Help with formatting SD!?!?!?

[mirkazemisaman]

I just purchased a 128Mb SanDisk SD card + a Memorex card reader (CF+SD+Memory Stick etc.). I installed the drivers for the reader and it seems to work with my 64 Mb CF card (I have used my CF before and it's formatted), but when i tried it with the new SD card It says: "The disk in drive G is not formatted, Do you want to format it?" I click YES and it takes me to the formatting window. I have tried all different configurations to format it (Example: Quick Erase, Full Format etc) and everytime after I click format it says "This drive is either a hard disk or a large removeable disk. Fomratting it will destroy all the files currently on the drive. Are you sure you want to format this drive?" and I click OK and then it says "Windows could not formatt this disk. Either the selected capacity is not valid for this disk or the disk may be damaged and need to be replaced."

BTW, I use Windows 98 and I was also very careful openning the case, so the card couldn't have possibly taken any damage on my part. (Bought it new from staples in manufacturer's packaging...).

[smittyofdhs]

you are planning on using this in a PPC device right? just put the card into the device. The device will format it to work and/or work right away. Once you have used it successfully in your PPC device, then put it into the reader and see what happens.

My first SD card from sandisk (128 meg) wasn't formatted correctly and when I put it into my Ipaq, the OS prompted me to format the card so it would work. My second SD card from sandisk (256 meg) worked right out of the box with my AT&T XDA.

[shawnc]

I have recently purchased a 128MB & 256MB Sandisk SD cards as well as a 1G Microdrive. I was able to use all three right out of the box on my Axim. No formatting was necessary.

[TECHIUM]

you are planning on using this in a PPC device right? just put the card into the device. The device will format it to work and/or work right away. Once you have used it successfully in your PPC device, then put it into the reader and see what happens.

My first SD card from sandisk (128 meg) wasn't formatted correctly and when I put it into my Ipaq, the OS prompted me to format the card so it would work. My second SD card from sandisk (256 meg) worked right out of the box with my AT&T XDA.

Additionally you may want to tryout Storage Tools or any other disk management utility. Using one of these not only can you change the fotmatting from FAT16 to FAT32 but you can perform scandisk and defrag options as well. I've purchased Storage Tools so I can personally reccomend it, but I've seen other quality products out there that do similar functions. The added benefit is that you'll actually see a performance increase as well as an apparent storage increase when changing formatting and cluster size. Hope that helps.

[mirkazemisaman]

My Axim won't be here until Feb 10, I was just at Staples today, so i thought I might as well buy a memory card + reader. So from what you are saying i concluded that:
I shouldn't be concerned if it doesn't work in my SD reader right out of the box and it will work in the Axim, am I correct?

[smittyofdhs]

My Axim won't be here until Feb 10, I was just at Staples today, so i thought I might as well buy a memory card + reader. So from what you are saying i concluded that:
I shouldn't be concerned if it doesn't work in my SD reader right out of the box and it will work in the Axim, am I correct?

Can't really say until you get your Axim to confirm. The SD card should be able to be formatted by Windows (any OS flavor) so it does seem weird that the reader didn't work with the PC. If the card is good, then I would look into the drivers.....

[mirkazemisaman]

How do I make sure my drivers are good???

[smittyofdhs]

How do I make sure my drivers are good???

I just re-read your post... you said you can use the reader just fine with a CF card? If that's the case then the drivers should be OK. It's not likely that there is a driver for each part of the card (CF vs. SD).

The SD cards are not formatted for only one type of device, they can be used in anything like cameras, PPC, phones, mp3 players.

So my thought on this issue now would be that the card may be the issue. The card should be able to be reformatted no matter how it was formatted previously. And if the card reader is working fine for CF cards then it should work just fine for SDs also.

WHO is the maker of the reader and the SD card?

[mirkazemisaman]

How do I make sure my drivers are good???

I just re-read your post... you said you can use the reader just fine with a CF card? If that's the case then the drivers should be OK. It's not likely that there is a driver for each part of the card (CF vs. SD).

The SD cards are not formatted for only one type of device, they can be used in anything like cameras, PPC, phones, mp3 players.

So my thought on this issue now would be that the card may be the issue. The card should be able to be reformatted no matter how it was formatted previously. And if the card reader is working fine for CF cards then it should work just fine for SDs also.

WHO is the maker of the reader and the SD card?


My friend If you read the first few words of my post you shall see that I named the manufacturer for both my SD and my reader...

[smittyofdhs]

How do I make sure my drivers are good???



opps... pardon me, I missed that. I was busy trying to help that I scanned right over that info...


Sandisk SD cards are good and I've never seen anything like this before. Until you get your Axim, you could take the SD card to the place you purchased it and try it in one of the demo PPC's that has SD support. I know this is not the answer you are looking for but until we know if it's the card, reader, or your PC, we'll never know how to troubleshoot.

[mirkazemisaman]

I finally called Memorex and after 8 minutes of wait (not bad at all!) the guy told me that I should replace the Card Reader before I was even done telling him my problem... I think he was rushing to go to the bathroom or something. He said It "has to be the reader's problem since other cards work in it....". Oh and BTW thanx for all the replies, I will perhaps take the SD and put it in one of the staples pocket PCs...

[mirkazemisaman]

I only needed a restart on my PC to fix everything.... duh...