Help "Preparing SD Card" Deletes New Files / Restores Deleted Files

[gary87]

Hi All

Originally from the thread below:
http://androidforums.com/htc-hero/119046-htc-hero-deletes-my-mp3s.html

Thought I'd move it here since I'm using Desire and this forum seems more active!

I'm having a problem where my SD Card won't accept changes. I connect my micro sd to my computer via card reader/usb and drag items across (i.e. music) and these save fine, I can open them and listen to them from the micro sd.

However, once I put the SD card back into my phone, and the phone 'prepares the sd card', I then try to look for the new music and new files but they're not there. Its as if in 'preparing the sd card' it restores it to its original state before I added the music.

I've run error checking on the sd card, and even formatted it numerous times - on my computer it shows as being empty.
But even so, once I load it back to the phone and it 'prepares the sd card', all of the files come back!

Anyone experienced the same and had a solution? Is my 16gig sandisk micro sd just completely corrupt?

Thanks

 

[Harry2]

The stock media player has to made an index update when folders/files are changed.
Use SDrescan (in market) after every change.

Harry

 

[gary87]

The stock media player has to made an index update when folders/files are changed.
Use SDrescan (in market) after every change.

Harry

Hi Harry,

Thanks for your response. However, my problem isn't that my music player can't trace the music files - its that the files are being deleted every time the phone 'prepares the sd card'.

Whether adding new files or deleting existing files on the sd card, once I put the sd card back into the phone, it restores its original state before the changes (new files deleted / deleted files restored).

 

[Harry2]

I suppose the amount of music files is big (because you use USB/card reader ).
So I wonder where the phone stores the content for restores on the SD card?

On the phone side, do use a file manager to look for the files?

Harry

 

[Rastaman-FB]

i think there is something corrupted on the media card
possibly windows is doing a scan/fix for corruption on media card and files are getting damaged.
when this happens android purges the files

you might want to backup the files you want to keep and then format the sdcard from within the phone (unmont sdcard, format)
after its done, put the files you need back

i cant see how the phone can store all the files and put them back on the card incorrectly once youve formatted by pc simply because the phone itself does not have enough internal storage to hold that data

 

[gary87]

I suppose the amount of music files is big (because you use USB/card reader ).
So I wonder where the phone stores the content for restores on the SD card?

On the phone side, do use a file manager to look for the files?

Harry

Yeah I use a file manager to look for the files, can't find them at all.

The content is definitely not being saved on to the phone, like rastaman said, there's simply too much for that to be possible.

i think there is something corrupted on the media card
possibly windows is doing a scan/fix for corruption on media card and files are getting damaged.
when this happens android purges the files

you might want to backup the files you want to keep and then format the sdcard from within the phone (unmont sdcard, format)
after its done, put the files you need back

i cant see how the phone can store all the files and put them back on the card incorrectly once youve formatted by pc simply because the phone itself does not have enough internal storage to hold that data

Yeah I'm thinking its the card itself, but I'm trying to put off buying a new one.

Also, I'm unable to format the card using the phone.

> Press Unmount SD
> Press Format SD card
> (Message: This action will erase the sd card.. etc etc) Press Format SD card
> (Message: Format sd card, erasing all your media? Action cannot be reversed!) Press Erase Everything
> Message immediately appears in notification bar "Preparing sd card" ....
> Card is mounted again and no format took place.

=.=

 

[Rastaman-FB]

Yeah I use a file manager to look for the files, can't find them at all.

The content is definitely not being saved on to the phone, like rastaman said, there's simply too much for that to be possible.



Yeah I'm thinking its the card itself, but I'm trying to put off buying a new one.

Also, I'm unable to format the card using the phone.

> Press Unmount SD
> Press Format SD card
> (Message: This action will erase the sd card.. etc etc) Press Format SD card
> (Message: Format sd card, erasing all your media? Action cannot be reversed!) Press Erase Everything
> Message immediately appears in notification bar "Preparing sd card" ....
> Card is mounted again and no format took place.

=.=

hmmm

do you have a custom recovery?
if so you can try and format it within there
if not get gparted live cd or live usb and boot to it
format the card using gparted instead of windows.

 

[garryknight]

You can get this kind of behaviour if you write something to an SD card then pull the USB cable out of the PC (or the SD card out of the card reader) without safely unmounting it first.

