Hardware Max Micro SD Card Size?

MikeyTaylorGaming · Dec 9, 2021

Hi all,

Just picked up a 256GB Micro SD for the switch since the 128GB was pretty much full...

Just wondering what format it should be in? Currently got it set to exFAT with 128kb unit allocation but I'm not 100% on what unit allocation is anyway to be honest. The old SD was exFAT so just set this one to that, haven't tested it yet but seem to have a problem already.

Trying to copy a backup of everything on the 128 card to the new card, it appears everything has transferred correctly, but when I compare the files (highlight all properties) of both folders, the new SD has significantly less data on it!

Going through each folder I've determined that it's just the Nintendo folder which isn't voting properly. I imagine it's just something to do with the amount of data being transferred at once but wondered if anyone could confirm?

I've used H2testw to confirm that the card is a legit 256GB so, that shouldn't be the issue here.

Any help appreciated!

Reploid · Dec 9, 2021

So when your SD is full, you just buy another one even larger?

Guacaholey · Dec 9, 2021

Set it to the same settings the 128 GB is. Setting your cluster size to 128kb means that's the minimum space a file can take up. So a 12KB text file would be 128KB. Also make sure it's the right file system. Maybe make it FAT32 as well because that's supposed to be the most stable on the Switch. The max is apparently 2 TB, so any card on the market should work.

masagrator · Dec 9, 2021

Answering the question in topic's name:
2 TB.

And what you should use is always the same: use FAT32, otherwise you risk data corruption.

masagrator · Dec 9, 2021

Guacaholey said:
So a 12KB text file would be 128KB.

Yes, but at least windows usually separates two sizes in properties: real usage (so how much space is allocated in hardware) and file usage (all file sizes combined)

Guacaholey · Dec 9, 2021

masagrator said:
Yes, but at least windows usually separates two sizes in properties: real usage (so how much space is allocated in hardware) and file usage (all file sizes combined)

True, but I suspect this is their issue if more space is being taken up by the same files than their other micro SD. Or the reverse is true and the original card has a higher cluster size. Unless stuff isn't copying but they should be able to tell through their properties option how many folders and files there are and compare it to the original card.

MikeyTaylorGaming · Dec 9, 2021

I've answered the question now to be fair, I just copied over the files that the switch needs in order for an injection to boot it up and it works, it's just the transferring of all installed games to the SD that's taking it's time now. I'm just gonna do them in 10GB lumps and see if that helps!

Reploid said:
So when your SD is full, you just buy another one even larger?

I mean, if it's something that's gonna save me a lot of time installing and uninstalling crap all the time then I'm more inclined to get a bigger card and use the other for something else, yano?

Guacaholey said:
Set it to the same settings the 128 GB is. Setting your cluster size to 128kb means that's the minimum space a file can take up. So a 12KB text file would be 128KB. Also make sure it's the right file system. Maybe make it FAT32 as well because that's supposed to be the most stable on the Switch. The max is apparently 2 TB, so any card on the market should work.

Ahh yeah I understand now. That's why the 'file size' vs 'size on disk' varies slightly, isn't it.

masagrator said:
Answering the question in topic's name:
2 TB.

And what you should use is always the same: use FAT32, otherwise you risk data corruption.

From previous experience and a bit of research the FAT32 filesystem only seems to support up to 4GB files, as in, the max size any one single file can be 4GB.

Since the majority of switch games are over 4GB exFAT is the required filesystem (I think), with a much higher single filesize limit!

Guacaholey said:
True, but I suspect this is their issue if more space is being taken up by the same files than their other micro SD. Or the reverse is true and the original card has a higher cluster size. Unless stuff isn't copying but they should be able to tell through their properties option how many folders and files there are and compare it to the original card.

That's exactly my issue. Stuff isn't copying and I can tell from the properties tab when comparting the 2 sets of copied data. All the folders copied, but there were over 200 files that didn't transfer!

