Try running TestDisk (Christophe Grenier's App) on the SD card and see if it fixes the partition tables.

Aha -- interesting utility. It let me change the Cylinders, Heads and Sectors, and then write the data back to the disk.

The broken disk shows C,H,S as 1024,1,1. I changed these to 1024, 255, 63 for 8GB, (which I think is right), and then used the Write MBR option to put the new info on the disk. Again, the information didn't stick. Removing the USB device (N800), and then plugging it back in again, TestDisk showed the 1024,1,1 values.

For some reason, I can write that info.

I just wanted to add my 2 cents.

I had this problem on 2 8GB cards (just returned the first one, and now I have been able to reproduce the problem on the second card).

I wanted this card to be ext3 format, and had succeeded at doing so. The card got corrupted when copying many files (mp3s). Reformatted again as ext2, again similar corruption after a few files were copied. Reformatted again as vfat. Got further this time, but after about 20 mp3s the disk showed corruption.

So it doesn't matter what the file system, the cards can be corrupted regardless!

Craig...

All this corruption talk is scaring me. I have an 8Gb internal flash card, a PQI model, that is so far fine. I was going to buy an external card for a full 16Gb but now I'm worried. Seems like most of the reports are related to the external slot. We need to do a survey that asks the following questions.

1. What size and brand and speed card are you using.
2. Internal or External slot?
3. Ever corrupted?
4. When did you notice it? (after or during what activity.)
5. Ever use any Internet Tablet File tools to partition or format?
6. Ever remove the card and use in an external reader?
7. Ever partition or format the card in an external reader?..ie...not the Internet Tablet.

I've got movies as large as 1.3Gb and a pile full of mp3's on the 8Gb card. Other than that I've never done anything fancy, like partitioning the card or trying to run the operating system off it.

did any of you guys test you sd cards before you used them in the n800?

i had a 2gb mmc card go bad (corrupt, and could not reformat) in my 770, so i returned it as defective. since then i test new memory cards before using them.

my test is to fill the card with large files (i use linux distro iso files, as i usually have a few on my computer) using a card reader and my laptop. then i do md5sums on them. then repeat a few times, and maybe leave the files there overnight, and check they are still good in the morning.

eg: (adust the paths for your system)
i now have 2 kingstom 2gb mmc cards in my N800 that passed the test, and have had no trouble from them. i dont have an SDHC cards yet.

so does anyone have cards that passed a simlar test, and then went bad in an N800?

P.S. Got a scare today when the n800 file manager gave the message that the SD card was not responding. However when I closed the manager it worked fine with any application I tried. Also was able to load more media onto it over a USB computer connection.

First to answer your questions:
1) 8GB Patriot (2 have been corrupted so far)
2) Both slots
3) Yep, both of them
4) Noticed read/write errors when copying mp3 files to the 8GB card. I have tried copying over the USB (when mounted on my laptop) as well as via SCP (much slower) and my wireless network.
5) No, I run Linux on my laptop, and used mkfs there to format the card (when connected via the USB cable)
6) Yes, I have a SD to USB dongle, and the card is corrupt there as well
7) No, since I didn't see how that was going to help.

I am guessing that if you have successfully put 1.3GB onto your card you are probably OK. I have put my cards in both the internal and external slots, and that didn't seem to matter. I was not able to put more than about 200MB on the card before it started spitting read/write errors (as shown by dmesg.

I opened a ticket with Nokia today, and I am slowly warming them to the possibility that 8GB cards are supported (initially they said only up to 2GB cards, and they had to be Nokia SD cards at that). I pointed them to a Nokia Europe where it says that 8GB SDHC is supported. They realized I was in Canada where the Canadian website says that only 4GB cards are supported:
http://www.nokia.ca/english/products...0_features.asp

But I replied that I bought this in the US, and the US site says that 8GB cards are supported:
http://www.nokiausa.com/link?cid=PLAIN_TEXT_189093

So we will see where it goes. But I suspect they are going to come back with their fall back line that only Nokia cards are supported. We shall see.

Craig...

Hi All,

I just purchased my N800 online along with an 8GB SDHC card.

A prior post mentioned the Kingston 8GB class 6 card works. I ordered an 8GB A Data card as the Kingston part was not offered. When the N800 and card arrived, I installed the card, formatted it and have been enjoying it without incident.

The key appears to be that higher speed memory is required. Class 6 is rated at 6MB per second minimum data transfer rate. At this point I don't think it's a manufacturer sensitivity issue, but a speed requirement. It must be documented somewhere, eh? Well perhaps now.

cheers, vroomado

Internal: 2GB Patriot
External: 8GB Kingston Class-6, 4GB Toshiba
Kernel: High speed SDHC patched ever since day-1 of using SD cards.

History:
- Never corrupted.
- Never used built in NIT tools to partition\format.
- Cards were used w/ USB PC card reader and internal thinkpad x60t SD slot a couple of times.
- I have recently repartitioned the 2GB patriot card to boot from it. Done on a USB card reader on my Thinkpad x60t w/ ubuntu on vmware.

Overall usage pattern: Light. I play scummvm w/ the game files (4GB!) on the 8GB Kingston. Seldom video\audio playback. I don't use maemomapper.

Vroomado - I would say i've seen more corruption stories regarding class 6 transcend sdhc cards than any other, mine included, so i don't think speed is an overriding factor.