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SanDisk Sansa Clip+: Problem with external microSD card

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:08 pm
by ^rooker
[PROBLEM]
I've tried to use a 2 GB microSD card with a SanDisk Sansa Clip+ audioplayer.
- When inserting the card, the usual text: "rebuilding media library" showed up, but files on the microSD card were simply ignored.
- When trying to play files by folder, it showed that a microSD card was loaded, but "[empty]".

I've reformatted the microSD card several times (on GNU/Linux, not windows) with FAT32 and FAT16 - but nothing worked.
I've tried creating a partition with fdisk of the types: FAT16, FAT32, FAT32 (LBA) - and then format them with "mkfs.msdos -F 16 /dev/sdb1" or "mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1" accordingly. Didn't work. :(

Important note:
All the time, the microSD card showed up on my system properly. I could read/write it - Even when mounted through the Sansa player. :?


[SOLUTION]
Unfortunately, I didn't solve the problem. I've had a 2nd microSD card - of exact the same brand, size and type. That one worked. Ain't that weird?


I've compared the partitioning information of those 2 cards, and here's what fdisk said:
The card that works:

Code: Select all

Disk /dev/sdb: 1973 MB, 1973420032 bytes
60 heads, 59 sectors/track, 1088 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 3540 * 512 = 1812480 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1        1089     1927100+   6  FAT16
The card that did NOT work:

Code: Select all

Disk /dev/sdg: 1973 MB, 1973420032 bytes
61 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1019 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 3782 * 512 = 1936384 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdg1               1        1019     1926898    6  FAT16
Puzzling.