Failed to Init SD Card w multiple 256gb cards, Works with 64gb

[Zeroday]

I have a V2 Switch with picofly 2.64

Works great with original 64gb card but I've tried to upgrade to a 256gb card from the original 64gb card Ive been using

When I try a 256gb card it boots with failed to init SD card

I've tried 2 new SD cards, Patriot 256GB A1 / V30, Samsung 256GB EVO Plus, neither has worked with the switch. They work with my PC just fine. They were purchased and fulfilled by amazon so I dont suspect they are fake.

I have tried the following:
- Formatting SD card using multiple apps, gui formatter, easeUS, windows default, SD Card Formatter
- Using FAT32, tried exFat to see if that works which it didn't, several different cluster sizes, 32k 64k, 4k,
- Using multiple usb to sd readers, USB2.0, USB3.0
- Using multiple PCs
- Replaced Switch SD card board to a different one, tried to connect and disconnect several ways.
- Updated the OFW to latest release
- When I insert a freshly formatted FAT32 or exFAT card I can't boot OFW, it gets stuck at the switch boot logo...
- When I boot to OFW without a card inserted and format the card using the switch and reboot the OFW gets stuck at the switch boot logo

Does anyone know whats going on? Im kind of stumped, not sure if this a card issue, a formatting issue or a swtich issue.. Could this be picofly related issue?
Thanks

 

[evil_santa]

Plz try SD card formatter
https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/
After format put hekate on it and try to boot it.

 

[Zeroday]

Plz try SD card formatter

After format put hekate on it and try to boot it.

No dice. Still failed to init SD Card

I did notice however that I was able to format the card from OFW without an error. However when I rebooted it wouldnt boot, the boot got stuck on the switch logo.

 

[l7777]

No dice. Still failed to init SD Card

I did notice however that I was able to format the card from OFW without an error. However when I rebooted it wouldnt boot, the boot got stuck on the switch logo.

Get a new copy of Hekate from github. Make sure it's the only thing on the sdcard. Once you get that working move on to adding atmosphere and other things you want.

 

[Zeroday]

Get a new copy of Hekate from github. Make sure it's the only thing on the sdcard. Once you get that working move on to adding atmosphere and other things you want.

Just did that with a FAT32, 32k formatted card and doesn't work. Same Failed to init sd card error..

If I insert a formatted 16gb card for example, it will post a failed to open payload.bin. Meaning the switch is recognizing the SD card but not finding the payload because the card is blank. If I do the same with the two 256gb cards with or without hekate on them it will give me a failed to init sd card error.

 

[evil_santa]

Which hekate version do you use?
Try a older version, Ctcaer reworked the whole sdmmc driver maybe ther is a problem.

 

[l7777]

Could be the sd card reader or associated things are on the way out.

 

[lonelyvovk]

Based on what you've said, it seems like you're having trouble getting your Nintendo Switch to recognize a 256GB SD card. You've tried a bunch of different things like formatting the card using different apps, using different USB to SD card readers, and even replacing the SD card board, but nothing has worked so far.

One thing you might want to check is whether the 256GB card you're using is actually compatible with the Switch. Nintendo says the Switch can handle microSDXC cards up to 2TB, but that doesn't mean every card will work. You might want to double-check the specs of your card to make sure it's compatible.

Another thing to try is formatting the card using the Switch's own built-in formatting tool. You can find that in the System Settings menu. It's possible that there's some issue with the way you've formatted the card that's causing the Switch to not recognize it.

If none of that works, there might be a hardware issue with your Switch's SD card reader. You said you've already replaced the SD card board, but there could be something else going on. If that's the case, you might want to reach out to Nintendo support or find a technician who can help you out. Good luck!

 

[linuxares]

Tried using guiformat? If that doesn't work, boot Hekate with your working card and check what it say about it's read speeds

 

[Hayato213]

Tried using guiformat? If that doesn't work, boot Hekate with your working card and check what it say about it's read speeds

He stated he did. Off that list he haven't try is minitool partition wizard, probably need to format it as FAT32, 32kb, primary partition.

 

[l7777]

Can he boot Hekate with the good card and then swap in the bad one to see what Hekate says about it?

 

[Zeroday]

I've purchased a 3rd card that does not work with my switch. This one specifically listed as being switch compatible on the product description.

