!!).
After this do not forget to turn off wm5storage, otherwise you will not be able to "see" the memory card on PDA side...
Hope it helps, let us know...

by the way maybe you could try this :
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
I've used it sometimes when i had started to format a hard drive instead of an usb key by mistake.
Windows was asking for formating everytime i wanted to open the hard drive folder. However, using this Testdisk tool, i was able to mount the hard drive and recover everything including my photos and music and stuff... Maybe you want to try this awesome tool, plus it is free and OpenSource.
Use wm5storage tool to use your PDA as an usb-key, then use Testdisk on this usb-drive, it might be able to see, list and recover all the "lost" files and heal the whole partition at same time.

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll post again when I have the chance to try them -

No luck
Had a similar problem with my Kaiser (HTC Rom). Yesterday I did something (don't know if it was memmaid - my guess, because otherwise I just installed some cabs I had previously installed in my Wizard with no problem) and my SanDisk 6 GB MicroSD was completely 'erased".
I just noticed after the Kaiser had created new folders over it (Application Data, Cookies, History and Temporary Intenet Folders). My assumption is that something destroyed my partition table (that's why I suspect memmaid, it may have cleaned something wrong) and now I have another partition over the old one.
I tried file recovery and found 1 GB good of files, but there were 5 Gigs on the card... I really wanted to find "program files" so I didn't have to re-install lots of stuff, but no luck.
Tried Testdisk as suggested above, but it never detects any partition, not even the current one. I guess I will have to reformat it and re-do all stuff.
Well, I may be saying lots of dumb stuff, but that's my guess.
Thanks if there is any possible help in this...

Ah, and when I insert the card via a card reader in my notebook and right click properties, it says 717MB free, which means my old files are there waiting for me (new folders have only 736KB of data)... What to do?

Guys need advise do you have to do any patch to be able to use 4-8GB mini SDHC card on your PDA?
I have a Asus P535. Have asked their support site and the reply I got is the max supported is only 4GB.

I believe I've read in more than one place that the Kaiser may support up to 32 Gig, which is the MicroSD maximum. But I may be wrong...
Fact is this has never happened with my Wizard and its 1 Gig MiniSD. Now I'm gonna increase backup and cloning so I don't have to reinstall everything...
But I'll check if there is a patch anyway. Thanks.

I am able to use Sandisk microSDHC 8GB can on Asus P535.
But need a micro adapter to miniSD

mbernstein said:
Ah, and when I insert the card via a card reader in my notebook and right click properties, it says 717MB free, which means my old files are there waiting for me (new folders have only 736KB of data)... What to do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click properties and then click theTools tab. Run Error-checking with both options checked. When you check your card, you will hopefully see a new directory with recovered files. You can then delete them and regain your disk space. This is what worked for me -

Thanks. I tried that at the time to no avail. I did have to reformat, and then reinstall everything... Now I'm using Sprite Backup, so everything including Storage Card is backed up in case this thing happens again.
And/Or said:
Click properties and then click theTools tab. Run Error-checking with both options checked. When you check your card, you will hopefully see a new directory with recovered files. You can then delete them and regain your disk space. This is what worked for me -
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

It could be WINXP patch
I have the Sandisk 8G , it came with a small USB reader and all was working fine. However my ASUS W5 laptop also has a built-in SD slot so I installed a patch issued by Microsoft to make it HCSD compatible, and it read and write it OK but then I suddenly got the same problem that you've described here.
The disk goes blank but the files still occupy the space, even attempting to reformat the card in the built-in slot will ignore that space,i.e it shows only 5G card.
But reformatting using the small USB card reader was fine and from now on I only use the cardreader to read and write and everything is OK. In my view the XP patch was causing that problem

All my files disappeared from my SD Card

Hi,
I just got the new Toshiba G810 (WM6.1 5.2.19581 Build 19581.1.1.1) and decided to stick in my micro SD card from my Wizard (see sig below) to test the playback performance. Everything was going well until I removed the card and put it back in my Wizard. ALL MY FILES DISAPPEARED!
All that remains now is a cacheie folder and Mail folder.
I checked the properties and it still detects the space for my files as Used but I can't see or access them. I tried running WM5torage to connect to my PC and it can't read the card either.
Any idea how I can fix this?

Integrity check for u SD card ?

Anyone know of an application that will allow me to check the micro SD card is OK ?
I suspect I have a fault in the card as I had to recopy 2 folders and the PC can't read the card directly.
It would be nice to check first without going through all the backup and restore time (16 gigabyte card).
Thanks, D.

Cheesy Dave said:
Anyone know of an application that will allow me to check the micro SD card is OK ?
I suspect I have a fault in the card as I had to recopy 2 folders and the PC can't read the card directly.
It would be nice to check first without going through all the backup and restore time (16 gigabyte card).
Thanks, D.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never heard of a WM program to do this but you could try putting the card in your pc and using Scandisk command.

elmarko99 said:
I've never heard of a WM program to do this but you could try putting the card in your pc and using Scandisk command.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - but the PC does not recognise the card !!
But, you've given my the idea to try it directly from a DOS window using scandisk from the command line.
Thanks, D.

