SD cards, MicroSD TransFlash MMC flash memory card problems: recognition, format, remove write protection, registry settings, connect to PC computer, transfer to higher capacity; insert, remove Micro SD card, replace, upgrade, file copy, transfer, low level reformat, unlock phone, iPhone or cards; repair tools, recover image data free, move files on Nokia 6300, low memory cell phones, camera, pda, mp3 etc.
SD card problems are very common – a card that has been working perfectly can suddenly start acting up, being recognised by the phone or device but not by a Windows computer (or vice versa) or fail completely. Faults are sometimes temporary and may be fixed by removal and reinsertion of the SD card, SD or MMC adapter into the same or different card reader slot or USB port, and/or reloading Windows Explorer or other file program. Rebooting the computer will reset the USB ports and may also fix the card reading issue. The ever-increasing number of these cards in use results in more problems. This page has seen a doubling in visits this year now reaching over 300 per day. Let's hope you find a solution somewhere down this long page! New comments appear daily on our related blog post too. SD & micro SD Card Formats
Create your own WiFi HotSpot
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your
Visit our store for Amazon USA and also UK customers If none of the above turned out to be your SD problem, or you have another Mini or Micro SD issue, read on, as there are quite a few for which there are free repair tools, solutions or workarounds. Search for USB accessories, micro & SD memory cards. How to connect SD cards and USB devices to computers and notebooks
Multi-format flash card readers come either as slots on the front panel of a PC or built-in on a notebook, or as small USB devices, such as in the picture, Mini and Micro SD cards are usually supplied with a standard size card adapter to fit the card reader. The combination seen in the picture is a MicroSD card, adapter and MMC card reader and is simply plugged into a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port of a computer. A 'new' USB storage device is usually 'found' automatically and appears as another hard drive; data or file transfer (read and write) should now be able to take place between the SD card and the computer. On some older Windows systems, a software driver for a particular USB device may be required. Note as mentioned earlier, that card readers can stop recognizing certain SD cards, sometimes for no apparent reason! In this case, try a different reader. Amazon.com sells a SD USB adapter for less than $1.00 while Amazon UK has them for around £1.50. They can also be bought at any cheap computer accessories shop. File location on the card can also be an issue. These may be in several subdirectories or folders for audio, graphics, images, applications, tones, video etc. If you can't find the files you know are on the SD card, they may have been stored either in the root directory or possibly in the phone's RAM memory. Change the settings if necessary. Different phones have different requirements for named folders or directories. Check the manual for instructions if you can. USB flash drives, with or without a built-in MicroSD card reader Inexpensive USB drives can be plugged into your PC, laptop, notebook or netbook, and are ideal for extra storage or backup (secure because they are removable and can be kept separately, even on a keyring). It's also a simple way to transfer data between machines – rather than have to worry about networking etc.
Note that while you
can run a (pre-USB) RS232 serial device from a USB port with a USB
to Serial  SD Write Protect Problems: slider tab/software
There is no physical switch on the Micro SD card itself, but a standard-size-SD adapter (which the MicroSD needs to be plugged into for use with a card reader) and SD cards such as the SanDisk 4/8GB have a sliding write-protect switch similar to a 3.5 inch floppy disk. Data cannot be written if the slider tab is in the 'lock' position. The tab could be damaged or missing altogether. This is probably the first thing to check if you have an SD card write error problem. Using sticky tape (Scotch tape etc) to cover the switch slot might solve this problem, but it may need two or more layers before it works. Some SD adapters need the tab to be placed somewhere between the lock and open positions before data can be written to the card. SOFTWARE FIX: WRITE PROTECT SETTING IN WINDOWS REGISTRY There is also a USB flash card write protect setting in the Windows registry which can be changed by anti-virus programs. It can be reset manually using regedit. See the fix in our SD blog comments. Note that registries differ between XP, Vista and Windows 7 systems. FORMATTING SD CARDS. While SD and microSD cards come already FAT32-formatted they can be re-formatted like any other drive using the Windows Format utility. However, according to the SD Association, this may not give full capacity or performance and they recommend downloading and installing their proprietary format utility. Using this may solve some SD problems. Here is the link to the SD Association's format program download (ver. 3) page. Instructions are available on the site. SD CARD PARTITION, FORMAT