Help Expandable storage (Micro SD) limit

[BrickHouse]

You are correct.
Now, I used to format from the get go... and never had a problem.
Then, since coupla years ago I stopped formatting, and have seen problems... on different devices...
I'm gonna return to the xda style of four partitions... Data, cache, etc...with different file systems.

My 128 card gave out. I rescued files then reformatted with the phone, card was recognized but no write access. Used computers to test/reformat and retest (Windows, Mac, Linux and even Unix) due to ongoing troubles. Long story short, even the best of them can die. I still recommend buying only high end cards.

 

[horsecharles]

My 128 card gave out. I rescued files then reformatted with the phone, card was recognized but no write access. Used computers to test/reformat and retest (Windows, Mac, Linux and even Unix) due to ongoing troubles. Long story short, even the best of them can die. I still recommend buying only high end cards.

I'm really glad you did not lose anything('cept for that big time sink).

This is why I don't like low storage phones(unless if they had two SD slots) - this way the stuff on inner is auto-backed up on external & vice versa.

I actually wish they made phones thru laptops with two SD slots....

I also wish that android n Windows didn't format the cards so differently, so that you just pop in to share anytime.

 

[mikedt]

I currently use a 512gb works just fine

Have you tried storing more than about 2GB of data on it yet though? Strongly urge you to test it properly, before you do.

 

[mikedt]

I'm really glad you did not lose anything('cept for that big time sink).

This is why I don't like low storage phones(unless if they had two SD slots) - this way the stuff on inner is auto-backed up on external & vice versa.

I actually wish they made phones thru laptops with two SD slots....

I also wish that android n Windows didn't format the cards so differently, so that you just pop in to share anytime.

Normally Android doesn't format them any different to Windows, usually FAT32 or exFAT. Fully usable by both.

If you've done anything fancy, like formatting them as EXT4, not readable by Windows, or adopted them as internal with Marshmallow 6.x, then again Win can't use that either. I've never done either myself.

 

[horsecharles]

Normally Android doesn't format them any different to Windows, usually FAT32 or exFAT. Fully usable by both.

If you've done anything fancy, like formatting them as EXT4, not readable by Windows, or adopted them as internal with Marshmallow 6.x, then again Win can't use that either. I've never done either myself.

I've Fat simple formatted cards with the idea to hot swap at will @ different hardware.
Now, Android wants to reformat a card formatted in Windows & for viceversa: Windows doesn't protest, but after awhile cannot access / see some files.

This didn't used to be pre-android 5.

 

[ChrisU65]

For practical purposes there is no sd size detect limit nowadays.
If a phone can handle 32, it can do larger sizes.
This should no longer be a worry, esp. with the top brands.
If you think I'm wrong feel free to put me in my place.

Hey horsecharles... this may not be entirely accurate.
The original SD card has a max. capacity of 2 GB and uses the FAT32 filing system.
SDHC (High Capacity) has a max. capacity of 32 GB and uses the FAT32 filing system.
SDXC (eXtended Capacity) has a max capacity of 2 TB and uses the exFAT filing system.

Microsoft owns exFAT... and are charging other vendors for the rights to access exFAT. Some vendors pay... and those who do, can access upto 2 TB. Those vendors who do not, there devices can only access upto 32GB on FAT32. I have had some 64 GB SD cards formatted FAT32 work... but only for a short time before dieing a horrible death, and not being recoverable in any way, shape or form.

Now, that being said... there are 3rd party softwares that will allow you to format over 32 GB with FAT32. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 tablet. I recently received a new 512 GB MicroSD card. it was formated 500 GB with FAT32. I put it in my tablet, and it was recognized, and showed 500 GB. The problem was once I started copying video files to it. Everything past the 32 GB mark was unreadable.

I just formated the 512 GB as exFAT... and am in the process of copying 100 GBs of files to it. I will then test to see if my Samsung Tablet will recognize it.

 

[daffyducknj]

ChrisU65, you're correct about the exFAT copyright issues. I do have three devices running 64 GB cards, all of them running FAT32. One of them has been using the same card for 2+ years, inside a Samsung tablet that has been rooted and runs an overclocked kernel.

