Hacking Question Can't install games on SDCard - failed to write placeholder error

[Chrisssj2]

When I try to install a game on my friend switch who is using 10.0.4 with latest Atmosphere. via tinfoil with latest sigpatches. I am getting failed to write placeholder error with ANY game im trying to install on the sd card as the target. if I select Nand as target to install, all games work normally. Switch homescreen shows no icon with infinite loading symbol. Any idea why I can't install games on sd card?

I have tried setting archive bit via hekate, no change.
SD card is not fake. samsung.

 

[duckbill007]

Filesystem on your SD is corrupted. Reformat it.

 

[Zkajavier]

It can be that:
- Your SD card is fake and you're out of space even if it says it has free space.
- Your SD filesystem is corrupted, as mentioned above. Reformating might work.
- Another game installation failed and tinfoil clogs itself and won't let any other to get installed, this happens to me sometimes, I just restart the Switch, or try to install a game through USB, and then using Tinfoil works again. Who knows why this works to me, but it does.

 

[Chrisssj2]

Filesystem on your SD is corrupted. Reformat it.

First thing I tried. 0 effect.

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It can be that:
- Your SD card is fake and you're out of space even if it says it has free space.
- Your SD filesystem is corrupted, as mentioned above. Reformating might work.
- Another game installation failed and tinfoil clogs itself and won't let any other to get installed, this happens to me sometimes, I just restart the Switch, or try to install a game through USB, and then using Tinfoil works again. Who knows why this works to me, but it does.

SD is NOT fake. and reformat doesn't give the result intended.
I have tried with many games. It is not one game. Any game fails when SD card is target. Restarting switch doesn't do anything.

 

[Hayato213]

First thing I tried. 0 effect.

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SD is NOT fake. and reformat doesn't give the result intended.
I have tried with many games. It is not one game. Any game fails when SD card is target. Restarting switch doesn't do anything.

Run a h2testw test with the card being empty, copy your stuff off to a computer.

 

[duckbill007]

Creating of placeholder or witing to placeholder is a pure FS operations, that does not involve any checks/signatures or anything else. So, errors in these operations can be only from physical or logical inability to write data. So, either FS is damaged, or sdcard slot (hardware) is damaged.

 

[Chrisssj2]

Friend fixed it. some single folder had chinese marks..

 

[Madfie273637389392]

I am having this same problem, which folder was it?

 

[Chrisssj2]

Uhm not sure, it was in the nintendo folder I believe. If you want I can ask him but I doubt he will remember.

 

[Madfie273637389392]

Thank you, I will try Nintendo folder. And yes please, if you don’t mind asking him.

 

[Azrul_Ooi]

Thank you, I will try Nintendo folder. And yes please, if you don’t mind asking him.

have you found the fix?

 

[gus010705]

First thing I tried. 0 effect.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


SD is NOT fake. and reformat doesn't give the result intended.
I have tried with many games. It is not one game. Any game fails when SD card is target. Restarting switch doesn't do anything.

Can you help me, i have the same problem, how to reformat it?

Post automatically merged: Dec 15, 2022

When I try to install a game on my friend switch who is using 10.0.4 with latest Atmosphere. via tinfoil with latest sigpatches. I am getting failed to write placeholder error with ANY game im trying to install on the sd card as the target. if I select Nand as target to install, all games work normally. Switch homescreen shows no icon with infinite loading symbol. Any idea why I can't install games on sd card?

I have tried setting archive bit via hekate, no change.
SD card is not fake. samsung.

Can you help me, i have the same problem, how to reform it?

 

[laz305]

It can also be as simple as your CFW needs to be updated.