USING 'GPARTED LIVE CD'. Another possibility for the more technically-minded SD problem solver, are utilities to create a Linux/Ubuntu bootable CD or USB drive. This allows a Windows machine to boot temporarily, without replacing or damaging its current OS. Gnome Partition Editor is run and that can format, create, modify or delete partitions on a disk or SD card and perhaps recover lost data. Learn more and download GPartEd. There are low level disk and card format utilities available free for personal use or paid for at HDDGURU. The tool works on all types of storage media including hard disks, USB flash, SD, MMC, MemoryStick and CompactFlash via card-reader and/or adapter. Try ReclaiMe to recover drive data; you might even be able to recover photos from a broken SD card. Search for USB accessories, micro & SD memory cards. Moving or copying programs and data from the old to the new card As well as multimedia files, you will probably need the files already on the card when you bought the phone or camera, and this is where problems can arise as conventional file copying techniques may fail for various reasons. In the case of certain phones it is due to intentional prevention of copying copyrighted programs. For example, Nokia uses this in some phones to protect certain programs from being modified or copied. This can be of great inconvenience to genuine purchasers who want to upgrade their phones by transferring these files to another Micro SD card. The problem could be avoided altogether if the phone had sufficient internal memory to store programs and applications that Nokia doesn't want to be copied. Manufacturers are often reluctant to inform users about these issues and leave it to independent forums and members to find their own solutions to problems of this nature. Phone purchasers should have the right to transfer files between removable media, especially if the original supplied has insufficient capacity. This is surely one of the main features of removable media! If the method exists, it should be better explained in the manual or on support sites. However, if normal file copying methods like Explorer, xcopy or manually changing file attributes do not work, then another means needs to be found. Making a copy of the card contents as a 'disk image' See below how to successfully transfer all the contents of one MicroSD or TransFlash memory card to another by using disk imaging software. This enables you to include encrypted applications and folders that give error messages like write-protected, access denied, unable to copy, disk full or write-protected. These might be utilities, applications or games installed on many phones, including those based on Nokia's own S40 3rd Edition software platform (not Symbian) which only runs Java programs, such as some of the 6xxx series and others. There may be similar copy issues with Symbian OS platform phones too. However, file copying is not the only problem with SD cards or readers, as well as MiniSD and MicroSD card adapters which make them usable in a standard SD card reader. Sometimes the card needs to be moved around in the adapter before it can be recognised or read on a PC or laptop. I recently found this after purchasing an LG KG200 phone, supplied with a SanDisk MicroSD 512MB card and adapter. It needed several attempts at unplugging and re-plugging the reader from the USB port, as well as removing and replacing the card from the adapter/reader before it was recognised. Fortunately I had a second set to compare results with. In the end there was no fault with any of the components! Others have found the small write protect slider tab on the MicroSD Card Adapter is in the locked position, broken or missing. This is not the main cause of file copying problems though. Some users find that files and folders can be copied but the phone or camera recognizes only a portion of the new SD card's total memory. Reformatting to the full capacity does not help. Problems vary between cards, adapters, phone firmware versions and software platforms. It seems there is no single 'fix-it' for Micro SD card problems. So read on. Nokia 6300 mobile phone (with Bluetooth, USB and MicroSD)
One less than ideal feature of the 6300 is its tiny, by today's standards, 7.8Mb internal memory, most of it already in use. Moving as many programs and data files as possible to the original MicroSD card is probably only a short term solution. Mine came with just 128Mb; it is now 512Mb or more but that may still not be enough. However, as it does not recognise the higher capacity of HC and XC cards, 2Gb is maximum for the 6300. SDHC cards might work, but only 2Gb is accessible by the phone – according to Nokia. Note that the newer 6301, 6300i and many other Nokia and different brand phones can use 4 or 8Gb micro SDHC cards; they are supplied cheaply (inc SD adapter) by Amazon.com (USA) or Amazon UK. For most users, upgrading Nokia 6300 memory will be a priority. This is where I ran into the difficulties which led me to write this 'off topic' Retire-Asia.com page; it has since proved to be very popular as it seems there are a lot of SD or Micro SD card problems of one sort or another. See the visitor count below which was approaching 140,000 by August 2011, about 150 readers every day.
