2GB miniSD card up the creek?

[Steve]

Hi chaps,

I've been using a Corsair 2GB miniSD card in my Nokia N73 Music Edition. The other day it randomly told me off for removing the card without preparing it... I hadn't touched it.

I've tried formatting it in the phone and a panasonic camera... neither give me a usable card, the panasonic complaining of a write error. My Canon Powershot will format it, but then any data I save to it comes out corrupted.

The card isn't write protected. What's gone wrong?

[Yellowbeard]

Steve, in some cases like this, reformatting the card with the OS or data recovery program will help. Do you have a proper card reader to try it with your PC?

[Steve]

I tried formatting it while it was in the Panasonic camera, over USB, in mass storage mode. Windows could see the device but found no disk present.

My slaptop has a card reader, but it's running Linux... I'll have a look and see if it works on that.

[Yellowbeard]

If you have anything that will do data recovery or partition recovery, try that. You may also want to try something like Partition Magic in DOS if your system and the program will find the drive.

In general, I have seen some odd formatting problems like this a few times. It seems that about 50% are repairable errors and the other 50% require an RMA. Just let me know what happens and I'll help out if needed.

[Steve]

If it's any help, over mass storage, the Windows Disk Management snapin said there was no disk in drive F... so I couldn't manipulate the partition at all.

I don't have anything like partition magic.

My slaptop sees the card insertion, but doesn't automount it. Tried it with the Panasonic camera and it moans that the partition table is unknown... and I can't get at it to fix it.

[Blueforest]

Thank you for the info.
You are really saying what i hope you are saying!

[Yellowbeard]

Steve, any luck yet?

I have not looked online for any freeware but a DOS level format may work. Or, if you have a buddy with some sort of software that can do data/partition recovery, that may work.

In any case, we will replace it if it has failed and cannot be recovered or your vendor cannot help you.

[Steve]

Hi Yellowbeard,

Partition managers don't appear able to see any disk there to partition, so I think it's a duffer.

I can have a word with the folks at SCAN about a return, but I expect they'll have to send out a retail package, which as I'm sure you know, is impossible to open without destroying; seems a bit wasteful. Are there any options available to me where I can exchange solely the media?

Edit: oooh the partition manager that said there was no disk has now decided there is a disk and is trying to format it o_O. I'll see what happens.

Edit2: Nah, on the occasions that I can format it, trying to write to it breaks it again.

[Yellowbeard]

Honestly Steve, I have no idea what your RMA options are on this specific item as this is the first one I have been directly involved with. If you are not content with the SCAN options, let me know and I will see what we can do for you.

[Steve]

Thanks for your help, I'll have a word.