"Silicon Power 256GB Micro SD Card U3 SDXC Up to 100MB/s with Adapter, for Nintendo-Switch"

I inserted it straight out of the package (exFAT) and still failed to init, then i formatted with minitools partition wizards as FAT32, 32K and still not working.

I tried swapping cards in Hekate and it does not init the new card.

Other things I've tried..
- Inserted one of the 256gb cards formatted with one of (Fat32, exFAT, unit) while OFW is running which tells me "Nintendo switch micro SD card not working" and asks to reboot
- Try to boot into OFW with card inserted, which leads to the switch getting stuck at switch boot logo.

Anytime I insert the 64gb card everything works again no problems.

Working 64 GB Card

I've attached the 64GB benchmarks and 256GB failing to init when I do a swap in Hekate.

 

[evil_santa]

I've purchased a 3rd card that does not work with my switch. This one specifically listed as being switch compatible on the product description.

"Silicon Power 256GB Micro SD Card U3 SDXC Up to 100MB/s with Adapter, for Nintendo-Switch"

I inserted it straight out of the package (exFAT) and still failed to init, then i formatted with minitools partition wizards as FAT32, 32K and still not working.

I tried swapping cards in Hekate and it does not init the new card.

Other things I've tried..
- Inserted one of the 256gb cards formatted with one of (Fat32, exFAT, unit) while OFW is running which tells me "Nintendo switch micro SD card not working" and asks to reboot
- Try to boot into OFW with card inserted, which leads to the switch getting stuck at switch boot logo.

Anytime I insert the 64gb card everything works again no problems.

Working 64 GB Card
View attachment 365951


I've attached the 64GB benchmarks and 256GB failing to init when I do a swap in Hekate.

Time to ask Ctcaer, go to retroNX Discord and ask in Hekate tab.

 

[ghjfdtg]

Looks like a hardware issue to me. The Switch should take pretty much any microSD on the market.

 

[l7777]

Looks like a hardware issue to me. The Switch should take pretty much any microSD on the market.

Yes with that many failed cards. Odd that the 64 GB card still functions without issue.

 

[Zeroday]

Time to ask Ctcaer, go to retroNX Discord and ask in Hekate tab.

Ok, will do, thanks for advice. Will post solution if I ever do resolve the issue in case anyone else has a similar problem.

For what its worth, I was able to kind of get Hekate to recognize the Samsung Evo SD card, I first formatted it to exFat with "SD Card Formatter" . While it still fails to init, if I boot into Hekate with the 64gb card and remove it and replace it with the 256GB card it would load the SD card info. I also then formatted it with miniTools to Fat32 32kb and it also recognized that under info. This method oddly did not work with the SP Brand sd card though...

So I tried to boot to OFW and that worked and the switch saw the memory as 238GB free.

So I loaded the latest HATs pack onto the SD Card and booted into Hekate with the 64GB card and swapped the 256gb card, I then partitioned the SD card and created an EMUNand without any issues but unfortunately it still wont cold boot and it won't boot to OFW anymore either..

 

[l7777]

Do the swap and have Hekate format the 256GB card then test. If that doesn't work then it's time to pass this info along to Ctcaer.

 

[leerz]

boot switch without sdcard, when nosd screen appears, press vol+ and vol- to boot to OFW
once in ofw, insert your 256gb card, if it detects it, wait for a few seconds - if your hos crashes, it means hardware fault on the 3.3v line of your sdcard circuit, it may have a short somewhere or the driver or mosfet nearby has failed and giving less than 3v / lower than required to run higher sd.

 

[swutch]

I have a similar problem after a picofly installation on a new OLED.
My 512GB card can boot most of the time but sometimes it shows: "Failed to Init SD Card"
My 1TB card witch works fine on another switch, can't boot. It shows every try: "Failed to Init SD Card"

 

[Zeroday]

I have a similar problem after a picofly installation on a new OLED.
My 512GB card can boot most of the time but sometimes it shows: "Failed to Init SD Card"
My 1TB card witch works fine on another switch, can't boot. It shows every try: "Failed to Init SD Card"

That's strange.. I'm not sure how to solve this problem. On discord CTCaer replied

well that's weird, since init fails normally are the connector pins (or in modded cases could be solder junk shorting the vdd rails)j ust check your connector pins that they are not broken, missing or on the air but anyway, that's a hw issue the only difference is that it's peculiar. and having only the big ones get affected immediately it points more to power issues

All my diode readings on the power rails seem ok. I think I'll resolder some wires to the pico to double check it's not that.