Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card - maemo.org

bunanson | # 1 | 2008-08-18, 01:56 | Report

Interesting, really! Over the last 12 months, on and off, I will encounter a SD card that went from functioning to belly up for no apparant reason. Today, I am bored, using PB's script to clone a 2G card (see thread #5). Somewhere along the line, battery went off, clone interrupted, and as expected, the SD card is not able to be read by tablet, PC, panasonic LLF. That is ALL the tricks I know. Since I am bored, I sticked the thing back to the tablet and repeated PB's cloning script.....after 10 min or so, it finished, failed. I tried another time, and this time, it worked. It booted and now it has a FAT partition. So, this changed my way about corrupted SD card, panasonic LLF is no longer my lowest demoninator, partition is!

Regarding those cloning process, the most unreliable step is the partition. I just dont understand why the Nokia is so weak in partitioning a card, admittedly, repeat couple times, the partition will get thru. But why?

Now, we all know, if a SD card suddenly failed and not able to be read by anything, stick it in the tablet, partition repeat and repeat or easier, just get any cloning script to surrect the partition.

bun

Last edited by bunanson; 2008-08-19 at 10:27.

bunanson | # 2 | 2008-08-19, 03:56 | Report

I guess nobody has a dead SD card to try, uh? Anybody?
bun

Rider | # 3 | 2008-08-19, 09:33 | Report

I only use Kingston. Never any problem.

Sorry to disappoint you....

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AbelMN | # 4 | 2008-08-19, 10:11 | Report

Originally Posted by bunanson View Post

I guess nobody has a dead SD card to try, uh? Anybody?
bun

Sure, I will. If you explain what PB's script is.

However it is an SDHC 8Gb Class 6 card from A Data .

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bunanson | # 5 | 2008-08-19, 10:23 | Report

I do not think SDHC or SD card will make any difference. I just want to test that a corrupted card can be, not guaranteed, resurrected by this way. Just like any Hard disk with a corupted file or FAT, in principle, should be able to fix by repartition. Of course, this canNOT expect to fix a physically damaged card

. We are talking about corrupted card only.

One thing to try, just stick the dead SD in your tablet, and perform partition on the dead card, may have to repeat a couple of times, just an example of partitioning,

================================================== =
N810 running 2007.50-2, a 4G Adata micro/mini adapter inserted.
xterm/sudo gainroot
umount /media/mmc1
sfdisk /dev/mmcblk1 -uM
0,2100,0C
,,,
(return)
(return)
y
================================================== ==

Only if I can generate a corrupted card.........then I can test this again

.

This will also change your bootmenu. So please backup bootmenu first.
PB's cloning script, http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ad.php?t=22155
===============================================
Clone to mmc, I use 1 G Rs-MMC, use PB's clone scripts, http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ad.php?t=20534.
Scrolled down to "SCRIPT UPDATED 11:30EST 5/29/08, http://penguinbait.com/install-tools-ad.tgz and dl the install-tools-ad.tgz into flash, not MMC card.

Place in /root
open xterm
cd /root
tar zxvf install-tools-ad.tgz
This will then make /root/install-tools (it has to be in this location to work)
cd /root/install-tools
Now, carefully read PB's instructions regarding INTERNAL-txt.EXAMPLE and EXTERNAL.txt-EXAMPLE. The 770 has only one SD slot and is internal for the cloning. turn off swap file. Edit the INTERNAL.txt.EXAMPLE to your likeness, and rename it to INTERNAL.txt, and delete EXTERNAL.txt-EXAMPLE; This is my INTERNAL.txt file for a 1 G RS-MMC
" FAT 300
SWAP 128
1 ext2
TIMEOUT 10"

This should generate a ext2 600 MB and Fat 300 MB and SWAP file. and now,
Check:
There is only 1 SD card, right?
swap memory, uncheck, right?
INTERNAL.txt/EXTERNAL.txt only one exists, right?
Now you ready to go

./clone.sh

and wait.......; time to finish, with 48 Mhz kernel, 6.5 minute; without 48 Mhz kernel, 48 min.
Reboot and to add 64 MB swap file, with 48 Mhz kernel takes 7 min to make the 64 MB swap file; without 48 Mhz kernel, it takes 13 min to make the 64 MB swap file.

=================================================

Last edited by bunanson; 2008-08-19 at 10:40.

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Laughing Man | # 6 | 2008-08-19, 12:54 | Report

I had a problem with an A-Data 16 GB SDHC card. The partitions got messed up and there was nothing I could do to fix the partitions even after doing everything you've posted (low level formats, trying to repartition and all) it still would only show 11 GBs FAT (the rest was for the ext3 partition but I guessed the card got screwed beyond belief). So it won't always work.

I sent it back in since this card was covered by a lifetime warranty.

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eliagp | # 7 | 2008-08-19, 13:33 | Report

ever tried the Panasonic formatter utility? it has done wonders for me, screwed up card that would show only a small percentage of its capacity, or nothing at all. there are about 2 variables to play with and in a couple of tries everything works again. I had a Nokia Micro Sd that i wanted to put in a camera, but the camera wouldn't read it, not even formatting it. So after much Googleing around i found that little app.
Just my 2 cents if it works for anyone.
http://www.sdcard.org/about/downloads/

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Laughing Man | # 8 | 2008-08-19, 13:39 | Report

Yeah that's the low level format I was mentioning. I guess I should've been more specific.

Oh well, the card will arrive back tomorrow anyway.

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bunanson | # 9 | 2008-08-19, 14:16 | Report

I used to think the Panasonic LLF is my lowest denominator. I have now changed my mind. For corrupted file/partition with linux, not read by PC is expected. Only if I can reproduce another corrupted card, that cannot be read by anything else, I would try to keep partition again. As I mentioned several times in the past, sometimes it takes several pass for the tablet to do a partition. I am still puzzled by this.

bun

bunanson | # 10 | 2008-08-19, 14:23 | Report

Originally Posted by Laughing Man View Post

I had a problem with an A-Data 16 GB SDHC card. The partitions got messed up and there was nothing I could do to fix the partitions even after doing everything you've posted (low level formats, trying to repartition and all) it still would only show 11 GBs FAT (the rest was for the ext3 partition but I guessed the card got screwed beyond belief). So it won't always work.

I sent it back in since this card was covered by a lifetime warranty.

I know I have beaten it to death. But repartition in the tablet unsuccesful for a couple of times is "common". On some occasion when making clones using PB's script, at one time I have to do 4 times to get succeed. and all the failure is the same, partition did not go thru. I wish I could have your card and play with. I am trying to see how can I produce a SD card then would not be read by anything....

bun