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SD Card Corrupted


help890

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What do you mean about the drive letter? If you mean does windows recognise it, then yes. But this has always been the case. Whenever I try to open the card though it says it needs formatting, if I try to format it then says windows was unable to complete the format. I have tried opening it after using the last software that you recommended and it still says the same (that it needs formatting)

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No offence intended Keatah, but I don't think it's helping that two of us are making suggestions at the same time. I think that's probably confusing.

 

You obviously know a lot more about the technical side of a card's construction than me, as does Alan, and I'm happy to step aside for anyone with more relevant knowledge than myself after help890 has confirmed a couple of things. It actually sounds like we're at the stage where I'm completely out of ideas.

 

@help890

 

Just to confirm ... I was expecting, after you said RMPrepUSB seemed to have successfully created a partition on that card, and if the card has a drive letter, which you haven't confirmed, that you would now have been able to open and access it, albeit as a 30mb drive. You should at least be able to format it now, although I didn't need to format after RMPrepUSB created a new partition on my card.

 

If you are actually still at square one, with the same error messages, then I am completely out of suggestions. I can't even come up with different software which could do anything different than the software I've already suggested.

 

You could try running RMPrepUSB again, because if it does it's thing successfully, then I can't see why you're still at square one with the same error message.

 

Maybe give that a last try, and then I'll step aside and hopefully Keatah may have something which I've overlooked or maybe even something different to suggest.

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Guest Keatah

Sorry to intrude on the thread. My suggestion to image the card is as far as I will advise here. After that one of four things will happen:

 

1- it will work and we can search through it for images.

2- it will not work, and the user will continue to trying things till the data gets damaged beyond even a pro's capability.

3- they give up and put it aside till they can afford a pro service.

4- they get lucky and come across a magic program that does what no others do, and get the pictures back that way.

 

Typically #2 is what happens. I see this all the time. Other fixes I have in mind are too tedious to conduct through a message forum.

 

One thing, though, years ago, I remember an SD card I had, the write-protect switch was flaky, it had no indentation, and it would disengage/re-engage as the card was inserted and removed from the slot! A piece of tape fixed that problem, but it itself got jammed in the reader and we had to use tweezers to get that out. And just because the WP switch is in one position doesn't mean that's what the controller sees. It could be a defective switch, or a wire/trace from the switch to the controller.

 

I personally think the advice given in msg. #2 was good enough. After that, you'd typically try imaging. Failing that then hands-on by a professional service. I only hope all the messing around (which we all do when fixing stuff) hasn't borked the data.

 

I now leave the thread to you, PM me if there are specific questions anyone needs answered. Good day.

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You weren't intruding at all Keatah, but I got the feeling help890 was trying to follow two lines of advice at the same time, and I did try to make the point as politely as I could without it being taken the wrong way

 

All contributions to any thread are welcome and appreciated, but it does get confusing for someone not too experienced with computers when he's getting more than one suggestion at the same time.

 

Your "good day" sounds like you have taken it the wrong way, and I'm sorry about that, as it wasn't my intention.

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Hi, I have tried the RMPrepUSB again and it still says that it has completed successfully. Tried formatting...still saying windows cannot format. Tried PhotoRec and still not finding any files. Really thought that this might have worked!

I'd like to thanks DennisD for all your hard work in trying to help me recover my photos! I was at a total loss, at least I have now tried to get the photos back!

 

@Keatah sorry I have not tried imaging yet, but thankyou for the advice and I will now be looking into trying this.

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Hi, I have tried the RMPrepUSB again and it still says that it has completed successfully. Tried formatting...still saying windows cannot format. Tried PhotoRec and still not finding any files. Really thought that this might have worked!

I'd like to thanks DennisD for all your hard work in trying to help me recover my photos! I was at a total loss, at least I have now tried to get the photos back!

 

@Keatah sorry I have not tried imaging yet, but thankyou for the advice and I will now be looking into trying this.

 

Good luck with that help890, and if I can come up with something new, then I will. Imaging may get the same fail result, but after using RMPrepUSB, you never know.

 

Just one final question. Your card does display a drive letter, doesn't it?

 

You've never actually confirmed that.

 

If it doesn't, and you don't know how to give it one, then post back and I'll guide you through how to do it.

 

I'm guessing it does, otherwise Windows would probably not display it in "My Computer". Although iIt would still show up in partitioning software like MiniTools.

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was wondering why this product cannot read corrupted usb drive yet other software can? thanks

please start your own thread so you don't add confusion to this thread

 

ADVICE FOR USING CCleaner'S REGISTRY INTEGRITY SECTION

DON'T JUST CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S CHECKED OFF.

Do your Registry Cleaning in small bits (at the very least Check-mark by Check-mark)

ALWAYS BACKUP THE ENTRY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL BREAK IF YOU DON'T.

Support at https://support.ccleaner.com/s/?language=en_US

Pro users file a PRIORITY SUPPORT via email support@ccleaner.com

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I believe Dennis had covered pretty much all the stuff I would have done from the get go. Why not wrap up by checking the drive letter as described in #59.. And then give imaging a try.

