Sd card access error

[VistaListener]

I've been struggling with this problem for hours, looked at multiple posts by people with similar problems. This scanner was turned off about a week ago and when I turned it on today it read, "SD CARD READ ERROR."

I looked at multiple posts where people fixed it with new cards, rewriting, ejecting and reinserting, and a host of other solutions.

So, my question, is there one post with the solution? I've updated Sentinel, I cleared user data several times, wrote to scanner several times and still no solution.

When I read the SD card in my laptop I see one Favorite File that I cannot open and there are no other files on the card. Shouldn't there be other files rather than just one, such as utilities?

 

[VistaListener]

Fixed - But I don't know how I did it.

Well, it's working now. I can't remember what I did, but when I clicked on Clear User Data, my laptop read "Writing to scanner." Then I unplugged the USB cable, powered down the scanner, restored power and the scanner read, "Nothing to Scan." So, I connected the USB cable again and in Sentinel I selected "Write to Scanner." It worked and it is scanning my favorite. So, whatever I did, I must have cleared something or restarting something.

 

[RandyKuff]

When you cleared the user data it rewrites the files back to the SD Card to run the scanner... Not your profile and settings... That's why you saw nothing to scan... When you wrote those files back that's when it started working...
Looks like you might of had the SD Card corrupt on you... Should be ok now...

 

[VistaListener]

I thought I did the procedure the same way several times with no results. Then, the last time, it worked. Thanks for your reply.

 

[RandyKuff]

I thought I did the procedure the same way several times with no results. Then, the last time, it worked. Thanks for your reply.

Glad to hear you have it working again...

If you have an SD Card reader on your computer I would reformat it with https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/eula_windows/

Then do the same procedure you did.... Clear user data etc ....
Only you will have to check the box that says Display all drives under clear user data to see it and select it.

 

[Voyager]

I would still consider replacing the card - or at least get a backup card prepped.

Also make sure you're running the latest firmware.

 

[VistaListener]

Yes, I updated everything possible and will pick up a few spare cards. Thanks to all.

 

[MStep]

Not sure I saw it mentioned, but the (very) few times I had SD card problems, I always went through a format procedure first (long format, not quick format)---- somehow there is a popular misnomer that "Clear User Data" actually takes files OFF the card, when in fact it puts the necessary "operating system" files ON to the card for the radio to operate, as has been mentioned previously in this thread.

On the bright side, I've had extremely few card problems with either the 436 or 536--- incidentally, I always use the USB cables to update the radio's main database and favorites lists, as opposed to removing the SD card from the scanner to do updates in my computer. It's very rare that the SD card ever comes out of the scanner.

 

[VistaListener]

MStep, I thought "Clear User Data" wiped the card or reformatted it and was puzzled when I saw "Writing to xxxxxxx" after I clicked it. I tried multiple measures to fix this problem, reformatting in the laptop, card adapter, long format, and once done, put the card into the scanner to "clear and write." Maybe I did some of the things incorrectly and eventually stumbled onto the correct procedure.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Voyager]

Yes, they could have picked better terms for that feature/option.

 

[MStep]

MStep, I thought "Clear User Data" wiped the card or reformatted it and was puzzled when I saw "Writing to xxxxxxx" after I clicked it. I tried multiple measures to fix this problem, reformatting in the laptop, card adapter, long format, and once done, put the card into the scanner to "clear and write." Maybe I did some of the things incorrectly and eventually stumbled onto the correct procedure.

Thanks for the info.

Yep--- it gets a lot of people confused. Bottom line is that as long as your radio is up and running properly, then whatever you did worked. My guess is that once you did the long format, everything else fell into place. Not sure how long you've had your 536--- I LOVE my radio and it's on 24/7 (with brightness for display set to its dimmest setting to avoid that issue), but newbies with the 436 and 536 have a steep learning curve to conquer, especially if they were not exposed to the HP-1 or HP-2.