The only limit of using FAT32 is the file size limit, which is 4 GB. I'm sorry to see you've had bad luck with your cards. But for me, no problems at all.

 

[mactolandblankets]

I have been seeing inconsistent amounts for the storage limit on the stylo. Currently on both the metro pcs and tmobile websites it says it has Up to 32GB Expandable Memory. On literally every review before it came out it says 128GB or up to 2TB. Whats strange is I also saw a review where they had a screen shot of tmobiles first specs on it when it said up to 128GB or 2TB. Has anyone one tried to put any micro sd card on it above 32GB like the 64 or 128. If so let me know. Thats my only deciding factor for this phone.

on a side note not sure what prefix this would be considered....

I have 128GB in my stylo 3 tried 512gb it doesn't work looking for a model phone it will work in why I bought the stylo 3 boost says 32gb but i have 128GB & it works.

 

[mactolandblankets]

I have the boost version, and have a 32 gb sd card in it and it works fine. Only issue im having is finding a working wifi tether...

I have same EXCEPT 128GB SD card works great my 512gb does not work.

 

[mactolandblankets]

The reason they state that cards only up to 32gb are supported us because cards larger than that come formatted to ntfs format by default, which Android (by default) can't read. All you need to do is format the larger card to fat and it should work no problems

I have 128GB card that works no problem but 512GB won't work any idea how to fix it

 

[mactolandblankets]

you guys answered me on xda already lol thanks

I am using 128GB no problem but 512GB won't work

 

[Hadron]

I am using 128GB no problem but 512GB won't work

Well you've told us that 4 times now, so it must be true .

But seriously, you bought a card that costs more than the phone? At least it did if it was a real one. I mention that possibility because post #131 talks about having bought a 512GB microSD in 2016, but the first 512GB microSD card has only been available for a couple of months so that person definitely had a fake.

 

[mactolandblankets]

Well you've told us that 4 times now, so it must be true .

But seriously, you bought a card that costs more than the phone? At least it did if it was a real one. I mention that possibility because post #131 talks about having bought a 512GB microSD in 2016, but the first 512GB microSD card has only been available for a couple of months so that person definitely had a fake.

I bought this phone & card same time just different companies. How can we tell it's a fake.??

 

[mactolandblankets]

Yeh, but you don't get counterfeit gas do you? Same Ebay and Alibaba vendors selling 512GB SDs for $40....OK.

My 512GB was $!75.00

 

[Hadron]

If that is $175 then it's extremely cheap, perhaps suspiciously so (if that was $75 it's definitely fake). The only 512GB microSD I'm aware of is the Integral one, released late January this year, which is selling in the UK for about twice that amount (UK prices include sales taxes, while US prices are quoted without, but that's a 20% effect). And every press report of it describes it as the first 512GB card.

The problem with fake cards is that they don't really give you the capacity you have paid for. So if you buy a fake "128 GB" card that's really a 16 GB card that's been hacked to identify itself as 128GB, it will all look normal until you try to write more than 16 GB of data to it. Then the phone won't realise it's full (because it thinks it's a 128 GB card) and new data will be written over what's already there, with the result that files will be corrupted.

So, first test: if you bought it before late January, or if it has a different brand name on it, you can be pretty sure it's a fake. If it was working in your phone there's an app called "sd insight" that is a good first pass test, but by the sound of things that's not an option for you.

A second test is if you are using it and find that files are disappearing or being corrupted, that's a sign that it's probably a fake.

The definitive test is to put it in a card reader, plug it into a PC, then use a little utility called h2testw (a free download) to check the capacity. A fake card is a lower-capacity card that's been modified to report its capacity as higher than it really is, whereas h2testw will test the actual free space on the card (which, on a freshly formatted card, is the real total capacity of the card). It's slow, but thorough, and won't be fooled by the spoofing of the card's capacity.