 

[MadAlicesDad]

I'm having the same problem with a Xperia X10 Mini. I copy mp3s to phone using USB cable and the songs can be played from phone on PC. When I disconnect phone (having 'safely removed hardware', unmount SD card etc) and open music player, there is no sign of some of the albums and songs.
When I plug the phone back into the computer, Windows explorer shows that although all the folders (ie album title) are there, most of them are empty.
I've tried loading the card by using my camera as a card reader but the same thing happens - songs can be played from the card , but when removed and installed in phone, the files are deleted.
I have only noticed this problem today, and it coincides with installing a new (8GB SD HC) card.
Any help much appreciated before I ditch Android, sell the phone and go back to my old W705.
TIA
Mike

 

[garryknight]

There is one other possibility. I've noticed that if I change some of the pictures on my phone while it's plugged into the PC (delete some from the phone, move some to the PC) the Gallery thinks they're still there sometimes. The same thing could happen with music files, I'm guessing. A reboot (powering down and then back up) seems to fix it as it give the phone a chance to re-scan its directories.

 

[Harry2]

There is one other possibility. I've noticed that if I change some of the pictures on my phone while it's plugged into the PC (delete some from the phone, move some to the PC) the Gallery thinks they're still there sometimes. The same thing could happen with music files, I'm guessing. A reboot (powering down and then back up) seems to fix it as it give the phone a chance to re-scan its directories.

With your case use SDrescan (in market) after every change

Harry

 

[garryknight]

Thanks, Harry. Could do, if my SD card and main storage weren't already overfull of apps...

 

[gary87]

Hi Guys

A bit worrying. I'm using a different SD card now, but having the same problem when trying to format it using the phone:

> Press Unmount SD
> Press Format SD card
> (Message: This action will erase the sd card.. etc etc) Press Format SD card
> (Message: Format sd card, erasing all your media? Action cannot be reversed!) Press Erase Everything
> Message immediately appears in notification bar "Preparing sd card" ....
> Card is mounted again and no format took place.

This makes me think my phone is cacked up, if its happening to two separate SD cards..

I'm starting to dislike my android =.=

 

[Rastaman-FB]

reflash the rom, you will lose apps/data

see if that helps

most times its card but its odd that its doing it with a new card
is it a standard rom?

 

[gary87]

My phone isn't rooted o.o

 

[Rastaman-FB]

you dont need to be
post the details you see in
settings>about > software information

 

[gary87]

Thanks rhastaman. Appreciate your patience.

Android version:
2.2

Baseband version:
32.49.00.32U_5.11.05.27

Kernel version:
2.6.32.15-g2633d94
htc-kernel@and18-2 #1

Build number
2.33.161.2 CL284385 release-keys

Software number
2.33.161.2

Browser version:
WebKit 3.1

 

[Rastaman-FB]

OK
you may have seen posts on this forum and other places about "RUU"
This file you need to have the htc drivers installed on your machine (install htc sync and then uninstall just the sync part)
A USB Cable
over 50% battery
Some time and some patience

Basically its a hard flash of the device, it will wipe the device data and rebuild it by doing this.
Shipped ROMs
once downloaded run it
it will prompt you to connect the device
connect the device (charge only)
follow the prompts and it will reboot the device and go through a whole series of things.

do not panic, it will reboot about 3 times and youll see a black htc image with green bars
do not remove the phone or shut down the pc at any time during this process
make sure you dont have a screentimeout policy on the computer

its the safest way to flash a device and is pretty risk free. I will warn you though that anything that involves flashing (a radio) can still be a risk and in the rare even of failure it can brick the device (as can most things)
This is official Vodaphone software so it will not void your warranty so you would be able to return it in the even of failure
if it doesnt fail and you still have the problem, return it anyway as its faulty hardware (you would have illuminated a software issue by reflashing)

 

[gary87]

Hi Rhasta, is there another site where this ROM is available? I'm having some trouble downloading from this site (download speeds, download keeps failing midway).

UPDATE: nevermind, downloaded now!

 

[gary87]

Thanks Rhasta,

The flashing seemed to do the trick for the phone. The original 16gig sd card is definitely messed up so will have to invest in a new one.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Rastaman-FB]

sweet so its stopped doing this wierd stuff now you reflashed?
only the 16gig card is behaving oddly?
the test one you used is working ok now?

if so great, glad you got it sorted out

 

[gary87]

Yep you're correct on all accounts.

Phone's working better than ever right now.

 

[rohan246]

i have a similar problem. i am using a samsung galaxy 5 version 2.2 nd everytime i rebooth the phone all the files that were stored on the memory card are deleted....i need help plz

 

[newbie88]

Hi,
I am facing an issue with my sd card similar to what you had solved sometimes back. After i do any changes in my sd card, add files or delete them, after i plug my phone to my pc or even directly on my phone, whenever the phone is restarted or after i disconnect it from my pc, a message appears saying "Preparing SD Card" and it Deletes New Files / Restores Deleted Files. Can you please help me with this issue.

Thanks