Since that's the case and I know the switch boots with the new card, I'm just gonna transfer them all a clump at a time and see if it's just a problem with how much data is being transferred causing an issue. Not sure why it would be but... Meh, when playing games it's not an issue.

Also, thanks everyone for the quick responses!

masagrator · Dec 9, 2021

MikeyTaylorGaming said:
Since the majority of switch games are over 4GB exFAT is the required filesystem (I think), with a much higher single filesize limit!

Nintendo fs has workaround for this limit. It's splitting those big files to chunks, put them to folder with filename, sets archive bit for this folder and this folder by HOS is detected as file.
And this is done whenever you use or don't use exfat by HOS (because HOS on system level cannot detect if you are using exfat or not). That's why if you did not put manually any file bigger than 4GB, then you can copy without issue whole exfat card content to fat32.

MikeyTaylorGaming · Dec 9, 2021

masagrator said:
Nintendo fs has workaround for this limit. It's splitting those big files to chunks, put them to folder with filename, sets archive bit for this folder and this folder by HOS is detected as file.
And this is done whenever you use or don't use exfat by HOS (because HOS on system level cannot detect if you are using exfat or not). That's why if you did not put manually any file bigger than 4GB, then you can copy without issue whole exfat card content to fat32.

Ahh yeah that's something I've noticed in the "/Nintendo/Contents/" folder, tons of folders which I can only assume are games and updates split up into various folders!

Well, Copying those folders in chunks sadly doesn't work properly either. I'm having to put entire NSP files on the SD Card and I'll just reinstall them.

Only issue is, there are updates and DLC all over the place stored on the Console storage and the SD card so, I'm not really sure how to go about installing it all again ahahah! I'd have to install everything back where it was, presumably... How annoying.

pwjpssdfvqyuhweuxx · Dec 9, 2021

2TB - and use Hekate for SD Card formatting.

Perrito123 · Dec 9, 2021

You guys who say 2tb where? These are not being sold!!!! 1tb max microsd card I still can't believe there is people who say 2tb without informing

Guacaholey · Dec 9, 2021

Perrito123 said:
You guys who say 2tb where? These are not being sold!!!! 1tb max microsd card I still can't believe there is people who say 2tb without informing

Nobody said 2 TB is being sold, but that's the max the Switch is supposed to support according to SD card manufacturers like Kingston.

deathblade200 · Dec 9, 2021

MikeyTaylorGaming said:
Ahh yeah that's something I've noticed in the "/Nintendo/Contents/" folder, tons of folders which I can only assume are games and updates split up into various folders!

Well, Copying those folders in chunks sadly doesn't work properly either. I'm having to put entire NSP files on the SD Card and I'll just reinstall them.

Only issue is, there are updates and DLC all over the place stored on the Console storage and the SD card so, I'm not really sure how to go about installing it all again ahahah! I'd have to install everything back where it was, presumably... How annoying.

why would you ever move them onto the sd and then install them? not only is that wasting time but also wasting write cycles. Just Use DBI to install over usb or install games directly with Tinfoil.

Hayato213 · Dec 9, 2021

Highest is 1TB on the market.

MikeyTaylorGaming · Dec 9, 2021

Found that my issue is likely to be the SD card. For some reason it's just not allowing me to transfer files to it properly. I suspect that it's got fake capacity. I'm actually allowing the H2testW software to do a full write and verify now.

Even just transferring over some basic stuff like .nro's for the hombrew menu is screwed. I transferred the same files onto the old SD and they appear fine. On the new card it's like it's missing out bits of information so the file isn't complete... Strange.

masagrator · Dec 9, 2021

Perrito123 said:
You guys who say 2tb where? These are not being sold!!!! 1tb max microsd card I still can't believe there is people who say 2tb without informing

"The Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) format, announced in January 2009 and defined in version 3.01 of the SD specification, supports cards up to 2 TB"
Wikipedia, my friend.
By stating 1TB you will make your answer outdated when 2TB will release.
There are posts that were stating max is 256 GB in 2017 and they got outdated pretty quickly...

Hardware Max Micro SD Card Size?

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