Hardware PSA: Switch may kill your SD card!

[Tomy Sakazaki]

It may be 4 things (and maybe more than 1 at once):
1 - Fake or generic microSD
2 - Bad or defective card reader that you've used on PC (personally suffered with bad readers for more than 10 years until last year I bought quality readers on amazon, it even "revived" some cards that I've considered condemned. In Brazil we have almost zero access to buying quality readers)
3 - Defective microSD, if it's original, try exchanging using warranty.
4 - Computer's OS corrupted the filesystem on its own.

 

[Xabring]

Memory stick pro duo while less popular never had one fail in 10 years, still work to this day. Vita memory cards may be expensive as unnecessary as it is, but never had it corrupt on me so yeah.

there is God know how many people manufacturing SD Cards, so it's natural that The variation in quality hits them particulary hard. Wheras, Sony usually makes their own thing High quality, so it's no surprise they work as intended even today.

In my experience though, back at topic for a moment, is that Switch doesn't PLAY well with cheap SDs, whereas some computers ARE able to use them....they really slow doing so. In my case, the Switch could do screenshots and watch and copy'em, but the moment I downloaded a game, they corrupted even before the download finished, and corrupted all screenshots along within the SD. But I put an Old 32 GB SD card an vioala! working as intended. Veredict? Crappy SD card boy, make sure it's a good one, I insist.

It may be 4 things (and maybe more than 1 at once):
1 - Fake or generic microSD
2 - Bad or defective card reader that you've used on PC (personally suffered with bad readers for more than 10 years until last year I bought quality readers on amazon, it even "revived" some cards that I've considered condemned. In Brazil we have almost zero access to buying quality readers)
3 - Defective microSD, if it's original, try exchanging using warranty.
4 - Computer's OS corrupted the filesystem on its own.

^^This, basically.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

there is God know how many people manufacturing SD Cards, so it's natural that The variation in quality hits them particulary hard. Wheras, Sony usually makes their own thing High quality, so it's no surprise they work as intended even today.

Yeah i know, $100 for 64GB Vita card, but least it works as expected. Sd card is %75 less and for the same 64GB and probably won't even last 4 years. But Most of the lesson is don't buy cheap cards, they probably only as good for like you said, screenshots or small audio files not like downloading game or updates.

 

[jesterscourt]

The lack of responses from OP makes me think this was either a cheap/knockoff card and/or a one-off issue. Mods, if you could close this down and/or change the title, that'd be great.

 

[Futurdreamz]

Life span may vary, but i hate sd cards in general, can't trust them. Memory stick pro duo while less popular never had one fail in 10 years, still work to this day. Vita memory cards may be expensive as unnecessary as it is, but never had it corrupt on me so yeah. STEP YOUR GAME UP SD CARDS.

On the other hand, micro sd cards are just TOO small, trying yo remove them from devices is a pain with short nails,

short... nails? Don't tell me you're trying to pry them out instead of clicking them in so they pop out on their own?

 

[SonicCloud]

Maybe your SD was cheap/fake? How do you assume it was the Switch?

 

[DJ-Yoshiman]

PSA: This topic is an example of what is not a public service announcement.

 

[PewnyPL]

The OP pretty much ditched the thread. Shitposting perhaps?

 

[death360]

OP where you at?

 

[elBenyo]

SanDisk has a ten year warranty on there SD cards, I have 3 cards over ten years old still in daily use and I expect them to work forever. I have a 32GB LG class 10 in my N3DS and it was in my phone for years before that. My advice is only buy the best name brands, with the highest obtainable speed ATM, from a retailer like Target, ect. Then your cards will never be too hot or corrupt during high speeds.

 

[Byokugen]

PSA: SD cards with factory defects also exist

This should be a PSA. Good for ya!

 

[leonmagnus99]

so emm like..
where is the OP ?

i'd also like to know what mSD he was using, what brand and where he bought it from.
there's loads of fake mSD's out there.

 

[TerryG]

short... nails? Don't tell me you're trying to pry them out instead of clicking them in so they pop out on their own?

Not all micro SD slots are click style.

 

[linuxares]

This sounds like baloney. There is like a 100 reasons why a SD Card suddenly dies.
Also what kind of sd card reader do you have? Do you ever "safe eject" when you use your PC to copy files?

 

[DKB]

Didn't people report the Switch melting SD cards due to overheating when the Switch first came out, or something similiar?

But, on topic, this is obviously the SD's fault and not the Switch's.

 

[smf]

This software can sometimes revive an sdhc card.

https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/

Run it then click the option button, select format type to full (erase) & format size adjustment to on. If it gives an error then try using format type full (overwrite) & leave format size adjustment to on.

If you use a microsd to sd adapter then make sure the write protect switch is set correctly, or you won't be able to write to it. However I had a sd to usb adapter where the write protect sensor was broken, I think I ended up disabling the sensor.

 

[Minox]

Make sure it's not just a bad SD card reader. I have myself had issues with one of my 64GB microSD cards that I used with my phone and certain SD card readers. It appeared to be faulty and just wouldn't format no matter what application or computer I used. Until I got a newer SD card reader which successfully formatted it without issues and ever since I haven't had any issues with it.

 

[Zyteus]

More info about the sd card would be great like brand, speed, model or something. Where you bought it, etc. This is the first I've heard. You could've bought a cheap micro sd or even fake one.

edit: you can just return it or replace your defective sd card if you've just recently bought it.

OP got it when the switch launched so they mosy likely can't return it

 

[Heran Bago]

But.... but it died when Windows used it.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I once had a problem with a 64GB Sandisk card, a long time ago when they were expensive as fuck.
They don't seem to be wash machine friendly... should have used dry cleaning instead /s
Afterwards each time I connected it to something it went up to like 80°C or something (would burn your fingers) and ofc didn't work.
I have done that before with Samsung EVOs and they still worked (yes, I'm an idiot regarding forgetting things in my pockets)

Don't put them in your pockets at all. That sounds like a great way to lose them when they fall out.

Didn't people report the Switch melting SD cards due to overheating when the Switch first came out, or something similiar?

But, on topic, this is obviously the SD's fault and not the Switch's.

First I've heard of that.

Make sure it's not just a bad SD card reader. I have myself had issues with one of my 64GB microSD cards that I used with my phone and certain SD card readers. It appeared to be faulty and just wouldn't format no matter what application or computer I used. Until I got a newer SD card reader which successfully formatted it without issues and ever since I haven't had any issues with it.

Yeah, I've had similar problems with certain combinations of SD cards and readers, but nowadays I use a tiny SanDisk MicroSD reader that came with a MicroSD card (it's probably a cheapo reader but does the job fine) or the SD reader built in to my laptop, and I don't have those issues anymore.