Issues with Fuze+ and new Sandisk Class 4 32GB microSD card. WARNING!

I purchased this card from Amazon.com and it was listed as a MicroSDHC card SDSDQ-032G-A11M US Retail package card.

This was advertised as a Class 2 card, but the card is labeled as a Class 4 card and this holds true as the write rate to this card averaged 3.8 MB/sec.

I inserted it into my fuze+ and got the error that there is a file system error and to format the card in FAT32.  I formatted the card in Windows 7 both using a Quick Format and Normal format and tried writing to it and it works flawlessly through Windows.

I even performed a full load test using H2Testw and it filled up the card and verified the files and it passed, so the card appears to be working as designed.  In windows, in MSC mode it works without issue.

However as soon as you unplug it from the computer the Fuze fails to recognize this.

At first I thought I had a counterfeit card, but doing some forum searches revealed that Sandisk has been quietly replacing the existing class 2 card with class 4 cards.  This is fine, but something else has happened because this card can’t be read by the Fuze+

I have left a note with tech support and am about to perform a live chat with the techs there.  I hope they have a solution, or that the new firmware addresses this.

This is not an issue with the hardware or the card.  The card mounts and operates flawlessly in Windows while inserted in the Fuze+  This seems to be a problem with the firmware as it will not mount this card.  I hope Sandisk finds a fix soon.  But for now I’m stuck.  I have a card that I can’t return because it is not defective, for a player that won’t recognize it.

I specifically bought the Sandisk card to go in my Sansa player because I thought they would have tested their own cards with their own product.  So my disappointment is understandable.

Any help anyone has would be great.

I’m no expert, but is it possible you formatted the card as an NTFS instead of Fat32?  NTFS is Windows 7’s default hard drive format, so if it defaulted to this for a memory card I wouldn’t be shocked.

Other than that, perhaps one of the experts can answer.  I’m out of ideas.

Like jason said can you check the format of the card? make sure its not exFAT or NTFS. I have a 32GB class 4 SanDisk card and i dont have any issues using it with my Fuze+. 

Nope, Verified FAT 32

Tech support had me reload firmware and restore defaults and still no go.  I will have to return it to Amazon I fear.

The weird thing is it works when connected to the computer using the Fuze+ as the reader in MSC mode.

Hi p_opus,

Don’t return the card to Amazon just yet. I have talked with SanDisk support and they will likely want to see the card to determine the cause of the failure with the Fuze+. Someone from the SanDisk support team should be in contact with you soon.

Thanks 

Forum Admin 

slotmonsta

Yeah, they want me to take a picture of the card and my phone’s eyesight is worse than my own.  I’ll have to use my daughter’s camera to get a good picture of the card.

Like I said, it seems the card is reading and writing correctly.  I even rand h2testw.exe on and filled the card and it passed.

Wierd stuff.

Will.

Check your PM. 

Forum Admin

slotmonsta

Thanks.

Sandisk Tech Support has been greatly supportive and are in the process of performing some failure analysis on the card that I sent in. 

I should get word back in a couple of days after they look at it.  Since the same card could not be read by my Son’s Fuze (not Fuze+, different hardware) it is probably something with the card. 

I’ll find out soon enough.  Whatever the outcome, I can’t stress how helpful tech support has been thus far. 

Ok I got a tracking number for my replacement card and UPS says it’s being shipped to Milpitas.  Why are they sending my new card from South Carolina back to California?  Tech support said that they would test the card before sending to me.  Perhaps they are sending it back to Milpitas so they can test prior to shipping to me to make sure it will work in my Fuze+

I’ll be interested in the response I get

Your tracking number was actually emailed to you by the RMA coordinator on 2/24. Your replacement is scheduled for delivery 03/03/2011. I have PM you your tracking information. The email you recieved regarding the card shipped to Milpitas CA is to replinish stock for the card that was tested and sent to you. 

Forum Admin

slotmonsta

I see.  So when will I receive that tasty card then?  Hehe.  Just hoping I was in that loop.  One can only hope.  You should have your new card shortly.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

I am having the same issue: I have a Fuze+ and a SanDisk MicroSDHC card, also 32 Gigs that I got off Buy.com. I tried to format it a number of times, both quick and full format. Always formatted it to Fat32 at a number of allocation unit sizes (is there a best value). My Fuze always tells me to format it again.

