SD Card insanity

[Tess Stinson]

Okay, this is strange. I recently had upgraded my SD card, but I had a "professional" insert the SD card and everything was wonderful...........until yesterday when I turned the phone off, and turned it back on. The 635 demanded that I format the SD card (this would be the second time that card has been formatted)........and I could do nothing other than format the card again. Arrggghhh!

So away go my apps and a few other things. So I've attempted to reinstall the apps. A few reinstalled just fine. About half did not and I get a message upon attempting to reinstall that "Waiting for SD card." Duh, the SD card is right where it was.

I also have strange looking errors on the Systems screen at the top, like # in the top Box where an alphabet letter would be -- with @{Microsoft MSFileManager -- and I cannot read the remainder. If I click that, I get the alphabet screen.

Anyone have a clue what's going on? Should one not turn off the phone -- ever? :amaze:

I'm clueless.

Tess

 

[glossallalia]

Sd cards are funny. When you upgraded do you mean more storage, higher class rating etc?

 

[Guytronic]

If I understand the description correctly:

That's an SD card that is having "read\write error" problems.
The strange looking file names are corrupt files on the card that the system is unable to read.

I'd remove the SD then do a full wipe under format on a PC move the card back to the phone and see if the phone handles the re-format properly.

 

[Tess Stinson]

More storage -- went from 16 to 64. Brand name, good SD card. DUH?

 

[Tess Stinson]

Would it work right a few weeks and then corrupt? I did take it out, as Nokia finally informed me I should remove and reinstall it. Did that - to no avail.

Format on the PC -- this is a micro SD and I don't have a reader/adapter. But I know where they sell them.

 

[Guytronic]

One small tip before sliding the card into the phone after formatting.
Find a pencil with a clean eraser and rub that on the card contacts to clean them a bit.

 

[bksalt]

Other possibility is you have a bad SD card I'd take it back and explain what is going on, even good cards some times have problems.

 

[glossallalia]

More storage -- went from 16 to 64. Brand name, good SD card. DUH?

Ok.

 

[pankaj981]

Okay from personal experience, it's not always the microSD card at fault. The phone software if corrupted can only be repaired by performing a hard reset without the microSD card. After the initial setup is complete, turn the phone off, format your microSD card on a PC (preferably ExFAT) and then reinsert the card in the phone and start using. I've had these problems on a 630, 520 and my current 830.

 

[Tess Stinson]

Re: SD Card insanity - Round III, IV, V?

I'm still sold on Windows phones; however, at this point, I'm not sure my 635 isn't possessed. I replaced the SIM card with a brand new one. I replaced the SD card with a brand new and "brand" name. And though the phone is now compliant enough that I get calls and messages with alerts, no less, suddenly, I cannot send a single email, though I receive them appropriately. Installing apps is often still rather questionable at times. The phone itself seems much slower in response times than it was a mere 6 weeks ago when I bought it.

I'm not very demanding of a phone either - I don't listen to music on it, I don't play games on it, I don't watch movies or stream anything at all. I'm beginning to think that if this were an auto, I'd be thinking lemon! Putting aside my failed attempt at being pithy, how many "issues" should you replace, repair, etc. before returning the phone/buying another?

Thanks,

Tess

 

[pankaj981]

From personal experience with all the devices I have owned (yeah look at my signature), only one turned out to have issues, actually two. One was due to it being a prototype device, the other one was a 535 :-/

Regardless, most of the issues I have experienced have been due to software errors. That's why every device I own or after every major software update I usually flash my phone clean before using it. I have briefly owned the 630 for 6 months and never did it slow down. Yes, apps have crashed but it was always smooth, sometimes smoother than my then primary phone, the Lumia 920.

