Is there a very simple way to get the RT to recognize SD card in Libraries?

[msdugn]

The critical step is worded poorly. The Powershell command arguments you need to specifiy are exactly as listed below - including the double-quotes:

-command "mount-diskimage D:\disk.vhd"

Any error or typo in this parameter results in the drive not mouting and no error displaying anywhere (except in the Windos Event Log) to let you know it's wrong.

 

[dkp23]

The critical step is worded poorly. The Powershell command arguments you need to specifiy are exactly as listed below - including the double-quotes:

-command "mount-diskimage D:\disk.vhd"

Any error or typo in this parameter results in the drive not mouting and no error displaying anywhere (except in the Windos Event Log) to let you know it's wrong.

That command is correct, i went back and it said the task was successful. Also, the files that were already in the folder recognized ok through the music app. When i wanted to add my own music, wouldn't recognize.

 

[missionsparta]

Dear Lord... would Microsoft just do the right thing already and send a patch/update that makes and easy fix for this? I asked the Microsoft employe when i bought the device, specifically if I could use the SD card to access my media such as Music and Videos. The 'yes' was about 1% true and 99% a lie. Things like this need to be addressed now! Not in a summer update in July. Ridiculous.

 

[newfiend]

Thanks for this thread, can't wait to fix the indexing issue on my SD card, that's my biggest complaint about the surface is the lack of a tool from MS to make this easy for the consumer. This should be addressed by MS asap!! Thanks to all that figured this out and posted a guide.
Sent from my Lumia 920 using Board Express.

 

[dkp23]

Yes, going through the process is quite annoying. As simple as people make it out to be, it is not and the steps i used for the VHD leaves some steps out after that prevents this from working properly. Some of the details in the steps are not very clear and off, but those steps were were not very important in the whole thing, but for me, the instructions need to be very clear. When you say write exactly "blah blah blah". Then im going to put in the period as well, but the period is not needed. Then another is naming the task D:\disk.vhd, but you can't name it that since it doesn't accept "\" in the name. For idiots like me, those potentially could just through off everything. There are a few others taht were annoying, but you get the point.

So I think I was able to get it working properly finally, apparently you have to go to the task scheduler or one of the parts about mounting and rebuild under "user". I saw that mentioned in the thread so i tried it and it worked. Of course the reddit instructions dont have that and donnt really go into that fact you have to go to manage library for each specific folder to change default and such. There is just a link for windows 7 i think.

THis is why surface RT had no chance of being a good seller, out of the box, it isn't very good to use. I factory reset my surface this weekend and had about 15 gb with basically nothing. Ok i knew that, IE10 was soooooo slow so i had to reconfigure again using xda. Then had to go hours of updating and such. Some people want to plug and play, surface RT, plug, configure, configure, configure and play to make it reasonable and the average person wont go through the trouble.

 

[dkp23]

uggh, tried to add new files and still have updating issues. Had to rebuild, annoying! Used the VHD method.

So i tweeted surface on twitter asking about a potential update on getting sdcards recognized as libraries, of course i got directed to go to the site that has the junction and thurott instructions. I said those dont work properly and they replied that they dont have an update on my question.

Odds are, nothing is going to be done.

 

[newfiend]

I just did a reinstall of the OS on my surface. I had previously tried Paul Thurrott's site for adding a SD card to the Surface RT, then switched to the .vhd method. After the reinstall, updates and app reinstallation I went step by step methodically and it works perfect. All my additions now index properly. You may have a step wrong or missed a portion of it. I found that after reinstalling the OS, updating, then setting up the .vhd method worked best for me. Good Luck.
newfiend
Sent from my Lumia 920 using Board Express.

 

[msdugn]

I just did a reinstall of the OS on my surface. I had previously tried Paul Thurrott's site for adding a SD card to the Surface RT, then switched to the .vhd method. After the reinstall, updates and app reinstallation I went step by step methodically and it works perfect. All my additions now index properly. You may have a step wrong or missed a portion of it. I found that after reinstalling the OS, updating, then setting up the .vhd method worked best for me. Good Luck.
newfiend
Sent from my Lumia 920 using Board Express.

+1.

