SD card no longer fits

[ctmagnus]

I just removed my SD card from my iPaq to do a scandisk on it, and when I went to reinsert it, it no longer fit in the unit. It goes most of the way in but stops about the length of the gold-coloured connectors on it short. The blank that shipped with the unit exhibits the same symptoms.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions?

:cry: :confused totally:

[Dave Beauvais]

My guess would be the spring-loaded latch that holds the card in place is either jammed or broken. This happened with one of my early Casio E-200s. It's difficult to shine a flashlight into such a narrow slot while still leaving room to see in, but see if you can determine whether or not the latch is in the up or down position. If I look in my h5455 -- with the LCD facing toward me -- I can see a tiny silver spring on the left side of the slot under a sliding black tab. I'd suspect that if you can't see the spring, the latch may be stuck in down position.

--Dave

[ctmagnus]

I cannot see the spring but I can see the tab. Is there any way to remedy this, short of a warranty repair?

[Dave Beauvais]

When you removed the card, did you push down and let it spring out or did you just pull it out with a fingernail or something? If it came out properly, I can't really see how the latch would be stuck in the down position.

You might try pressing down on the latch with a tootpick or some other thin, non-metallic object to see if you can get it to move up or down.

--Dave
Fint print: If anything happens to your Pocket PC or your warranty is voided as a result of doing something I suggested, I'm not liable. You do this of your own free will. :)

[ctmagnus]

It's supposed to pop out? I thought it had to be pulled out. I could never get it out by pushing on it, only pulling it out. Same with the blank.

[ctmagnus]

Swiss Army knife saves the day again! :ninja: :D

Thank you so much for the help. Now I don't have to go a week without it while it's being repaired. I was not aware that SD had the "springy functionality" as I generally use CF cards or PC cards.

:rock on dude!:

[Dave Beauvais]

... I was not aware that SD had the "springy functionality" as I generally use CF cards or PC cards.
Yeah, you really should remove SD/MMC cards by pushing on them. Just pulling the card out is a nice way to break the latch inside. With new SDIO cards coming out which extend beyond the slot, I can see many SD slots being broken because people will just yank the card out.

Not all SD/MMC slots have the spring action, though... none of my SD card readers, for example, require that; the card just pulls out. On slots which do have the spring, however, you should use that when removing the card.

--Dave

[Janak Parekh]

Not all SD/MMC slots have the spring action, though... none of my SD card readers, for example, require that; the card just pulls out. On slots which do have the spring, however, you should use that when removing the card.
You can usually tell based on how far the card recesses into the unit. If it recesses completely, it's almost always a spring-locked solution. All my SD desktop readers recess the card about 50%.

--janak

[dunneldeen]

If it's spring loaded, why do they put beveled edges around the SD slot on a 2215? :wink:

[ctmagnus]

If it's spring loaded, why do they put beveled edges around the SD slot on a 2215? :wink:

That's the case with the 5550s also. I imagine to have some room to push the card in further in order to have it pop out.

One thing I wonder about... Before, the card just slid in with no problem, much like a CF card would function. Now the springiness is prevalent (on both insertion and removal) and it works the way Dave Beauvais describes. Was it always supposed to be like it is now or is (was) my unit goofy?

[easylife]

In all Pocket PC and Palm handhelds the SD card must be removed by pushing on it. I remember a thread a while back about this... can anyone find it? It was about HP publishing something online about the proper removal of an SD card. I tried searching for it but was unsuccessful. :?

[Dave Beauvais]

... Was it always supposed to be like it is now or is (was) my unit goofy?
Well, my Palm m505 :pukeface2:, four Casio E-200s, two e740s, and two h5455s have all had the spring-loaded card ejection mechanism. It should have worked like that from day one.

--Dave

[Gremmie]

Every PDA I've ever had were spring loaded.

[Paolo Masera]

I remember a thread a while back about this... can anyone find it? It was about HP publishing something online about the proper removal of an SD card. I tried searching for it but was unsuccessful. :?

It'ld be really interesting find it, I think it's the worst thing on iPAQ

[Dave Beauvais]

This may be the article (http://www3.compaq.com/support/reference_library/viewdocument.asp?dt=3&source=MH030130_CW01.xml) you are thinking of... Note that they say a broken SD slot is not a warranty repair!

--Dave

[ctmagnus]

This may be the article (http://www3.compaq.com/support/reference_library/viewdocument.asp?dt=3&source=MH030130_CW01.xml) you are thinking of... Note that they say a broken SD slot is not a warranty repair!

--Dave

Fortunately mine works now. It's just that it goes most of the way in with no resistance now and then gets springy. Then when I pop it out, it pops out the same distance it stopped at going in so I don't know if it's designed that way.

Hopefully it'll be covered by a Care Pack tho, as I tend to rely on them. My previous unit was swapped five times and it may be going in for a sixth If I can't restore the Windows CE bootloader to it.

[Dave Beauvais]

... it goes most of the way in with no resistance now and then gets springy. Then when I pop it out, it pops out the same distance it stopped at going in so I don't know if it's designed that way. ...
That's correct and normal behavior, and is how it should have worked all along. :)

--Dave

[ctmagnus]

That's correct and normal behavior, and is how it should have worked all along. :)

--Dave

:huh: It needed a break-in time, I guess.

I really dislike it when machines start wanting and needing things. They're not human, fer cryin' out loud!

[easylife]

:huh: It needed a break-in time, I guess.
It didn't need one - you did! :lol: What you describe it doing is perfectly normal and what it probably would have done had you used it correctly. :wink: