Hacking Vita NOT Recognizing 64GB (official) memory card, 3.60, Henkaku Enso

[Dochartaigh]

I started using my Vita for the first time in maybe 6 months and it was working fine all last night. Today I then got an error that said something like 'please don't remove the memory card while the system is running', and when I restarted nothing is showing up but the regular system bubbles, and the 2x bubbles for the 2x memory card games I own (none of the other games I installed, VitaQuake, Adrenaline, RetroArch, etc. which were on the memory card). When I go into the memory card manager it doesn't even see the official Sony 64GB card I have inserted (says 1gb left, so I assume it's reading the internal/stock memory only). When I go to the format memory card menu item, the system seems to freeze. There's no bubbles for any of the Henkaku/jailbreak stuff like VitaShell or Molecular Shell. I don't believe this is the common error of the memory card not working after long periods of sleep - never had that before, and this was only for 8 hours or so (but who knows).

I'm running a PCH-2001, on firmware 3.60. I believe I'm running Henkaku Enso (the one where you don't have to go to henkaku.xyz every time you reboot to re-jailbreak it). Henkaku logo shows up upon startup, and in Settings there's the HENkaku Settings I can go into - in there I tried Unlink Memory Card, and Reload taiHEN config.txt. Also tried going back to hankaku.xyz to re-jailbreak it (just in case), and it said it wasn't possible (which it also said that warning would show up if it's already running the Enso jailbreak or something to that effect).

One thing to note that this Vita has done for a while, is when I press the power button MANY times it won't let me swipe down on the top right to unlock the Vita. And right now it's being extremely difficult – a couple times the screen won't even turn on, and the green light is blinking on top - but after doing that for 2x cycles I was finally able to swipe down and get back into the unit. Also noted that when I press power, the bluetooth and Wifi logo show up on the top left, then the wifi logo goes away...and I still can't swipe to open (just mentioning this weird behavior in case it helps diagnose.

If the memory card is toast (I know the 64gb ones in particular are buggy), can anybody tell me the newest and greatest SD card holder people like to use? I have a ton of Sandisk 128gb micro SD cards I can use.

 

[Ryccardo]

Unless you have a custom storage driver not designed to mount the original memory card, yes, it could have spontaneously failed - it's happened to me two times with the plain 4 GB ones

 

[Dochartaigh]

Unless you have a custom storage driver not designed to mount the original memory card, yes, it could have spontaneously failed - it's happened to me two times with the plain 4 GB ones

No custom storage driver I'm aware of - wouldn't even know how to do that unless it's baked into (and the default option) for Henkaku Enso or VitaShell or one of the default/regular jailbreaking programs people normally install.

Aren't you still supposed to be able to reformat a memory card if it gets corrupted? Mine isn't even seeing the memory card as far as I can tell.

I've been wanting to do a FULL reformat of BOTH the Vita itself, and the memory card but have been scared of having it update the firmware, or messing up the jailbreak - is this something I should look into? I figured the 'not being able to swipe down to unlock' problem was something being messed-up somewhere and a complete re-do would fix it (plus I like to do this even on my laptops every year or two and reformat them to start fresh). In the settings I see "restore Settings", and "Restore this system" - could either of those help?

Otherwise I should look into the micro SD card option, right? Those should be more reliable than the official Sony memory cards?

 

[WeedZ]

I'm not reading all that. Turn the vita off, put the memory card in but push it as far as it will go and hold it. Dont let it click back. Then start it up. Let the vita "repair" the card. Then let go of it, letting release in to the lock position.

 

[Dochartaigh]

I'm not reading all that. Turn the vita off, put the memory card in but push it as far as it will go and hold it. Dont let it click back. Then start it up. Let the vita "repair" the card. Then let go of it, letting release in to the lock position.

Already tried that before, and just tried it a 3rd time - doesn't prompt to repair the card, and memory card still isn't recognized from what I can tell.

 

[WeedZ]

Already tried that before, and just tried it a 3rd time - doesn't prompt to repair the card, and memory card still isn't recognized from what I can tell.

That's weird. I've had two vitas that both wouldn't read 64 gig cards and that's what solved it. I dont know how it worked or why only 64g. But someone recommended it to me and it's worked every time.

 

[Dochartaigh]

That's weird. I've had two vitas that both wouldn't read 64 gig cards and that's what solved it. I dont know how it worked or why only 64g. But someone recommended it to me and it's worked every time.

Yeah, these 64gb cards are supposed to be POS's, and they're expensive as hell to boot. I'm googling now, but what SD card adapter do people like to use? I'm NOT buying another official Sony needless to say lol. Found this one top rated on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Funturbo-Ult...358&s=gateway&sprefix=vita+sd+,aps,214&sr=8-1

 

[Ryccardo]

wouldn't even know how to do that unless it's baked into (and the default option) for Henkaku Enso or VitaShell or one of the default/regular jailbreaking programs people normally install.

Yep, it's not in Enso, not in h-encore, there technically are some in vitashell (for PSTV USB, mainly) but you must manually start them

Aren't you still supposed to be able to reformat a memory card if it gets corrupted? Mine isn't even seeing the memory card as far as I can tell.

I think so... but not if the card physically failed

I've been wanting to do a FULL reformat of BOTH the Vita itself, and the memory card but have been scared of having it update the firmware, or messing up the jailbreak

No such thing as an automatic update, you must always confirm it
Depending on the variant of Enso you're using, yes it may prevent it from running - until reinstalled with its app, that is!

In the settings I see "restore Settings", and "Restore this system" - could either of those help?

Restore System is a factory reset (it doesn't reinstall the operating system - you can do that via recovery and QCMA) and includes settings reset (which just changes some options in xregistry back to the defaults); honestly I doubt they are related to your problem, but hey it's free to try, isn't it?

Otherwise I should look into the micro SD card option, right? Those should be more reliable than the official Sony memory cards?

That depends of course on the microSD you buy... and the adapter you buy (they are just mechanical devices, like the more common microSD to SD ones, and as you may expect from a $2 product freeshipped from China quality control and mechanical tolerances are what they are, it could be a smart idea to buy more than one from different sellers so that you have a spare handy)

 

[WeedZ]

Yeah, these 64gb cards are supposed to be POS's, and they're expensive as hell to boot. I'm googling now, but what SD card adapter do people like to use? I'm NOT buying another official Sony needless to say lol. Found this one top rated on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Funturbo-Ultimate-Version-SD2Vita-Adapter/dp/B07F63FPT3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FRKRKTS3AIXO&keywords=vita+sd+adapter&qid=1549831358&s=gateway&sprefix=vita+sd+,aps,214&sr=8-1

That's the same one I use

 

[Dochartaigh]

That's the same one I use

Just ordered it along with a 128gb Sandisk ultra micro SD card - thanks.

To this other annoying problem, when I: Press power, can't swipe to unlock, unit times out and screen goes black. Press power again, nothing happens to the screen but the green LED blinks...have to do this multiple times to get it to unlock - any clue about that?

Restore System is a factory reset (it doesn't reinstall the operating system - you can do that via recovery and QCMA) and includes settings reset (which just changes some options in xregistry back to the defaults); honestly I doubt they are related to your problem, but hey it's free to try, isn't it?

With the above problem I've had for a while (which is WAY worse now) I REALLY want to do a 'Restore System' (already did "Restore Settings" and that didn't help) to see if starting fresh helps. BUT, what really worries me about the system restore is it says 'system is activated with Sony network account, if you restore this system you will not be able to deactivate it later Do you want to deactivate this system before restoring'?

I jailbroke this thing two years ago, but remember having to use a PS3 console to do some funky stuff to get it activated (maybe for an earlier version of Adrenaline to be able to download the PS1 games I bought or something like that?). Is this going to F it up? --my memory is totally hazy about this but don't want to brick the unit.

 

[Ryccardo]

With the above problem I've had for a while (which is WAY worse now) I REALLY want to do a 'Restore System' (already did "Restore Settings" and that didn't help) to see if starting fresh helps. BUT, what really worries me about the system restore is it says 'system is activated with Sony network account, if you restore this system you will not be able to deactivate it later Do you want to deactivate this system before restoring'?

I jailbroke this thing two years ago, but remember having to use a PS3 console to do some funky stuff to get it activated (maybe for an earlier version of Adrenaline to be able to download the PS1 games I bought or something like that?). Is this going to F it up? --my memory is totally hazy about this but don't want to brick the unit.

Yes, activation (in the meaning used for consumer consoles) is just the ability to decrypt original PSN games bought by a specific account (which used, years ago, to be a requirement for using the PSP/PS1 modes; current versions of Adrenaline know better)

 

[Dochartaigh]

Yes, activation (in the meaning used for consumer consoles) is just the ability to decrypt original PSN games bought by a specific account (which used, years ago, to be a requirement for using the PSP/PS1 modes; current versions of Adrenaline know better)

Now I think I remember I only had to use an actual PS3 console to move those officially-purchased PS1 games to the Vita (this was before Adrenaline could play PS1 games I think). Since then, I never touched those official game bubbles, and played all my PS1 games through Adrenaline.


More importantly, now that I'm not seeing ANY of the henkaku/jailbreak bubbles like VitaShell, how can I get those back onto this unit? Without VitaShell I can't FTP or USB into the unit, right? Since I also can't use the old jailbreak method of going to henkaku.xyz to jailbreak because I have the firmware Enso jailbreak on it, what should I do? Even when the SD card adapter comes in, without the ability to load VitaShell onto the Vita I'm kinda sunk here...

 

[Ryccardo]

Without VitaShell I can't FTP or USB into the unit, right?

No, but you can use Content Manager to backup and restore apps to a computer running QCMA; and thanks to psvimg-tools, you can generate a backup of VitaShell without actually having it installed, and restore that