In fact, I've tried all of the methods and the VHD method is the only one that works. This is not only my experience (after trying each a number of times), but it's the only assured way of getting around the limitations on RT since they are engineered around the idea of limiting the features available via removable media.

The VHD method is the only way to make use of your SD card in a way the OS 'sees' as a non-removable hard disk. Being non-removable is the key. Otherwise, limitations will crop up and you'll be fighting a losing battle against the design of RT with removable media.

 

[Mandos]

So can you post a link to the specific vhd method that you used? I have tried a vhd method but the vhd is not automatically recognized after the Surface is restarted.

 

[camptime]

Here you go.
Microsoft Surface

 

[dkp23]

I just did a reinstall of the OS on my surface. I had previously tried Paul Thurrott's site for adding a SD card to the Surface RT, then switched to the .vhd method. After the reinstall, updates and app reinstallation I went step by step methodically and it works perfect. All my additions now index properly. You may have a step wrong or missed a portion of it. I found that after reinstalling the OS, updating, then setting up the .vhd method worked best for me. Good Luck.
newfiend
Sent from my Lumia 920 using Board Express.

I factory reset my RT before i did the VHD.

The apps did not update unless i went into indexing and rebuild under user instead of just the VHD drive.

"Set up Windows Indexing.

1. Win+W, type Indexing Options, enter
2. Click on modify, check the new vhd drive (probably E).
3. OK, Close."

The mounting seems to work, but eventually the app stops updating unless i go to indexing options and rebuild the user. The step i pasted said to check the vhd drive which i did, so after i rebuild the apps will update. Im not sure when it stops, perhaps when i turn off. If anybody knows where i need to go so i dont have to keep rebuilding, let me know. Once i fix that problem, i think the method will work perfectly.

 

[Mandos]

Here you go.
Microsoft Surface

Thanks. I got it to work this time based on these instructions.

 

[Zeroplanetz]

Ok so to clarify this is for having apps off of the sd card work correct? Also do I have to add music, videos, and picture folders for them to work off sd cards as well?

 

[msdugn]

Ok so to clarify this is for having apps off of the sd card work correct? Also do I have to add music, videos, and picture folders for them to work off sd cards as well?

I don't know about apps on the SD card. I use this exclusively to get Photos, Documents, Videos, Music on my SD card into the Windows RT libraries so all apps can see them.

 

[dkp23]

Ok so to clarify this is for having apps off of the sd card work correct? Also do I have to add music, videos, and picture folders for them to work off sd cards as well?

no, that is a totally different thing

 

[woodbane]

OK, so I can set up the VHD and get it to mount but I'm confused - am I creating the folders in the root of the actual microSD card or do I create them in the virtual drive. How do I then copy files to this virtual space on another PC (say all my music is on another PC)?

Any help much appreciated.

Oh - I'm doing this on an Envy X2 running full windows on Atom CPU BTW - you still can't add removable media to library even in full Windows.

 

[anon(5327299)]

I've tried creating the disk.vhd but get an error saying "The requested operation could not be completed due to a file system limitation."

The SDXC card has an exFAT file system, I thought it'd just work out of the box without needing formatting to anything specific. Any ideas?

Edit: Formatted to NTFS and seems okay now.

 

[woodbane]

VHD requires the card to be formatted in NTFS.
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[woodbane]

Never mind, figured it out.

OK, so I can set up the VHD and get it to mount but I'm confused - am I creating the folders in the root of the actual microSD card or do I create them in the virtual drive. How do I then copy files to this virtual space on another PC (say all my music is on another PC)?

Any help much appreciated.

Oh - I'm doing this on an Envy X2 running full windows on Atom CPU BTW - you still can't add removable media to library even in full Windows.

Sent from my SGH-i937 using Board Express

 

[anon(5327299)]

Okay, followed all of the steps and created the VHD but it doesn't seem to appear in the indexing options. The VHD appears on my E: drive as an 80MB file but can't index.

Also, trying to copy a file from the Surface itself to the VHD, it started off at 40MB/s, which was nice. Then it dropped right down and seems to be going between 700KB/s and 6MB/s, surely this isn't right?

Something definitely isn't right. Trying another file off a network drive and the performance is the same. It actually drops regularly to 0 bytes/s and just stops for a few seconds. This isn't great :/