Hardware Memory Card Issue: Errors when putting Game Card in.

[clemp34]

OK, so yesterday I finally replaced both my joysticks after not using my ps vita for a very long time, took the opportunity to remove some dust, and then I tested it to see if the controls were working, everything was fine, then I immediatly went to sleep.
Next morning I wake up, play Soul Sacrifice for some time, so nice, I stop playing to go eat. When I come back, I get an error: Memory card removed (I didn't touch it), the system will restart. Weird, but then I can keep playing, sometimes I get an error when saving but most of my tries to save work. I get bored and leave to titlescreen, can't click "continue" buttons, only "new game". I close and restart the game, continue button is back but the save is corrupted. I try to start a new save, it works, I can save and load the save.
Maybe it was a momentary issue, my console is old. Well, let's play Minecraft. Error when putting the game card in. Try again, no error. Try to launch the game, error.
From then on I tested several actions with different game cards, all lead to errors.

My last testing session went like this (representative of all others):
-Restart the psvita
-Put Minecraft in: No error
-Launch Minecraft: error C1-2741-4
-Try to launch Minecraft again: ps vita shuts down
-Put it in again: Error C0-11276-7 (game can't be installed)
-Again: Error C2-10520-8 (same but blank name and icons)
-Put new game in (Soul Sacrifice): Error C0-11276-7 (same as minecraft)
-Again: C2-10520-8 again, blank name and icons
-New game: God of War Collection: Error C1-2741-4 (same as Minecraft and Soul Sacrifice), same error even when putting it again several times (so no C2-10520-8 this time).

From my intuition and what I could gather on the internet it most probably comes from my memory card, but I don't know if it is because of the memory card slot or the memory card itself. I don't know how I could have messed with it but I still removed the memory card from its slot before replacing the joysticks and I'm no expert in electronics, so does anyone have an idea on what I should do?

TL;DR: I changed my joysticks after not using my ps vita for a while, at first everything was good but now I get repetitions of errors when inserting a game card in my ps vita (described above), I suspect it comes from my memory card or memory card slot. What should I do? Could I somehow fix it by myself or is it over for my ps vita?

PS: My ps vita is unmodded, the memory card is the base one that came with the console like 10y ago (December 2014), never had a problem other than the joysticks malfunction, then again I didn't really play with it in years because of that.

 

[clemp34]

Update: today I took a picture of my ps vita and tried to take pictures of inside the memory card slot, I couldn't see anything that could hint at what the issue is and I don't know how chznging the joysticks could have messed with it but idk, any idea?

 

[The_Dizzy_Vizzy]

Hi Clemp, looking above, it seems like all of the errors and whatnot are all related to physical activity in your console, like:

Putting in a game
Putting in a memory card
Launching a game
etc...

Clemp, I'm assuming that NONE OF YOUR GAME WORK, CORRECT?

It may very well be that your memory card is faulty, I'd nab another one off of eBay (or your store of choice, of course), and see if that doesn't solve your problem. If it does, GREAT! If it doesn't, something comes to mind.

Here's a question for you: How are the DIGITAL functions of your PS Vita working? Can you save images to your Vita from your PC (or Mac or Linux or whatever)? Can you transfer images from your Vita to your PC? Can you use those images as a system wallpaper (forget about resizing the image, we're just looking to see if your Vita can do the normal things). Can you transfer .mp4 videos to and from your Vita? Can you transfer music to and from your Vita, and finally, do the images, videos and music work on your Vita without hiccups or errors?

If that is the case (but try a new memory card first), HACKIN YOUR VITA may be the best route to go. Here's why:

The hack means that you can use an SD2Vita as a memory card that is designed to work WITH the Vita Henlo/Henkaku/Enso hack, so that all of your interaction with your Vita (minus the SD2Vita of course) is all DIGITAL. You'll never need another memory card again, nor even your current card.

So I guess at this point we need to determine is whether or not your game slot works or if there is something wrong with it PHYSICALY. Is there any chance you can get a hold of a memory card quickly, so we can rule the idea of a corrupt card out? Finally, do you have some way you can "test" the cartridge slot out, maybe TRY ALL OF YOUR GAMES, or just get one cheap to rule that out?

I'd be willing to bet that if you threw an SD2Vita in that thing even when it's not hacked would give you an error of SOME KIND. What we're trying to do is to make sure that the cartridge slot is NOT DAMAGED.

I'd be willing to bet that you can hack your Vita and it would work fine. At the very least, you can always remove the hack (make sure you remove it PROPERLY) or you will, indeed, brick your Vita.

Look under your pillow, the tooth fairy has just given you a gold coin...

 

[Hippocampus_Hamster]

It may very well be that your memory card is faulty, I'd nab another one off of eBay (or your store of choice, of course), and see if that doesn't solve your problem. If it does, GREAT! If it doesn't, something comes to mind.

If they have another memory card handy I'd test with that one first; if not, a 4GB is pretty cheap and holds enough to get the job done. Usually its the memory card that goes first - the slots are built to last, the cards are sadly not. If anything, the larger they are, the more they seem designed to fail. Really wish Sony had just stuck with MemoryStick, or even switched to microSD.

