Inserting / extracting SD cards

[Dave Potter]

I got to thinking this evening...

Is it a good idea to insert and extract SD cards (memory, Bluetooth, WiFi) while the pocket PC is still on? Or is it better to shut the unit off first?

Swapping cards with the unit on - Can it damage the SD card or the Pocket PC? In the case of SD memory - does swapping with the Pocket PC on put the data on the card at risk?

Perhaps a quick poll to get an idea of other people practises:

[Ed Hansberry]

FWIW, my 2215 turns itself on when I insert or remove either CF or SD card. :)

[Falstaff]

FWIW, my 2215 turns itself on when I insert or remove either CF or SD card. :)
On my e755 the device turns on only when I remove/insert a CF card. It does nothing when I remove/insert an SD. I thought that's kind of odd.... I take mine out when it's on or off. As long as I'm not using music or an app on the card I don't have a problem.

[tanalasta]

As a general rule of thumb, most vendors recommend that you insert/remove SD cards with the device off. This prevents errors that occur if you remove the card whilst the device is still reading/writing to it.

It doesn't take too much effort to tap the on/off button now does it? However, even i've been lazy on occasion and haven't really noticed a problem taking cards in/out with the device on... so who knows? Anybody had problems with doing that let me know!

[Janak Parekh]

I've never had a problem removing/inserting them while the unit is on. Electrically, I believe both CF and SD are designed to be "hot-plug". Note the pins (in the slot in CF, on the card itself on SD) aren't all identically aligned. This enables things like power to be applied last during insertion.

Of course, it goes without saying that you shouldn't actually be using the card while removing it, which I think is tanalasta's point. :)

--janak

[Ed Hansberry]

Of course, it goes without saying that you shouldn't actually be using the card while removing it, which I think is tanalasta's point. :)
Unless you have something like an iPAQ 3900 with a dual CF sleeve and your SD card and 2 CF cards have a RAID 5 partition. :drool:

[Janak Parekh]

Unless you have something like an iPAQ 3900 with a dual CF sleeve and your SD card and 2 CF cards have a RAID 5 partition. :drool:
Don't forget that you'd also need a alpha release of XP Embedded installed on your iPAQ with a "technology" preview software RAID 5 driver. :lol:

OK, back on topic. ;)

[Dave Potter]

Whoooo guys. Don't work youselves into a techie lather! 8O

We're talking REAL world here, in the present. Not the technocolor dreams of a propeller head.

:)

[shawnc]

FWIW, my 2215 turns itself on when I insert or remove either CF or SD card. :)

My Axim works the same way. My 4150 does not. To be honest, I've never given this much thought and can not imagine that it really makes much difference. Unless of course, someone is careless enough to remove a card while data is being written to it. That would be like removing a floppy while saving a file to it.

[Vulcan]

You need to add one more option on the poll.....I installed my SD card and have never removed it.....It seems like a safe place to store it.

[Janak Parekh]

You need to add one more option on the poll.....I installed my SD card and have never removed it.....It seems like a safe place to store it.
Well, when you installed it, was the Pocket PC on or off? ;)

--janak

[Vulcan]

:wink: It was off....