If, after trying
all the tools and procedures offered here, you still can't find
a solution Search for USB accessories, micro & SD memory cards. How to Remove and Replace a Micro SD card in a Nokia 6300 and N82
TO REMOVE, push the edge inwards a little with a fingernail or thin object, then release it. Keep some pressure against the spring, otherwise the card could fly out and you might even lose it! TO INSERT a Micro SD card, press it into the slot until you feel a slight click as the spring locks it into place. It will only go in one way, with the 'label' side up. The picture shows the card in the released position. Replace the phone cover and switch on. * If you remove or replace the SD card with the phone ON, ring tones and images will revert to the phone memory defaults and you will need to reset them to the files which you may have previously moved to and/or are now stored on the microSD card. The memory card in the Nokia N82 is easily accessible, behind a hinged tab on the left edge of the phone. The above removal procedure applies, as a spring holds the card in place. N82 maximum memory is 16Gb. Nokia and other Cellular Phone Batteries You can't do much to extend battery life especially if you use your phone's multimedia features a lot, but you can carry a spare BL-4C battery in your pocket! Also note that although the BL-4C battery will work in a BL-5C battery phone (like the Nokia 1600), the slightly thicker 850mA BL-5C will not physically fit into the 6300 or probably other phones designed for using BL-4C batteries. Here's where to buy mobile phone batteries. How to Solve SD Memory Card Upgrade Problems While it's cheap and easy to increase SD memory (up to 16GB on the N82) the 6300 SD memory maximum is 2GB and it's not possible to copy everything across to the new card. Some 6300 games, utilities and other applications software preloaded or moved to the original card cannot be backed up or restored to a new card by the Nokia Data Suite or other normal means. This is very frustrating as it's only then you realise that this is not an unknown problem. But there are few solutions on offer, and Nokia avoids mention of them because it involves their own as well as third party developers' copyright issues they are not prepared to address directly. Many mobile phone and digital camera owners with problems ask their questions in forums, but there are few answers to this one. Nokia doesn't like discussions about 'copyright violation' in their own or sponsored forums and will have messages with links to pages like the one you are reading now removed by administrators. However, the solution that they and others offer such as copying the files to the phone first, then to the new card, does not work for all the files. Disk Imaging Software Program Proprietary programs do exist to take care of file copying problems on Nokia and other mobile phones and multimedia devices. I personally recommend WinImage and it has a lot of other useful features. However for the SD card issue it can take some time to figure out how to use it correctly. The full procedure is explained below. Retire-Asia.com does not condone software piracy. For device owners with licensed programs, being able to backup or copy the contents of one SD card to a hard drive for safety, or to move or restore them to another SD card using software like WinImage is an owner's right – or it certainly should be. Preparation for Upgrade As there is the risk of inadvertently losing everything on the original card by 'pushing the wrong button', you should back up as much as you can using the Backup option on the Nokia DataSuite (free to download if you don't have it). Some Nokia phone models like the N82 use a proprietary-plug USB cable, while others like the 6300 have a standard 5-pin 'mini USB' port (the 6300's is under the plastic tab next to the charger and headset sockets).
Search for USB accessories, micro & SD memory cards. Procedure for Data Transfer from SD card to PC Download and install WinImage onto your Windows XP machine. There's no need to add the optional Virtual Hard Disk utility offered, but it may be useful for some people with different requirements. Connect the MicroSD card to your PC either by using an adaptor and built-in or USB card reader, or direct from the device using a mini USB cable (rather than wireless connection). Set the phone or camera for data storage/transfer if asked.
Note that there are several versions of USB connector plugs and ports: 4- and 5-pin mini USB and also micro-USB. Check you have the correct USB data cable for your own device by looking at the plugs and sockets. The most common standard USB cable (left) has a 5-pin plug suitable for the Nokia 6300 USB port found on the lower edge of the phone under a plastic flap. Some devices use the smaller 4-pin port or a thin Micro USB plug, such as newer Nokia phones like the N82/86. Different formats are used by LG and other phone brands. Unfortunately these use a proprietary USB cable which is more difficult to replace if lost.
In WinImage, select 'Disk', and check 'Use Removable disk X'. X will be the drive letter assigned to your SD card when you connect to the PC. Next go 'New', and choose 'Import format from currently selected disk'. Then choose where to save the image file of the card contents, by creating a new folder on your hard disk. Name the file and save it as an Image file (.IMA). Do not choose the .VHD option. You should see the folders and files listed once this is done. Here is a screenshot of WinImage showing the original Nokia 6300 card contents after making the image, and some of the files that probably cannot be copied by Windows Explorer, xcopy or other conventional means:
Go back to 'Disk' and check 'Use Disk X [X is the drive letter for the hard disk you want to use to store the backup]. Create a new folder for the card image files.