I am not sure how comfortable you're with flashing ROMs but if not, you can always using the Lumia Software Recovery tool to flash the default latest ROM again. Few tips before using the phone

1) Always let the phone finish initial setup
2) Let all apps update after initial setup
3) If you are using Developer Preview then this is the time to update. Once done reset and finish steps 1) and 2). Then goto 4)
4) Turn off phone, insert SIM card
5) Format SD card in PC on the exFAT format. Capacity doesn't matter
6) Insert SD card and turn on the phone
7) Now you can choose the default application install to SD card but read 8) before performing 7)
8) Try to keep applications that load on startup on the phone memory (chat applications like WhatsApp, IM+, Facebook, etc. News applications, etc.) You can move games to the SD card and won't take a hit on performance unless you're using a crappy card (Class 4/6 or a cheap unbranded version, etc.)

9) Lastly when you buy a new device, make sure you look for signs that tell you that the hardware is bad (camera crashing, phone heating up without reason, bad network connectivity, fumbled earpiece voice, display distortion, phone freezing up, etc.)

If a soft reset doesn't solve 9) or the issue keeps repeating then try 1) to 8). If it still doesn't work then its safe to assume you got a lemon. 9) Can also happen randomly, its electronics and no one can guarantee how and when it will fail

 

[hotphil]

Re 5) - I've historically found that formatting a card in the device it will be used in gives me more reliability. Ymmv.

 

[pankaj981]

Re 5) - I've historically found that formatting a card in the device it will be used in gives me more reliability. Ymmv.

I don't disagree, the only reason I use a PC to format it to set the file system to exFAT. For SD cards less then 32 GB, the phone formats the card to FAT32 by default which restricts the maximum file size to ~3.8 GB thus making it hard to store & retrieve large files (large 1080p recorded videos).

 

[RDayram]

Hi Win Central,
This is Ram, few days back i purchased microsoft lumia 535, i want to buy 16gb/32gb sdhc class 10 memory card to my lumia 535 through online , but lumia 535 phone had a micro sd slot, in amazon, anapdeal, flipcart , there is huge micro sdhc cards , is it possible to put sdhc class 10 memory card into micro sd memory slot ? lumia 535 supports upto 128gb micro sd memory,all memory cards are having a name micro sdhc class 4/6/10 with high capacity , their i have confusion , If not possible please suggest me which card is exactly suitable to lumia 535, please suggest momory card names, and prefered which is best in memory card with high capacity , speed, suitable to lumia 535 with good brand....Relpy asap...

 

[Harrie-S]

Hi Ram,
Let me try to help you.
1 A "normal" SD card does not fit in your 535 because the physical size of the SD card is to big.
2 You have to buy a micro SD card. But often this you get a "housing" with it which has a SD size. So if you want to use your SD card in your PC you can place (the microSD card) in this housing.
3 SDHC basically means a (micro)SD car with a max size of 32 GB.
4 SDXC basically means a (micro) SD card which has a size larger (or equal) of 32 GB.
5 4/6/10 is the speed class of a card. Your phone can max use class 10.

So of you buy a card larger then 32 GB you (only) can buy a SDXC.
If you buy a card smaller then 32GB it will be a SDHC.

Buy from a well know (web)shop and brands like Samsung, SanDisk and other well know brands are good.
And I would suggest to buy a class 10 because a class 4 or 6 are not that much cheaper but "slower".

 

[kodakhk]

I do agree that it could be caused by the phone software. I've more or less the same problem with my Lumia 636 and 640 XL.

 

[MrNati]

Hello,
first of all I'm new here so hi everyone.

I read all your posts on the problems with sd cards on the lumia 635 & others but something's strange:
I own a Lumia 635 for nearly a year now and until this morning I had no problems with it.
But today it didn't recognise my microSD (Sandisk Ultra, Class 10 , 16GB), and the worst part is that when I try to format it on my mac (yes, sorry...) it doesn't even recognise it, no "external disc" icon appears.
I tried different usb card readers but it's as if I didn't plug it in....

Does anyone knows what I should do (other than throwing the card away, buying a new one and bathing it in the blood of a newborn pigeon as an offering to Roh?rk, Supreme God of All that Fails ) ?