4 GB Mini SD durability poll

[psargent]

Hello all,

I used a 4 gb mini sd for around 4 months without any serious issues (soft reset fixed everything for me.) Then, out of nowhere, the card just became unreadable. Couldn't access any data from it and I couldn't even reformat it. Completely dead.

So I started poking around about 4gb cards and found (like I probably should have done before I bought the card) that the current mini SD standard stops at 2gb. These "4GB" cards are really 2gb cards that have been hacked and reformatted to 4gb. Now, apparently this works, but drastically shortens the card's shelf life. It is said that most of them die within a few months, if they last that long.

I just wanted to post a poll regarding this issue. Hope this is of interest to everyone.

[Matterhorn]

Hello all,

I used a 4 gb mini sd for around 4 months without any serious issues (soft reset fixed everything for me.) Then, out of nowhere, the card just became unreadable. Couldn't access any data from it and I couldn't even reformat it. Completely dead.

So I started poking around about 4gb cards and found (like I probably should have done before I bought the card) that the current mini SD standard stops at 2gb. These "4GB" cards are really 2gb cards that have been hacked and reformatted to 4gb. Now, apparently this works, but drastically shortens the card's shelf life. It is said that most of them die within a few months, if they last that long.

I just wanted to post a poll regarding this issue. Hope this is of interest to everyone.
Well if what you are saying is true, then shouldn't the same apply to SD cards? I had used a 4gb SD card for 2 years in my Magician and Prophet without a problem...I think it was a Transcend.

[psargent]

Well if what you are saying is true, then shouldn't the same apply to SD cards? I had used a 4gb SD card for 2 years in my Magician and Prophet without a problem...I think it was a Transcend.

I think it does apply to standard size SD cards too:

I looked at the Sandisk site (http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1052)-SanDisk_Standard_SD_and_SDHC.aspx) and the only 4 gig cards that were being sold were listed as SDHC. Nothing on the official site over 2gb that wasn't high capacity. I was able to track down the Trancend card you were talking about from a reseller (http://www.memorysuppliers.com/tr4gbsdsedin.html) (and numerous other ones including Ebay) however, if you go to the official Transcend site (http://www.transcendusa.com/Products/ModDetail.asp?ModNo=6&LangNo=0) you see that there are no standard SD cards in a 4gb size.

This leads me to believe that the info I have been reading regarding this is correct. If the manufacturers are really putting out 4gb cards, why are they not on their official websites?

But the point remains that these 4gb cards (hacked or not) do indeed work in the Trinity (as well as other devices.) It's just for how long that is the question. I just want to find out with what regularity these cards dying so we can judge whether or not it is a worthy risk to buy one and trust our precious data to it.

Matterhorn, I appreciate you relaying your experience with the 4gb standard SD card. Perhaps the hacking and reformatting is more stable in the standard size as compared to the mini version? Hopefully this poll will help us figure it out.

[Matterhorn]

Matterhorn, I appreciate you relaying your experience with the 4gb standard SD card. Perhaps the hacking and reformatting is more stable in the standard size as compared to the mini version? Hopefully this poll will help us figure it out.
The label on the 4gb SD Transcend looks exactly like the official Transcend color scheme. The card itself is in blue plastic and the label is in vibrant colors with Transcend, 150x, and 4GB written on the label. I believe this is the same one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820208086. It also has a serial number stamped on the back. I really don't think it is a fake Transcend.
My Topram 4gb miniSD continues to faithfully work in my Trinity. I don't know anything about this ebay vendor, this link is just for info http://item.express.ebay.com/TOPRAM-4G-4GB-miniSD-SD-card-IPAQ-hw6945-Motorola-Q-R2_W0QQitemZ320102528838QQihZ011QQtrZexpQQcmdZExpr essItem. It came packaged like an authentic card, some others have no professional packaging. Perhaps it will give up one day, if it does I'll report it right away. I know there has been quite a few people stating that their miniSD cards have quit on them, which I'm sure is true, but I can't help but believe that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, meaning that people that have no problems with their cards are less likely to post results.

[dave the hampster]

I've been using a 4gb card in my Trinity for about a month now.

Gave me a few problems with Media player at one stage. The MSME files for the library dissappeared and I couldnt get them deleted to fix the media library problem.

Put the card in my desktop reader and suddenly they appeared again!!

Since then - no probs. Have it well filled up with mixeded media and prog files.

[psargent]

The label on the 4gb SD Transcend looks exactly like the official Transcend color scheme. The card itself is in blue plastic and the label is in vibrant colors with Transcend, 150x, and 4GB written on the label. I believe this is the same one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820208086. It also has a serial number stamped on the back. I really don't think it is a fake Transcend.

I know I sound like a conspiracy theorist, but this still doesn't account for why 4gb standard SD (non-HC) cards are not on the company's official website. ;)

[dabs1]

Hello all,


So I started poking around about 4gb cards and found (like I probably should have done before I bought the card) that the current mini SD standard stops at 2gb. These "4GB" cards are really 2gb cards that have been hacked and reformatted to 4gb. Now, apparently this works, but drastically shortens the card's shelf life. It is said that most of them die within a few months, if they last that long.



Wouldnt it stand to reason that if they were 2gb cards "hacked" to 4gb they wouldnt have the capability to store 4gb worth of data? What you are inferring is the "Tardis" effect. Bigger on the inside than the outside which to my knowledge is not currently possible. A bit like having a normal sized mini car with 7 MPV seats inside. I think is just a matter of intermittent hardware to hardware clash/incompatibility not a 2gb hack.
Must admit,have suffered from the card corruption syndrome for the first time in my life whilst using the M700 trinity.Talk about heart attack!!!! The thing that makes me think it is a hardware compatability issue is that I have used that same 4gb miniSD in my wizard variants,prophet variants,treo's etc for over 7months no stress. Hence I know the card is good (thanx mobymemory!)

