Memory Card Issue Driving Me Nuts!

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

I spent most of the entire day today trying to sort out an issue here which is now absolutely driving me nuts.

I have two Samsung U800 cell phones, each one equipped with an 8GB "Kingston" micro-SD card. The cards are supposed to hold exactly the same files (a ton of pictures, videos and mp3's) so that the phones are, apart from the network, identical.

Which won't work. As soon as any modification to the memory card is done via computer (sorting photos into folders, for instance) ths phone will go crazy with that memory card - files are no longer found, folders appear empty or entire folders gone missing.

I have by now formatted each memory card multiple times on phone and computer, using three different card readers, two computers (Linux and Windows, the latter i had to borrow!) and still i am not getting anywhere - while bot cards work perfectly fine on each OS and each computer regardless what card reader is used, either phone has a larger number of files that are simply not "seen", i.e. the folders where 50+ photos are supposed to be inside appear empty from the phone's meny, yet when trying to move a file with the name of an "invisible" file in there the phone complains "file name in use". Also deleting the dodgy folders from the phone's menu fails entirely.

Trying to force a card re-initialization (by starting the phone with another card in it, then inserting the correct one) will make some of the missing files appear - therefor OTHERS will become invisible.

And, stating it again, ALL files are working perfectly when the memory card is used on the computer, regardless Linux or Windows, all files are there and working.

What could be the reason for this issue, and is there some way to make it "simply work"..?

Yes, that phone model does support 8 GB cards - my reason for choosing that particular model which, apart from this issue which only came up today, is pretty darn perfect..

Best regards.....

Thanh

[JohnC]

Have you tried going into the "my files" "memory card" as opposed to just looking for them on the phone? I had this problem on my samsung until I realised I had put the files on my memory card and I had to open that to access them.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

This model does not have an option "Memory Card" under "My Files". Upon creating a folder you can chose between phone and memory card, however in my case all folders ARE on the memory card and they show up automatically in the "My Files" menu. Indeed all folders effected by the problem are third- or fourth-layer folders, i.e. for example:

images/tech stuff/cars/motor show 2010

While pictures in the "../cars/" folder show up fine, the "../motor show 2010" folder appears empty even though it holds around 100 photos, too.

Yet other folders on the same layer work fine, so it can't be generalized as "too many layers".

And indeed this is a problem plagueing Samsung phones as i have the exact same issue not only with those both U800 but also with my L700 and, to a lesser extent, on my F309 (where a forced re-initialization always makes all files appear).

Kind regards.......

Thanh

[bram]

try to conect the phone whit a usb cable to the pc and than upload the files to the mem car not whit a card reader . Even better use the samsung software than came whit the phone . I think the phone uses a other format than the pc does.

Edited April 5, 2010 by bram

[dandun]

format the card fat instead of fat32 or if the card is formatted fat then try formatting with fat32

[Thanh-BKK]

try to conect the phone whit a usb cable to the pc and than upload the files to the mem car not whit a card reader . Even better use the samsung software than came whit the phone . I think the phone uses a other format than the pc does.

Hi

Samsung does not supply a version of their software that runs on Linux. And i am not changing operating systems just to get some stupid phone to do wht it is supposed to do.

Using the data cable makes no difference whatsoever - photos uploaded that way (or folders modified/re-sorted that way) show the exact same problem, i have already tried that previously.

Seems the only, and really ONLY, way to prevent the problem is to do all changes from the phon's menu, a task that takes for ever and three additional days.

format the card fat instead of fat32 or if the card is formatted fat then try formatting with fat32

Hmm i am not aware that FAT supports drives/cards with 8 GB size..... even if i could force format the card in that way (Linux probably would allow it) i don't think the phone could handle it. Both cards are (if using the phone to format them) formatted in FAT 32.

Kind regards.....

Thanh

[sarahsbloke]

You most likely have a memory card virus.

Download "Free Commander" onto your PC and use it to see what files are on the memory card.

Windows allows all sorts of stuff to go on that you can't see, Free Commander does not.

What most of the memory card virus do is put executable files on the card that look like folders in windows, then hide the real folders.

Edited April 6, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

No virus on my memory card. Please read original post - the cards have been formatted multiple times, in the phone (no virus can sit there), on Windows (possibility exists but i have Anti-Virus AND i know how memory card viruses behave like, of course "hidden" and "system files" view is enabled) and on Linux (again no viruses exist).

That, plus (to repeat myself) the problem is not that the files/folders are "not there" or "hidden", they are there alright, just the PHONE doesn't see them (the files, that is - the folders work fine as i can move other files into them from the phone's menu).

Best regards.....

Thanh

PS the phones do NOT run some "smart OS" like Android, Symbian or Windows Mobile which would permit execution and/or spreading of viruses. They are regular "dumb phones".

[Crossy]

I wonder if you're violating some naming convention when you create folders / files using your PC.

A classic would be the use of spaces, can you use names with spaces when you create them with the phone?

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

Yes, this is entirely possible. The only things that can't be used within folder and file names are punctuations, i.e. dot, comma, colon, exclamation point etc.

What is most puzz;ling is the fact that i can, without issue, move other files into the "dodgy" folders and they appear there just fine. Right now i am in the very slow process of uploading all of the "missing" files to each phone via bluetooth, they end up in the main folder ("images") from where i can move them into the folders where they belong, the phone then complains "file name already in use" so the phone KNOWS that such file is there, it just refuses to show it. I then rename the new file (for example "image001_1") and it shows up just fine. In the end it makes me have those files twice, one visible, one "hidden" however still better than not being able to use the files.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[rak sa_ngop]

My next phone won't be a Samsung. Too many quirks and bugs in their software in my experience. I have basically given up using the pc link.