Active Sync?
Will you get access to the (corrupted) storage card while connected your THD with activesync?
Other way to check could provide EasyRecovery from OnTrack and your THD has to be connected in diskdrive mode.
In generell I used a tool named h2testw - which was developed by a German Computer Magazin called CT. http://sosfakeflash.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/h2testw-14-gold-standard-in-detecting-usb-counterfeit-drives/
This is the best one to check physical errors on every externel memorycard connected through USB. It has to be used on a new formated card.

Thank you for the tips I will explore those.
I'm not sure what the problem is. I can see the card via active sync but not via USB style connect.
I can not see the card when I directly connect it via a card reader.
I was able to use a different card OK and reinstall my GPS app (Route 66) which had gotten screwed up by this card "fault".
I'll report back on results ...

Hmm
These two don't work because I can't see the card from the PC (except via activesync)
There is a file called "~Recycled" in the storage card which does not show in the standard pocket pc file explorer but does show up in total commander.
Maybe that is causing a problem - will investigate on google what this is.

Cheesy Dave said:
Hmm
These two don't work because I can't see the card from the PC (except via activesync)
There is a file called "~Recycled" in the storage card which does not show in the standard pocket pc file explorer but does show up in total commander.
Maybe that is causing a problem - will investigate on google what this is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noop - that's not it. Apparently this is just a delete folder from Resco File Explorer. It should not stop the PC from seeing the card.
Searching further ...

same problem here, I am contacting Orange to try to get a replacement. Not sure if its under warranty.

Try Pocket Mechanic for PPC... it has a Scan Disk utility amid a collection of others.
Successfully repaired my micro SD card with this when my HD was having problems reading my storage card some 3 days back.
Good luck!

Flashing via SD card assistance

I've got a Tilt 2 with hard spl and can flash from my desktop no problem. I'd like to get the flashing via SD card going, but it's hanging.
I've got the nbh file copied to the root of my SD card, get the phone into bootloader, but I see a message flash up about no image. It's very quick though and then the phone hangs in the bootloader. A soft reset fixes it and the phone boots up.
I'm clearly missing something and can't figure out for the life of me what it is.
The image file is named correctly. It was copied to the phone through WMDC to the SD card. Should I put the phone into disk mode a copy the image over?
The SD card is formated in Fat 32.
Any thoughts/Advise?
Thanks.

maybe..
i had this issue before - check your .nbh file with total commander, or put it in your pc and check it. if you name it .nbh with the wm file explorer, it actually ends up RHODIMG.nbh.nbh - solution is just to remove one .nbh!

:::Whimper:::
I'm having this exact same problem!
My RHODIMG file is named correctly and in the root directory (there is nothing else on the SD card either), but I get that same EXTREMELY BRIEF message about no IMG file and then it hangs at the bootloader screen with 'Serial' in the white box on the bottom.
I've even tried using Mobile Flasher, but nothing is working. I
What am I missing??? I've tried it many times already, formatted my card a few times and loaded the RHODIMG file again, but nothing! My Rhodium will NOT connect via USB anymore, so I need to flash via SD card.
Help!
Debbie

I actually don't even rename the file, it's already got that name from the rom. It's e2 manilla 2.5 rom.
I'll try and transfer the file to the card when the phone in disk mode and see if that makes a difference...

O-M-G(!), this is *so* freakin' wacky!!!
I just switched SD cards to one that was larger (8GB rather than the 2GB), that had tons of stuff on it, then copied the RHODIMG file in the root, and then ran 'enablerapinew.cab' again, just for the hell of it...
Damned device found the RHODIMG file there from the bootloader and the update ran as expected, but not on the 2GB card with nothing else on it! WTH?!
Device says that the update is complete, so I'm booting up now and will do a few resets and then perform the tedious task of setting up my Tilt 2, etc.
Don't know whether the cab (thought I only had to run this once when Hard SPLing?) or the different card was what caused it to work, but I hope this helps someone else with the same problem. Whew!
Debbie
...Who's back in business!

SOLVED!
I don't know what caused the magic, but I was able to flash from SD card... FINALLY!
Here's what I did: Flashing Via SD Card Assistance
Hope this helps others!
Debbie

No, this did not work for me. I tried installing the cab again, but no luck, just passes on by saying no image.

Delete image off sd card, reformat FAT32 and copy image back on... I have had this problem myself, it seems that when the .nbh file copies it doesn't register on the card properly or something. Either deleting the file then re-copying seems to work but I still like to reformat too..... DON'T just copy over the top of the image file... THIS DOESN'T WORK... leads to a lot of hair pulling frustration...
Cheers...

So I tried a reformat of the card, just a quick one, not full. Still didn't work. I downloaded another image to try out, the lastest Energy rom, to flash on a completely blank card. That didn't work.
So, I went and got an older card, 8 gig, that is currently being used in a camera. The one I use now is a 16 gig card. This one worked fine.
Conclusions being perhaps a 16 gig card won't work for flashing?

brands
i have heard of certain brands having sizes that didn't work for flashing, for whatever reason. It was a long time ago on my kaiser, so i don't remember which it was, but kingston 2gb comes to mind. like i said, don't know if that is accurate, but there definitely were some that just wouldn't work. perhaps a different brand 16gb?

Well, I used the other memory stick, a Scandisk and this worked fine. Must be something with the 16 gig Kingston disk as it just will not work.