Remove the old MicroSD card from the adaptor or phone and insert the new one. There is no need to format a new card before use.
Use the 'Disk' 'Inject Folders'
option. This lets you add the files and folders you want to
transfer but leaves the rest of the card's full capacity
available. You should see all the files listed on the new card as shown above. If there were errors encountered with some files that couldn't be copied, they will be listed in a report. The couple that weren't copied don't to seem to have affected anything. That's about it. Disconnect the cable, turn the device off and on again and check the various menu options to see if everything has moved to the new card and you have access to all the features and applications you had before. If there's a problem, you still have the old card which you can use, and also a backup of it on your hard disk. Now you can transfer other stored music files and photos using normal file transfer or via the DataSuite to whichever folders you want. You can also give the new SD card a name. I recommend you make a new backup of the whole card with WinImage, but also use the Backup feature of your Nokia Data Suite or equivalent phone management software for the files that you can copy that way. WinImage is a very useful disk management program and it worked fine for me, but obviously is not a guaranteed solution to all transfer or recognition problems encountered with the MicroSD or other flash memory storage cards. While these cards have the advantage of being cheap and readily available in many countries, there are still issues that device manufacturers and software developers need to address. DOWNLOAD & CONVERT STREAMING VIDEO, MOVIES etc
Convert online videos to play on your phone or other PC, Mac or Android device. Viewing from different countries: Note that US sites like Hulu and UK television channels require a local IP address. A proxy or local VPN address will get around that problem for a small monthly subscription of £5 or $6.50. Learn more. I have both myself. View or download and watch programs later using a $25 program that streams TV shows, videos and movies from all popular sources. TubeDigger is possibly the only program that works with Hulu (as of January 2012). Free trial. I use this program myself and can confirm it does everything it claims and is worth every cent. FILE RECOVERY REPAIR TOOLS (SD card, USB flash or hard drive, CD/DVD) Photo and video file recovery software for digital memory cards used by phones and cameras. CardRecovery can effectively recover lost/deleted/corrupted photo and video files in multiple formats including raw, from memory cards including Secure Digital Card SD, SmartMedia, CompactFlash CF, Memory Stick, MicroDrive, xD Picture Card, Multimedia Card MMC and more for $39.95. WinUndelete™ is software for file recovery for hard drive, flash drive, USB external drive, digital camera card and more. WinUndelete recovers files deleted either after emptying the Recycle Bin or having bypassed it. Very easy to use, it works with all Windows versions. Free Trials of CardRecovery and WinUndelete™ are available. Free software to reformat or try and recover data from a faulty SD card or other drive include ReclaiMe to recover drive data; you may also be able to retrieve camera photos from a broken SD card. Try the low level disk and card format utilities (free for personal use) at HDDGURU. Works on hard disks (worth paying a small fee for larger drives to save time), SD, MMC, MemoryStick and CompactFlash cards using a card-reader. Good luck! If you can't find a solution after trying everything above first, share your problem by posting a comment on our blog, but PLEASE give as much detail as you can, including make and model of the phone, camera or other device, the type (SD microSD, SDHC, SDXC etc), brand name and its capacity (Gb) of the card. Describe the nature of the failure and the procedures you have already tried, using the tools offered here (or elsewhere). Sadly, in many cases, you will have to replace the card and accept loss of your data.
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While
an SD, MiniSD or MicroSD card fits directly
into the phone or player, an MMC or SD card reader is needed to
connect the card to a
computer.
adapter cable,
it's unfortunately not possible to run a USB device from the
9- or 25-pin serial port of an older model computer.
Several
years old now, the
Nokia 6300 is something of a classic; it's a well-designed
The 6300 Micro SD card
is accessible by removing the steel back cover. The SD
card is concealed in a slot on the lower right side of the phone
(looking from the back) and under the battery cradle; no
need to remove the battery, but
switch the phone OFF* before removing the card.
Wireless transfer like Bluetooth
(or infra-red) can be used but cable is quicker and recommended by Nokia, but
the required 5-pin mini USB data cable doesn't come in the
6300 box.
Luckily this type of USB cable is cheap and easy to find in PC accessory shops.
If you have other USB devices like an mp3 player or GPS, you might already have a cable
that will work. Nokia sells
their own at a high price! The somewhat slower alternative to using a cable is
Bluetooth.
While
the Nokia 6300 can use the same data transfer/battery charging
cable as my