But yeah, second for hacking the Vita. Even if you don't sail the digital high seas, it unlocks a LOT of functionality on the system (like unlocking the region on memory cards, allowing many QoL mods to be installed, and much more). And the ability to use a cheap SD2Vita+microSD card in the game slot in place of dozens of game carts, maybe more. Nowadays its super-simple and as long as you follow directions to the letter it should go smoothly. If something goes wrong, its very likely you can un-brick fairly easily afaik.

 

[The_Dizzy_Vizzy]

If they have another memory card handy I'd test with that one first; if not, a 4GB is pretty cheap and holds enough to get the job done. Usually its the memory card that goes first - the slots are built to last, the cards are sadly not. If anything, the larger they are, the more they seem designed to fail. Really wish Sony had just stuck with MemoryStick, or even switched to microSD.

But yeah, second for hacking the Vita. Even if you don't sail the digital high seas, it unlocks a LOT of functionality on the system (like unlocking the region on memory cards, allowing many QoL mods to be installed, and much more). And the ability to use a cheap SD2Vita+microSD card in the game slot in place of dozens of game carts, maybe more. Nowadays its super-simple and as long as you follow directions to the letter it should go smoothly. If something goes wrong, its very likely you can un-brick fairly easily afaik.

Much agreed about everything!!!

 

[clemp34]

Hi guys, sorry I didn't see the answers because honestly after a few days I thought no one would answer.
So, a bit of clarification here, without having tried any of your suggestions (I'm answering as soon as I saw your comments):
-None of my games work. Well, I haven't exactly tested every single one that I own, but I tested at least 4 and none of them worked.
-I don't know if I can transfer data from my pc to my psv or the other way around, however since I wrote my post I tested various ps vita apps and none seemed to work properly. Couldn't take photos and there was no picture or other file saved in my ps vita even tho I'm pretty sure there should be at least some (even though I know that the ps vita memory seems to somehow "reset" itself after some time unused).
I really hope that it is what you guys said, and that I'll only need a new memory card, I shall try to find a new one when I have time (a little busy rn) and tell you, and if it is the memory card then I might just try to mod my ps vita as you suggested.
Anyway thank you guys and sorry for the late answer!

 

[The_Dizzy_Vizzy]

It's all good.

Not sure why none of the games work, it may be that the cartridge slot itself is somehow damaged. There are others on these boards who know how to fix that with a bunch of soldering and wiring (I don't know SHIT about that stuff), but if it turns out your Vita is beyond repair, get another one and be ready to hack it.

Just remember that, if you hack your Vita, you'll need the SD2Vita adapter FIRST (the guide will tell you when to insert it into the Vita), so have that little puppy BEFORE YOU HACK. Secondly, when you get the MICRO SD card, your games that you install, your save files, your images, movies, and whatnot, ALL OF THAT GOES INTO THE micro sd card, so you won't be needing a SONY memory card ever again.

Keep us informed, and good luck!!!

 

[clemp34]

Hello guys! I'm happy to announce that I received a new 8gb memory card and it seems to work perfectly at least for now! I played several games for a few hours each, turned on and off my vita several times, I had no issue at all! I'm glad that the issue was only with the memory card, and I must thank you all once again.
I may decide to mod my psvita soon, but I may not use a SD2Vita just yet because I want to play the physical games I have for now, though in the end I'll probably use one but rather after I've finished my games.
Once again, thank you all for your help!!!!!

 

[The_Dizzy_Vizzy]

Hello guys! I'm happy to announce that I received a new 8gb memory card and it seems to work perfectly at least for now! I played several games for a few hours each, turned on and off my vita several times, I had no issue at all! I'm glad that the issue was only with the memory card, and I must thank you all once again.
I may decide to mod my psvita soon, but I may not use a SD2Vita just yet because I want to play the physical games I have for now, though in the end I'll probably use one but rather after I've finished my games.
Once again, thank you all for your help!!!!!

HUNKY-FUCKING-DORY Clemp! I'm so glad to hear you got it up and running! I know your earlier experience with your beloved Vita was a shakey one that was somewhat unsettling, It's truly great to know you got it all ironed out, that's just terrific!

And yes, you'll mod it. Mabey not now, but sooner or later curiosity will get the better of you, and when you do we'll all be here to help you out with it. CONGRATS, YOU ROCK!!!

 

[clemp34]

Hey, just a quick update, I finallly decided to convert to SD2Vita, (the good news being that my saves actually transfered, which I didn't know if it would be the case), and I'm really happy to have done so, since I really felt somewhat limited with only 8Gb. I'm really happy because I can now download and replay all the games I played some years ago, and even games I could play only when my brothers accepted to lend me their psp!
All that to say, I'm really happy to have a 'fully modded' (when can you really consider it really fully modded?) psvita, and so I wanted to thank you guys once again since had I not received your assistance, I may have ended giving up on retrieving my psvita. Thank you !!!

 

[The_Dizzy_Vizzy]

Hey, just a quick update, I finallly decided to convert to SD2Vita, (the good news being that my saves actually transfered, which I didn't know if it would be the case), and I'm really happy to have done so, since I really felt somewhat limited with only 8Gb. I'm really happy because I can now download and replay all the games I played some years ago, and even games I could play only when my brothers accepted to lend me their psp!
All that to say, I'm really happy to have a 'fully modded' (when can you really consider it really fully modded?) psvita, and so I wanted to thank you guys once again since had I not received your assistance, I may have ended giving up on retrieving my psvita. Thank you !!!

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