Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, may fix a dead SD card
 

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

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

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

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

I only use Kingston. Never any problem.

Sorry to disappoint you....

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

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

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

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

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.

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

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

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.

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

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/

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

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. :)

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

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

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

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

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

Haha had I known I would've tried it. Though as it is, it's to late (sent the card off and I'm getting it back tomorrow). Though next time this happens I'll be sure to try partioning it over and over.

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

on my dead 8gb sandisk card the process seemed to work (partitions look like they are written ) but i still can't boot into the card but it gives me something to work with

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

gparted on a Linux PC should solve any problems, unless the card is completely dead.

As for Kingston cards, Kingston doesn't manufacture SD cards. They just buy them from Toshiba, Panasonic, or SanDisk and put their own labels on them. It's the same for every other brand. There aren't that many SD factories in the world.

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

Quite correct. That is exactly what I am trying to say in this thread.

However, if you do not have leenuz box, repeat cloning may resurrect your card.

delux: Give more info, please. What OS/system you are running. I think you are on N810, right and I think you have the perfect SD that I would like to try, follow thread #1 and see whether that would take care of you. Repeat cloning would NOT damage anything about your N810, except it will replace your bootmenu with the one came with the script. And..........what do you want to say about the prog WorldTV99?


bun

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

it did not work with my dead sandisk 8gb card-on my wife's windows xp laptop

nor did all of my disk recovery tools on my macbook running tiger

i do not have a leenux box nor a linux partition on parallels on my mb so i will try and try and try again...

so far after 5 attempts still does not get a boot partition......

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

xterm
cat /proc/partitions

what does it say?

bun

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

I have a n810 with a completely up to date flash of Diablo. The dead card is a Patriot mini-SD of 8GB. The n810 has been connected to a desktop PC running XP pro, also to a laptop running vista home premium. Though the card died, the n810 still connects to the laptop and the desktop PC just fine.
The card seems completely dead.......but, this PM I tried reformatting it in the desktop PC via a USB flash card reader, and a HP flash disk reformatting utility. I managed to get the card recognized as "Drive F" after this, but properties shows it to have a size of "0 bytes". Further, when I try dragging a file onto it, I get prompted to format it, but it won't format, so nothing can get written to it.
I have no Linux PC, nor access to one.
Any further suggestions???
Thanks.............btw, WorldTV99 rocks !!!

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

You are a good buddy! with that kind of comment of WorldTV99....Wow!

Well. You DO NOT NEED a leenuz box.

I got one of those card too, and yes, it is a 8 G patriot miniSD. And it also crapped on me:

1) it is garantee for 1 yr from newegg. So you can always bump it back to newegg and get a replacement as a last resort.
2) stick it back to the N810, and do either clone/partition several times, till it work. Step by step guide is here, http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ad.php?t=22155. It replaced your bootment, so do backup your bootmenu. If you do not want to do cloning, try repeat partition, that should do it. Not once, but 3 to 4 times under, it partitioned.

bun

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

Sorry it took some time, but I guess my card is physically damaged because it did'nt work for me.

Thanks for the excellent explanation how to do this !

Abel.

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

Hi,
n810, diablo, 4 gb SD:
input/output error, cannot read sector 0
is it an option to zero the first 512 bytes (like it says...!)?
and how to do this?
Many thanks
mackaroni

Re: Cloning or repartition, repeatedly, will fix a dead SD card
 

Damn, I have kinda dead SD card but I need to find it :)