[gynkotek]

I bought a no-name 4GB miniSD cheap on ebay. It worked fine initially in my Trinity, but only took a few launches of TomTom to get corrupted - "no maps found" and hundreds of smiley faces in File Explorer. I was always able to reformat and start over, but soon got tired of that. Strangely the same card performed perfectly when used in an I-mate Jam (inside an SD adapter) or when in a card reader on the PC. I got rid of the card and got a Kingston 2GB and have had no problems since.
I just got more TomTom maps and am trying to decide whether to take the plunge again. Anyone got any positive 4GB stories?

[rodinhas]

I bought a no-name 4GB miniSD cheap on ebay. It worked fine initially in my Trinity, but only took a few launches of TomTom to get corrupted So far so good, happens the same to me Strangely the same card performed perfectly when used in an I-mate Jam (inside an SD adapter)I do not have the Jam but tested on my XDAII and works perfectly!!
How can I format it?

[drutort]

well i have a 4gb trans. SD 150x it works in my other mp3 player now for a long time, but as far as mini i dont know

i got a topram atm and it seems like it worked for a format or 2 and died after didnt even get to use it in my pocketPC, sending RMA request now :/

i was really looking forward to hear more good news about the 4gb topram miniSD but i dont know atm

[Matterhorn]

I think maybe the poll should be changed to include SDHC cards since that is a variable that is very important on judging the 4gb cards. SDHC cards work but are just not reliable yet in the current roms.

[saminegm]

I know I sound like a conspiracy theorist, but this still doesn't account for why 4gb standard SD (non-HC) cards are not on the company's official website. ;)

Now this is very strange:

Go to http://www.topram.com/
look at the picture in the middle right under "MiniSD" (orange background): The picture shows a 4.0GB MiniSD Card

BUT

If you click on the picture they tell you only the following cards do exist:
120X 2GB miniSD
120X 1GB miniSD
60X 512MB miniSD
60X 256MB miniSD

no 4.0GB MiniSD

What is this??????????

I tried very hard to find Matterhorns Card in Germany. No success. Simply cant find them. Not on any german online shop. Not in any real world shop. Very very strange.

[Matterhorn]

Now this is very strange:

Go to http://www.topram.com/
look at the picture in the middle right under "MiniSD" (orange background): The picture shows a 4.0GB MiniSD Card

BUT

If you click on the picture they tell you only the following cards do exist:
120X 2GB miniSD
120X 1GB miniSD
60X 512MB miniSD
60X 256MB miniSD

no 4.0GB MiniSD

What is this??????????

I tried very hard to find Matterhorns Card in Germany. No success. Simply cant find them. Not on any german online shop. Not in any real world shop. Very very strange.
Oh ye of little faith :-)
I bought mine from an ebay shop. You won't find them in Germany because they are from Asia and they're not marketed here. It came in sealed plastic and looked very professionally packaged. As far as the web site goes...how up to date are half the manufacturers web sites on the web?...not very.
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=4gb+miniSD+topram&category0=

[mmone3]

My 4gb SD Transcend card works perfect now that I have updated WM6.

[Matterhorn]

My 4gb SD Transcend card works perfect now that I have updated WM6.
That's very good news. Thanks for that info!

[hssona]

good morning guys.

let me share some information i have about flash memory.

few month ago one big electronic shop in my ciy was offering usb flash disk of sizes up to 16 gb. in very cheap price.
alot of my frinds buy that memory.

after few days alot of them returen to the shop to exchange them becuse the memory damged.

some of them did not have anyproblem untile today !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the reason is .

these memory are just 4 gb memeory and haked to be like 16 gb.
so if u try to write one bite over 4 gb you will start write this bite over the first bite of card and you will damge the data on that bite. and maybe the card will not be usable again.

this hake is known to be used on other media before flash memorys.
it was used in some hard disk to foll consumers.

the same story here.
if u have a 4 gb Mini-SD . just try to put more than 2 gb and your data will be gone (bye bye bye). maybe the card will be not usable again .

[Matterhorn]

good morning guys.
if u have a 4 gb Mini-SD . just try to put more than 2 gb and your data will be gone (bye bye bye). maybe the card will be not usable again .
This theory has been proven to be not true over and over again...search the forums.

[jasonsmith]

hm, hello and from me..
I bought 4 gb minisd Albatron, and after 2 days, the card just stopped. I tryed to format it, but no success. The card just died. After that i read this topic and searched on the albatron site to find some mini sd 4 gb card, and i cant find... after that i exchange the card with 1 gb Kingston and since then - no problems at all.. And i think that this 4 gb minisd cards are really hacked and if you have luck - you may use it maybe 5-6 months.. but i really dont buy 4 gb card, until the manufacturer says that they have one.
Regards,

[ewans]

4Gb Topram mini SD - fine. I've used 2 of these and they have been OK.

2Gb Transcend mini SD - useless. Would corrupt in a few hours no matter what I tried.

1Gb O2 branded mini SD - fine.

[dave the hampster]

I'm still using a generic 4GB card that I bought of EBay and its settling down fine after about 3 months use. although at times, it can be just about noticably slow.

I've had a lot of trouble with the card 'dissappearing' ow and again and the Media Player library going awol. However, the fix's for those problems are well published on other threads.

I purschased a Sandisk 4GB SDHC card hoping it might be a bit faster, th Trinity cant even see it!! So much for SDHC support.