Is this a well known issue? Is there a preferred way for me to contact support?

Sadly, the 32GB microSDHC card is a ripe target for counterfeiters.  I would guess that the 16GB is as well, as all the counterfeiter  (scam artist0 has to do is take a smaller card and hack a bogus file allocation table and a few other SD related bits of code onto a small-capacity cheap card.

Download and run this oddly-named utility,H2testw 1.4.  It will generate a report that provides test data concerning the suspected card.

You can contact SanDisk Support at 1-866-San Disk.  If you click on the SanDisk logo in the upper left corner of this page, then Support, you will see a linked page with contact information.

When formatting a card, choose the 32KB cluster size, this is best for your Sansa.  Windows defaults to teeny 4KB clusters, which can clog the processor with excessive overhead (and a HUGE FAT).

Bob  :wink:

@neutron_bob wrote:

 

When formatting a card, choose the 32KB cluster size, this is best for your Sansa.  Windows defaults to teeny 4KB clusters, which can clog the processor with excessive overhead (and a HUGE FAT).

 

Bob  :wink:

Would using the SD Formatter instead of Windows to format optimize the cluster size also?  I did a search for this info, but couldn’t find anything about it.

@neutron_bob wrote:

Sadly, the 32GB microSDHC card is a ripe target for counterfeiters.  I would guess that the 16GB is as well, as all the counterfeiter  (scam artist0 has to do is take a smaller card and hack a bogus file allocation table and a few other SD related bits of code onto a small-capacity cheap card.

 

Download and run this oddly-named utility,H2testw 1.4.  It will generate a report that provides test data concerning the suspected card.

 

You can contact SanDisk Support at 1-866-San Disk.  If you click on the SanDisk logo in the upper left corner of this page, then Support, you will see a linked page with contact information.

 

When formatting a card, choose the 32KB cluster size, this is best for your Sansa.  Windows defaults to teeny 4KB clusters, which can clog the processor with excessive overhead (and a HUGE FAT).

 

Bob  :wink:

I ran the test and got 30416 MB of legitimate capacity on it. I will call tech support about getting it to work with my Fuze in the next few days.

Got the new card and “viola” it works flawlessly.  And as a side benefit.  Moved all content from internal memory to the card and the slugish UI disappeared.  Yehah

Glad to see you got a replacement card.  A few days ago, shopping for some SD cards, I noticed a link during a search, one of those “sponsored” ones.  What did I find?  A 32GB SanDisk card for $4.95

That’s a little too good to be true, don’t you think?

I haven’t looked into the cluster allocation default values with the SD Formatter, as I am old school, using the command prompt method often.  It’s always been more of a pain to remember where things are stuffed in Windows than zipping over to the command line interface for me.  Plus, it is reminiscent of the days working with the DEC VAX.

Bob  :stuck_out_tongue:

I’m not sure if mine was counterfeit or not.  But I did do some write testing on the unit and filled it up so if it was a fake, it was a good fake.  I even did a read verify using a utility and it passed.

But whatever the case was in mine, it would not be recognized by the firmware.  The replacement works fine.  I got it through Amazon and it wasn’t priced stupidly low compared to other online vendors.  

I am amazed, however the difference between online and brick and mortar prices.  Nearly double.

Well, it’s working good now.  let’s hope we get some improvements in navigation, boot time, and delay time between submenus.

I’m kinda stuck with this now.  I won’t lie.  This little box has given me my first moment of pause on Sandisk products.  The unit seems to have less powerful firmware and more bugs than an amazon picnic, but Sandisk has always done right in the past.  Not really wanting to go back and buy the EOL Fuze V2.  So it’s this or the Clip+.   While the Clip+ will fill the bill, I imagaine it to be a nightmare for a 32GB card (very long scroll time) and my ailing eyes won’t really deal well with the smaller clip.

So I’m hoping they make this work.  Let’s hope we get to see the “plus” from the Fuze +.

How is this solved? Is there a firmware update that fixes this? I have the exact same problem with a sandisk class 4 16GB card. I ended up buying two cards, the other being class 2 and working with fuze+, but then during testing with H2testW it died completely.

So after spending almost 40 € extra I am still stuck with a 3.6 GB player. :cry:

i talked with sandisk support and they said a fix for this issue is coming in the next fimrware release. 

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