 

[mactolandblankets]

If that is $175 then it's extremely cheap, perhaps suspiciously so (if that was $75 it's definitely fake). The only 512GB microSD I'm aware of is the Integral one, released late January this year, which is selling in the UK for about twice that amount (UK prices include sales taxes, while US prices are quoted without, but that's a 20% effect). And every press report of it describes it as the first 512GB card.

The problem with fake cards is that they don't really give you the capacity you have paid for. So if you buy a fake '128 GB' card that's really a 16 GB card that's been hacked to identify itself as 128GB, it will all look normal until you try to write more than 16 GB of data to it. Then the phone won't realise it's full (because it thinks it's a 128 GB card) and new data will be written over what's already there, with the result that files will be corrupted.

So, first test: if you bought it before late January, or if it has a different brand name on it, you can be pretty sure it's a fake. If it was working in your phone there's an app called 'sd insight' that is a good first pass test, but by the sound of things that's not an option for you.

A second test is if you are using it and find that files are disappearing or being corrupted, that's a sign that it's probably a fake.

The definitive test is to put it in a card reader, plug it into a PC, then use a little utility called h2testw (a free download) to check the capacity. A fake card is a lower-capacity card that's been modified to report its capacity as higher than it really is, whereas h2testw will test the actual free space on the card (which, on a freshly formatted card, is the real total capacity of the card). It's slow, but thorough, and won't be fooled by the spoofing of the card's capacity.

Thanks that explains it the card is junk lawyer time! The company wouldn't try to help nothing. Sounds like fake but will load that app & see if it confirms it.

 

[Richard Zowaski]

I have a Samsung 128gb that works fine. I'm about to but the 1tb has anyone tried the 1tb in the phone?

 

[Richard Zowaski]

I have a Samsung 128gb that works fine. I'm about to but the 1tb has anyone tried the 1tb in the phone?

Update. Since this posting, I've been using a Samsung 200gb card in my Stylo 3 Ls777. I've recently purchased a 1tb but I suspect it's fake as after about 30gb of data transfer the files don't actually show up on the card anymore. My plan is to buy a good PNY 400gb next. I have about 500gb worth of Audiobooks and movies that I want to be able to access on my phone whenever I want.

 

[Hadron]

The first 512GB microsd card was released in January. I've heard nothing about a 1TB microsd being released. So I'm sure that any "1 TB" card on sale this year is a fake by definition.

 

[Richard Zowaski]

The first 512GB microsd card was released in January. I've heard nothing about a 1TB microsd being released. So I'm sure that any "1 TB" card on sale this year is a fake by definition.

It's a fairly convincing lie though because when I insert it into the computer to copy files, it comes up as having 980Gb of free space.
I did just look on Amazon and Newegg and yes, 512gb was the highest capacity SD available in Samsung, SanDisk and Pny

 

[Richard Zowaski]

It's a fairly convincing lie though because when I insert it into the computer to copy files, it comes up as having 980Gb of free space.
I did just look on Amazon and Newegg and yes, 512gb was the highest capacity SD available in Samsung, SanDisk and Pny

And my phone is rated to accommodate "up to 2tb of expandable memory"

 

[Hadron]

It's a fairly convincing lie though because when I insert it into the computer to copy files, it comes up as having 980Gb of free space.

That's what they do: they reprogram it to report the capacity they want you to see.
From what you've said it's probably a 32GB card (which, in binary units, has a capacity of about 29.7 GB) that they've hacked to appear much larger than it really is.

 

[Richard Zowaski]

That's what they do: they reprogram it to report the capacity they want you to see.
From what you've said it's probably a 32GB card (which, in binary units, has a capacity of about 29.7 GB) that they've hacked to appear much larger than it really is.

Yeah it fit about 30gb and everything afterwards looked like it copied but nothing actually appears once I put it in the phone. -shrug--I'm only out about 13$ xD
The 400gb I saw is about 111$ and that's not too bad

 

[Hadron]

$13?? Wow, that doesn't sound a crazy price for a 32GB card. Shame they messed it up so the phone can't tell when it's full

 

[Gary White]

Just thought I'd show my Stylo 2....
That's a 200 GB micro SD card. No problem.