Hacking Does constantly formatting damage the microSD?

[CSD]

I have a Japanese Kingston 1GB microSD. Are there any hard and fast rules when it comes to how many times or how often it can be formatted? I only recently got my R4 and I've already done it once when switching to a new batch of games and updating the firmware. I imagine I'll be doing this a lot for the next week or two as I try out new games, and to avoid corruption or fragmentation, I will probably format it every time.

So would this have any negative effects on the microSD?

 

[HBK]

No, it doesn't cause damage, AFAIK. But why format so many times? You state corruption, but I try new games and I just delete the ROM and .sav and voilá. Gone.

Fragmentation? Well, this is not exactly a HD. It gets only just a little fragmented with time.

Though if you format a lot, I suggest using this tool:
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=389

It formats your MSD card better than Window's format tool.

 

[UltraMagnus]

basically, flash chips have a limited number of writes for each sector before that sector dies, however after a sector dies the whole card will no longer work

i, personally would not worry about it, i have only ever seen this happen once, and that was for a usb pen drive that was in day to day use every day for over three years

so in other words, try to avoid continuously formatting it, but dont worry about it too much...

 

[CSD]

Thanks for the help. And thanks for the link, brutalboy. I'll be using that from now on.

See, I was under the impression that deleting/copying is the cause of corrupted save files. I thought formatting would be a safer bet.

On average, how often should I format?

 

[Skye07]

In belgium a PC magazine did a test, with SD & CF cards to see how many times you can write, erase & format. After a week nonstop looping this process they gave up on over 300.000 times. I'd say don't you worry about breaking your card because of formatting

 

[Lukeage]

I've read somewhere than on average they have a write cycle of close to a million writes on average before failure.

As for fragmentation, it isn't a concern on flash memory because the access times don't make a difference because there isn't a physical head to move to read the next part.

 

[CSD]

That's good to know.

Skye07, 300 or 300,000?

 

[coolbho3000]

That's good to know.

Skye07, 300 or 300,000?

300,000.

I wouldn't worry, a typical CD-RW is only 1000.

 

[HBK]

Thanks for the help. And thanks for the link, brutalboy. I'll be using that from now on.

See, I was under the impression that deleting/copying is the cause of corrupted save files. I thought formatting would be a safer bet.

On average, how often should I format?

No problem. I'm here to and I'm glad to have helped you.

No, generally corruption occurs when, for example, you physically disconnect your MSD reader/adapter from your USB/card reader slot WHILE it is reading or writing. That's why you should always use the Safety Removal Tool (I don't, and I don't have corruption, but I always make sure the light goes steady on the MSD reader and all writing to the disk has ceased).

I'd format only IF I had noticeable signs of corruption, TBH, but once a month is fine.

 

[faiyez]

Though if you format a lot, I suggest using this tool:
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=389

It formats your MSD card better than Window's format tool.

always something that does it better than windows

 

[philco1]

You will damage the card more by taking it in and out of ur M3/R4 than by formatting it multiple times

 

[JacobReaper]

lol ^^

 

[Retal]

No, generally corruption occurs when, for example, you physically disconnect your MSD reader/adapter from your USB/card reader slot WHILE it is reading or writing.

Or before the cache is flushed.

 

[CSD]

Thanks for the help. And thanks for the link, brutalboy. I'll be using that from now on.

See, I was under the impression that deleting/copying is the cause of corrupted save files. I thought formatting would be a safer bet.

On average, how often should I format?


No problem. I'm here to and I'm glad to have helped you.

No, generally corruption occurs when, for example, you physically disconnect your MSD reader/adapter from your USB/card reader slot WHILE it is reading or writing. That's why you should always use the Safety Removal Tool (I don't, and I don't have corruption, but I always make sure the light goes steady on the MSD reader and all writing to the disk has ceased).

I'd format only IF I had noticeable signs of corruption, TBH, but once a month is fine.

Got it. Thanks again.

 

[lildaz]

Though if you format a lot, I suggest using this tool:
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=389

It formats your MSD card better than Window's format tool.


always something that does it better than windows

agreed. planing to use this instead.

 

[jtroye32]

I've read somewhere than on average they have a write cycle of close to a million writes on average before failure.

As for fragmentation, it isn't a concern on flash memory because the access times don't make a difference because there isn't a physical head to move to read the next part.

which is why they need to make solid state hard drives mainstream.

with only 1gb there won't be any fragmentation slow down or performance decrease with use. so don't worry about formatting more than every once in a great while.

 

[h8uthemost]

Though if you format a lot, I suggest using this tool:
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=389

Wow, thanks for letting us know about this tool brutalboy.

I'm guessing it lets you pick the type of FAT that you want to format in, as well as setting the Clusters?

I wonder if it works with other types of memory. I guess I'll know when I use it.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Fat D]

I had corruption because the included microSD reader and my front USB ports were both not really stable.