SD card (within MS adapter) corruption by deleting files on PSP

[Nikokaro]

I post here what I have already written on my profile, because it might be helpful to other users who could encounter the same problem:

Deleting a save file from the PSP menu, the attempt failed, and connecting the PSP to the PC a sector appears corrupted. That 12.5G folder with gibberish symbols is actually ~300kb. Trying to delete it would corrupt my entire microSD! Same thing happened a year ago with my DSi using DSOrganize. I can only leave it that way, if I don't want to copy hundreds of PSX eboots again.

I have tried several games and all work and I can save. Only one game will not work (I think) the one with the corrupted save file, which I will find sooner or later. If I leave everything like this, without adding or deleting files, there should be no problem. Backing up and formatting everything: no way!!!

When I find it, obviously I cannot delete the corrupted save file, but I will have to rename the folder that contains the game, so playing it will create a new save file, with a different name.
Only a psp expert will understand this my sophisticated procedure.

Some clusters are certainly corrupted and the data contained in them unrecoverable/ undeleteable. If I tried, as in the past, to erase files with those symbols it would give me an error, but the erasure attempt would corrupt other sectors and the whole SD card.

I repeat that all games I tried work and save (except one that I haven't found yet). I just don't add or delete more games: after all, on 32gb I had less than 100mb free left. Most of all, I was curious to show everyone those strange, darn symbols, which everyone will encounter sooner or later.

Finally, I add that both now with the PSP and in the past with the DSi this thing happened because I filled to the brim the SD card (32gb with less than 100mb free) with roms and the probability of corrupting the file system is very high: this thread is a useful warning for anyone who would make the same mistake.

 

[master801]

Are you using a legitimate micro SD card? Legitimate as in the size the micro SD card is marked as.

 

[godreborn]

try to delete it with linux, wsl2. sudo rm -r folder name. use /mnt/c or whatever drive it is, etc.

 

[Nikokaro]

Are you using a legitimate micro SD card? Legitimate as in the size the micro SD card is marked as.

It is a 32gb Sandisk.

try to delete it with linux, wsl2. sudo rm -r folder name. use /mnt/c or whatever drive it is, etc.

I don't have Linux. I just have an old PC with Windows xp and don't want to risk damaging other data on the SD. As said several times, as it is it works. Thanks for the advice anyway.

 

[godreborn]

It is a 32gb Sandisk.


I don't have Linux. I just have an old PC with Windows xp and don't want to risk damaging other data on the SD. As said several times, as it is it works. Thanks for the advice anyway.

delete it in cmd prompt. rm -r folder name.

 

[Nikokaro]

Do you mean the ms-dos prompt? thank you but I don't feel like taking that risk, since games and saves work anyway. As @KleinesSinchen pointed out the SD file system is definitely corrupted. I would add that the best thing would be to reformat it, but you are not always willing to do the best thing, rather the most comfortable.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Do you mean the ms-dos prompt? thank you but I don't feel like taking that risk, since games and saves work anyway. As @KleinesSinchen pointed out the SD file system is definitely corrupted. I would add that the best thing would be to reformat it, but you are not always willing to do the best thing, rather the most comfortable.

Windows NT (and higher) command line (cmd) is not MS-DOS
"Windows key+r, cmd, ⏎"
opens a command line.

Note that messing around with a damaged file system will lead to more damage (no matter if from a GUI like explorer or from cmd). If you want to hear it or not, the proper way of dealing with this is backing up the files as long as this is possible -- followed by different approaches for repairing the damage (chkdsk, formatting if file system cannot be properly repaired, replacing the SD).

A computer with a Pentium I CPU from the 1990s is so grossly outdated (the rest of the hardware isn't much newer I guess) that it isn't suitable for dealing with much more modern and bigger data storage. It might or might not be possible to use it for the task (I am certainly a person, who would consider trying just for the sake of trying -- after dealing with the actual problem on a newer system).
Even if you dislike PCs, you should consider having at least one machine which can be used practically at the moment. I've literally seen usable PCs thrown into junkyards.

 

[Nikokaro]

Note that messing around with a damaged file system will lead to more damage (no matter if from a GUI like explorer or from cmd)

This is what I have said several times above in previous posts, in language that is not very precise and technical. So I do well not to delete anything, whether with Windows, Linux, Mac or whatnot.
As for the rest, I know very well how you think, but I will do as a wise latin said, "video meliora proboque sed deteriora sequor"(I see the right things and approve them, but do the wrong ones).

 

[KleinesSinchen]

This is what I have said several times above in previous posts, in language that is not very precise and technical. So I do well not to delete anything, whether with Windows, Linux, Mac or whatnot.

Not sure what you expect then.
The advise of simply not touching a damaged file system hoping it won't get any worse is questionable. In theory you are right: If there is absolutely no write access in the future (no new files, no deleting, no overwriting, no changing data, no anything) the file system won't get worse. A tautology: If it doesn't change, it doesn't get worse either.

But that is theory, and I very much doubt that any device will permanently mount the SD read-only by default (I don't have a PSP – if there are games and saves on the SD, there will be write access.

I see the right things and approve them, but do the wrong ones).

Spoiler: Do not run against a wall: It hurts!

"I heard it. You are right. Now, please excuse me… let me pick up momentum…" *bang* "Ouch!!"

 

[godreborn]

this is pretty much the reason you make backups. don't know why people skip this step.

 

[Nikokaro]

But that is theory, and I very much doubt that any device will permanently mount the SD read-only by default (I don't have a PSP – if there are games and saves on the SD, there will be write access.

On the PSP when you start a game, it automatically creates a folder with the save files, of the system settings (audio volume, screen size, loading speed etc.) and of the actual game. So when you play the game and save the position, the PSP writes the data to the file already created before, without adding more files in other sectors of the SD. All my games already have the corresponding files, so no risk in this regard.