Hardware 400GB SD Card Not Working in 3DS

[Sinshalai]

Please don't berate me on "why would you want a 400gb card?" I have my reasons, and this thread is not here to debate those (it's been done plenty in other threads like this), it's to figure out why my card isn't working. I'd heard that cards up to 400gb had been tested and should technically work in a 3DS as long as they're formatted correctly, but mine isn't being read.

I purchased a SanDisk Ultra 400GB SDXC card, used MiniTool to format it to FAT32 and used 32kb cluster size. From what I'd read, that should have been all I needed to get the card to work. However, my 3DS keeps saying "There is no microSD card inserted" when I put it into the system.

I thought it might be the system's card reader, but I can insert a 32GB card that I had lying around that was also formatted for FAT32 and the 3DS reads it just fine.

Thought perhaps it might be the card, but obviously my computer can read it just fine too, else I wouldn't have been able to format it.

For reasons unknown to me, my 3DS is just refusing to read it, and I'm unsure as to why. I even tried copying the 3DS files from the 32GB card over to see if it needed help initializing the card, but that was not the case.

 

[Alexander1970]

Hello.

Please don't berate me on "why would you want a 400gb card?" I have my reasons, and this thread is not here to debate those (it's been done plenty in other threads like this), it's to figure out why my card isn't working. I'd heard that cards up to 400gb had been tested and should technically work in a 3DS as long as they're formatted correctly, but mine isn't being read.

I purchased a SanDisk Ultra 400GB SDXC card, used MiniTool to format it to FAT32 and used 32kb cluster size. From what I'd read, that should have been all I needed to get the card to work. However, my 3DS keeps saying "There is no microSD card inserted" when I put it into the system.

I thought it might be the system's card reader, but I can insert a 32GB card that I had lying around that was also formatted for FAT32 and the 3DS reads it just fine.

Thought perhaps it might be the card, but obviously my computer can read it just fine too, else I wouldn't have been able to format it.

For reasons unknown to me, my 3DS is just refusing to read it, and I'm unsure as to why. I even tried copying the 3DS files from the 32GB card over to see if it needed help initializing the card, but that was not the case.

Which Kind/Brand is your miniSD Card please ? Maybe also a Picture is a good Idea.

Our GBAtemp SD Card Expert @TurdPooCharger also would recommend to check the SD Card of Errors with an Tool like H2testw for Example.

Good Luck
Thank you.

 

[godreborn]

cards 128GBs or larger should be formatted with allocation size of 64KBs.

 

[Sinshalai]

Which Kind/Brand is your miniSD Card please ? Maybe also a Picture is a good Idea.

Our GBAtemp SD Card Expert @TurdPooCharger also would recommend to check the SD Card of Errors with an Tool like H2testw for Example.

Thank you for the reply! I have just finished checking the card for errors using that software, there don't seem to be any. Also, it's a SanDisk Ultra brand, SDXC.

I want to attach a picture, but apparently because my post count is below 5 I cannot post any links or upload any images just yet :\

cards 128GBs or larger should be formatted with allocation size of 64KBs.

Really? :o Everything I'd read said to do 32kbs no matter the size, I'll give it a shot, thank you!

 

[godreborn]

there's a screen tearing problem with gba games using 32KBs on a 128GB card. I experienced it myself.

 

[BORTZ]

It needs to be formatted as FAT32 right?

 

[Hayato213]

Please don't berate me on "why would you want a 400gb card?" I have my reasons, and this thread is not here to debate those (it's been done plenty in other threads like this), it's to figure out why my card isn't working. I'd heard that cards up to 400gb had been tested and should technically work in a 3DS as long as they're formatted correctly, but mine isn't being read.

I purchased a SanDisk Ultra 400GB SDXC card, used MiniTool to format it to FAT32 and used 32kb cluster size. From what I'd read, that should have been all I needed to get the card to work. However, my 3DS keeps saying "There is no microSD card inserted" when I put it into the system.

I thought it might be the system's card reader, but I can insert a 32GB card that I had lying around that was also formatted for FAT32 and the 3DS reads it just fine.

Thought perhaps it might be the card, but obviously my computer can read it just fine too, else I wouldn't have been able to format it.

For reasons unknown to me, my 3DS is just refusing to read it, and I'm unsure as to why. I even tried copying the 3DS files from the 32GB card over to see if it needed help initializing the card, but that was not the case.

Make sure you format that card correctly, format is FAT32, primary partition, 32kb cluster. As for testing the card it is recommended to do that with H2testw.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

* And MBR disk. A card that massive will read and load at a molasses pace at 32 KB cluster size. 400 GB with 64 KB will still be slow.

1. Copy everything off the SD card to a computer.
2. Quadruple reformat. For 128 GB and bigger cards, go instead with 64 KB (65536) cluster size.
3. Full Write + Verify the empty card in H2testw. Do not skip.
   • Spoiler: H2testw [ Settings | SD card drive | Progress ]

     

     

Report back your H2testw | Progress result once completed.

 

[Sinshalai]

there's a screen tearing problem with gba games using 32KBs on a 128GB card. I experienced it myself.

Well, I gave it a shot with 64KBs, sadly no change. In the event I get it working though, it's good to know that it has such issues with the 32KBs clusters.

* And MBR disk. A card that massive will read and load at a molasses pace at 32 KB cluster size. 400 GB with 64 KB will still be slow.

Report back your result once completed.

Roger! I'll give this a shot and let you know. I did one run-through with it, but I haven't tried quadruple formatting, that might be the trick.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Roger! I'll give this a shot and let you know. I did one run-through with it, but I haven't tried quadruple formatting, that might be the trick.