 

If you are able to capture an image of the card onto your hard disk, I would expect it to be 4,000,000,000 bytes 4GB more or less. If you get this monster-sized file then we're in business! We can tear into the file see about picking the pictures out that way. There are programs that do this for you. Some are freeware, some are payware.

 

If imaging fails, then it will be professional-service time, if you chose to go that route.

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@Keatah I have tried the imaging instructions that you gave. I went through all the options one by one and it came back with the error message 'Error 1 Bad user parameter returned by RMPARTUSB.

 

When I click ok on the final option, the command prompt style box appears with a message saying 'Number of sectors to copy parameter (0) invalid. Drive/file may not have valid partition structure?' I then click ok and the command prompt style box closes, It's then when I get the 'Error 1 Bad user parameter returned by RMPARTUSB.' message

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Typically the default values are what you go with. If you've done that, then it tells me the controller chip is not reporting drive geometry correctly, or the amount of sectors we're asking RMPrepUSB to image is not matching what the controller says is available and is able to access. Yep. The two can be different in a failed card scenario.

 

If it's not a problem, perhaps you can post screen shots showing what you're doing? If you want to go through the trouble..

 

Personally, myself, I'd start using pro-level tools. We're at the base of a steep learning curve right about now. This is were controller chip numbers and firmware versions come into play. All sorts of good stuff. It is also important to do a physical analysis to see if there is a hardware fail. Or perhaps all that need be done is a partition table edit.

We just don't know without further examination.

 

I'm not spamming or trying to sell you on a pro-service. That's what it's going to take. If I had the time I'd offer to do it for free; as I often do for locals in my town.

 

But then again this is the internet and anything can happen. Perhaps someone will read this thread, somehow, and really have a magic bullet for you!

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It has been my experience that a partition flip is what causes these smaller partition sizes, & also that nothing will work until you flip it back via manufacturer utility.

 

If the partition has been corrupted, these steps may work, but when the partition flips, it is not the result of partition corruption, but rather that the smaller partition has become default, while the larger partition containing your data has become hidden.

 

Once you have flipped it back, it will show the correct size & may need to be formatted since it will likely show the partition as blank & raw.

You should be able to recover the data so long as you avoid long format & wiping the drive.

 

Until then, your just wasting your time trying to recover data from the smaller partition, since this is not where your data is in the first place.

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What freeware would you recommend to examine and determine if this partition flip is the cause? And what would you use to flip it back?

 

I often use pro level tools and these are costly, thus not an option here. And even some consumer-level utilities go for $100.00. This is fast approaching the price of $150.00 for a professional 4GB SD recovery job. So you've got diminishing returns. I always tell people that they should skip a cup of coffee and save that $3.00, in 2 months they'll have the service fee covered with change to spare!

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I won't deny that these utilities are hard to find.

But when you can find them, they are free, & they work.

 

Example: Maxell has a utility called Mode Converter to fix their drives. It is still hard to find a download link. But it only takes 1 min & it works.

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So you're thinking that by flipping the "removable/fixed" field bit , that would allow access to the other partitions? Or allow a utility to access the entire range of sectors. Mmm-hmm - I can see that. I tried looking through google a bit, but didn't find anything for a Sandisk 4GB SDHC card, which is what we were working with here.

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A partition flip is what the latter part of post # 39 is about.

 

An excerpt from section 5 of the "Installing and using the MP (Mass Production) Tool for the UT165 V1.65.30.0" section ...

 

Click on the F1 Setting button and set the correct values in all fields under the Vendor Data tab to match those reported by ChipGenius. Note that in here you can also set the Disk Type as either Fixed or Removable. This means that if the Lexar BootIt.exe 'bit flip' utility does not work on your particular flash drive, you can permanently program the bit here.

 

http://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/repair-your-usb-flash-drive

 

A tool dedicated to the make and specification of the card seems to be the right way to go rather than try with the "universal" one mentioned above, but finding that tool is as you guys know, very difficult. Getting the info which ChipGenius (free) supplies helps.

 

But as I said to help890, look at it, but consider it carefully.

 

Scanning the card with ChipGenius won't do any harm as it scans only, and may provide sufficient information to embark on a hunt for a free dedicated tool. And if you're like me, you'll enjoy the challenge. In fact I'd be happy to go on a hunt for such an elusive beastie.

:)

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So you're thinking that by flipping the "removable/fixed" field bit , that would allow access to the other partitions? Or allow a utility to access the entire range of sectors. Mmm-hmm - I can see that. I tried looking through google a bit, but didn't find anything for a Sandisk 4GB SDHC card, which is what we were working with here.

 

Yes, it took me a few hours looking for the Maxell utility at first, & a bit of reading. But once I located it, it worked a champ!

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I spent about 1/2 hour looking for a sandisk utility, no luck. I've friends with alot of sandisk cards. And I can't really give out my pro-level utilities, so a freeware tool would be nice to have at the ready. If there is a sandisk utility available I should think it be easier to find.

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