Has the card been emptied out and checked with H2testw yet? If you did use that program, do you remember if the result came back [GOOD] or [BAD] (see image in spoiler)? If hardware testing the card hasn't been done yet, the test is only valid if there are no files and folders on the card & all the possible/available space is filled up and read back by the program.

 

[godreborn]

yeah, 400GBs might be slow.. my 128GB card can be a bit sluggish right when you turn the system on. it's sluggish for a few seconds right when you boot the system up.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Thank you for the reply! I have just finished checking the card for errors using that software, there don't seem to be any. Also, it's a SanDisk Ultra brand, SDXC.

I want to attach a picture, but apparently because my post count is below 5 I cannot post any links or upload any images just yet :\



Really? :o Everything I'd read said to do 32kbs no matter the size, I'll give it a shot, thank you!

People don't suggest 64k cluster size, because for some people, it causes a minor graphical glitch in GBA VC that makes the screen slightly offset from where it should be at, part of the bottom is cut off and pasted above the rest of the image. Not quite sure exactly what combination of parameters triggers that bug, as it doesn't happen to everyone. Maybe it's not a problem with larger cards.

there's a screen tearing problem with gba games using 32KBs on a 128GB card. I experienced it myself.

Actually, pretty sure that issue was with 64KB.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Actually, pretty sure that issue was with 64KB.

• For 64 GB and smaller, the GBA VC graphical glitch is likely to happen with 64 KB cluster size.
• On 128 GB and bigger, it's the opposite where the occurrence is more prone on 32 KB.

There's no hard rule for card capacity vs cluster size in terms of GBA VC screen compatible, just the recommendation [64 GB and under: go with 32 KB ] and [128 GB and over: go with 64 KB BUT make sure to check it]. The person has to test their card setup when changing the cluster size because the bug can swing either way.

Some people are lucky where their cards can work in both sizes. One person reported their 128 GB card glitched on both 32 KB and 64 KB!

• 3DS NOOB PARADISE - Ask questions here [ posts #50322 , #50336 , #50342 ]

@Sono has an excellent technical explanation why this bug occurs.

• TWPatcher - DS(i) mode screen filters and patches [post #1438]

For most cards, I believe when the appropriate cluster size is chosen, this helps to alleviate the timing sync issue by having the card load up data within the 3DS system's accepted read/write rate.

 

[Sono]

I have two suggestions:

1. Try booting Godmode9. If it detects your SD but 3DS OS doesn't then you might have a cheap clone
2. Use a smaller cluster size. Sure, you'll lose some storage space with smaller cluster sizes, but I'd say something between 4096 and 16384 should be acceptable for a card this size. Anything above that sounds like it'll just unnecessarily strain the poor underpowered 3DS.

 

[ber71]

Is open_agb_firm affected by these graphical glitches?

 

[Sono]

Is open_agb_firm affected by these graphical glitches?

It isn't because it's properly written.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

I have two suggestions:

2. Use a smaller cluster size. Sure, you'll lose some storage space with smaller cluster sizes, but I'd say something between 4096 and 16384 should be acceptable for a card this size. Anything above that sounds like it'll just unnecessarily strain the poor underpowered 3DS.​

Smaller cluster size is more space efficient but hugely penalizing to loading time.

• Brief example cluster sizes tests: Metroid Fusion load times using a 128 GB card
• CheatFreak47's GBA VC screen bug probability tests: [Q] GBA cia on emunand not rendering screen correctly [post #17]

The load time for card capacity vs cluster size probably doesn't scale in an exact linear fashion. Would need to check this from actual 128 GB vs 256 GB vs 512 GB from the same brand and card series. But for simplicity sake as the data is not available, let's say doubling the card capacity while keeping cluster size the same also doubled load time.

Rough estimates loading GBA VC (Metroid Fusion) on 400 GB.

• @ 64 KB: ( 400 GB / 128 GB ) × 15s ≈ 47s
• @ 32 KB: (400/128) × 24s ≈ 75s (1m:15s)
• @ 16 KB (calculated this with crapshoot interpolation with the above data): [400/128] × [ 24s / 15s ] × 24s ≈ 120s

It's too bad the 3DS isn't like a computer where you can split the SD card into multiple partitions and pre-select one before booting to HOME Menu. Even if something like that was possible, good luck convincing the Luma team to support such a feature. Lmao.

 

[Lumstar]

It needs to be formatted as FAT32 right?

Yeah. 3DS does not adhere to SDXC specifications.
ExFAT is the official standard for SDXC cards and devices.

 

[godreborn]

nintendo's official site suggests no greater than 32GBs. heh, like that's gonna happen. and, yeah, @TurdPooCharger is correct. the 32KB allocation size caused me to have gba screen tearing. 64 fixed it.

 

[Kwyjor]

Wasn't there a big problem with certain custom themes not working correctly due to the slowness of big cards? I didn't follow that too closely.

I purchased a SanDisk Ultra 400GB SDXC card, used MiniTool to format it to FAT32 and used 32kb cluster size.

Have you tried formatting the card in your 3DS with Godmode9? Note that if there is more than one partition present on the card, then you have to delete all partitions first in MiniTool; GM9 also takes care of this. See https://www.partitionwizard.com/partitionmagic/3ds-sd-card-format.html .

It's too bad the 3DS isn't like a computer where you can split the SD card into multiple partitions and pre-select one before booting to HOME Menu.

I guess this has all been thoroughly investigated by now? I might have speculated that the 3DS could be persuaded to skip a partition by using the "hidden" and/or "active" flags.