SD Card Not Recognized by Sentinel

[billsblots]

I just unpacked the 536 an hour ago. Sentinel would not recognize the SD card, "OK" button remained grayed out when trying to Update firmware and database, both unsuccessful. Using SD Formatter it did reformat. Now the 536 display tells me to Clear User Data to initialize the SD card.

I am trying, have restarted the Sentinel software and the radio, checked "Display All Drives", and clicked Refresh multiple times, but nothing shows up and the "OK" button remains grayed out. Any more suggestions? Thanks.

 

[fxdscon]

I just unpacked the 536 an hour ago. Sentinel would not recognize the SD card, "OK" button remained grayed out when trying to Update firmware and database, both unsuccessful. Using SD Formatter it did reformat. Now the 536 display tells me to Clear User Data to initialize the SD card.

I am trying, have restarted the Sentinel software and the radio, checked "Display All Drives", and clicked Refresh multiple times, but nothing shows up and the "OK" button remains grayed out. Any more suggestions? Thanks.

Did you put the scanner in the "mass storage" mode?

.

 

[RandyKuff]

Something isn't right... Even without the scanner connected and you select clear user data and display all drives you should see at least the C drive of your computer.

 

[sadman3]

, I am having the exact same problem my 436. I couldn't even get it to read anything with a new card I'm trying to uninstall Sentinel and start over but its not letting me.

 

[billsblots]

Did you put the scanner in the "mass storage" mode?

.

Yessir it reads "usb mass storage" or something like that.

slight update, I restarted the computer and powered off/on the radio and the SD Drive appeared once as "E:/xxxxx.." , something like that, which made sense, and the OK button was active not gray, and it appeared to download the firmware. It said it would be written in the scanner when the usb cable was disconnected, but the message "clear user data" came up again, and I was not able to make the "E:" (SD) drive appear again.
Monday at work I'll restart the computer and go at it again, but it certainly is a miss and hit thing. Mostly miss.

 

[billsblots]

Something isn't right... Even without the scanner connected and you select clear user data and display all drives you should see at least the C drive of your computer.

Oh thanks, but "C:" has never appeared in the list even checking "display all drives" and refreshing.

 

[Voyager]

Something isn't right... Even without the scanner connected and you select clear user data and display all drives you should see at least the C drive of your computer.

The C drive (and any other FIXED drives) are blocked.

Can you imaging the flames Uniden would get if they allowed to you CLEAR your C drive?

 

[RandyKuff]

The C drive (and any other FIXED drives) are blocked.

Can you imaging the flames Uniden would get if they allowed to you CLEAR your C drive?

You are WRONG on that one... Sentinel will clear another drive,,, So indeed you must be careful... I know it will... I've done it to a backup drive I use for documents etc... Just to see... Not a big deal just redid the backup... I went only so far with the C drive to see what it would do... It was at the point of click and away it goes... Unless windows will throw a warning in there first... If not ... Kiss your C drive goodbye...

 

[darunimal]

My C:\ drive never shows to be cleared on Sentinel but I believe other drives will, my Readyboost won't though.

 

[RandyKuff]

My C:\ drive never shows to be cleared on Sentinel but I believe other drives will, my Readyboost won't though.

Take a look...

 

[Voyager]

And do you notice that the drives shown are of UNKNOWN type? As I said, FIXED drives will not show. In virtually every case, the C drive is a fixed (not removable) drive.

I don't know why your PC is not correctly identifying the drive type.

 

[billsblots]

Update to original problem:
I can get the E: Drive (SD card) to show up (in the Sentinel softward) by either changing usb ports, restarting the computer, plug the usb cable in and out a couple of times, etc.

The recurring problem is SD card error. I have successfully gone through the "Update Firmware" process up to the point where it says the firmware will be updated when you unplug the usb cable. When I do that it always comes back to "SD Card File Error - Use Sentinel 'Clear User Data' operation to initialize SD Card."
Actually if I then plug the usb cable back into the radio it very briefly, one second, displays "Writing to SD card. Please Wait", then the screen blanks and comes back to "USB Mass Storage".

I'm believing the SD card is faulty and will try to find another one in the shop or bring in from home that I can try.

Any other suggestions?
Thanks.

One thing is clear, this Uniden product fails right out of the box.

 

[Blackswan73]

80% of problems with SD card errors, are user error, as I have stated before. Even if the card is defective, that is not a problem with the scanner, only the card, which is not made by Uniden. Either way, the scanner didn't fail, the card did. Easiest way to test the card, is to remove it from the scanner. Put it in a card reader, and try to format the card with SD formatter. Then, if the card will not format, the card is bad. If the card will format, then try to put files on the card with the computer without using Sentinel. If you can write to the card and read from the card, it is good. If you cannot write to the card, or read from the card, it is a bad card. If every thing is good, leave the card in the reader, not the scanner, and see if Sentinel recognizes the card.

 

[AuntEnvy]

That's what I was going to say muskrat

Use a card reader and put it directly into the computer.

Provided you have everything else installed/running correctly, it should show up. If it doesn't then, more than likely, there is something wrong with the micro. Also, do not use the adapter that comes with the micro. I've had trouble with everyone of those I've used as well. Take the advice from the people here, as I did, and buy a card reader.

 

[Voyager]

And you are sure it's formatted as FAT or FAT32 AND you have used the CLEAR USER DATA on it (after you format it)?

 

[dmaria]

80% of problems with SD card errors, are user error, as I have stated before. Even if the card is defective, that is not a problem with the scanner, only the card, which is not made by Uniden. Either way, the scanner didn't fail, the card did. Easiest way to test the card, is to remove it from the scanner. Put it in a card reader, and try to format the card with SD formatter. Then, if the card will not format, the card is bad. If the card will format, then try to put files on the card with the computer without using Sentinel. If you can write to the card and read from the card, it is good. If you cannot write to the card, or read from the card, it is a bad card. If every thing is good, leave the card in the reader, not the scanner, and see if Sentinel recognizes the card.

About a year ago, some individuals were strongly suggesting that the clock problems and dim displays were "user" errors. Look what happened with that!

 

[buddrousa]

As far as the SD card issue I would say you need to google search FAT32 limitations in file sizes and number of files per folder. Look at the dates of the articles they are long before the 1st sd card scanner was built.

 

[Voyager]

About a year ago, some individuals were strongly suggesting that the clock problems and dim displays were "user" errors. Look what happened with that!

Some clock problems most definitely were user problems - such as the users who posted they just unpacked their 536 and it has the clock problem. Well, if you just unpacked it you could not have charged it for 50 hours.

Anywho, back on this issue, this could be a bad card out of the box. Try another SD card.

 

[billsblots]

80% of problems with SD card errors, are user error, as I have stated before. Even if the card is defective, that is not a problem with the scanner, only the card, which is not made by Uniden. Either way, the scanner didn't fail, the card did. Easiest way to test the card, is to remove it from the scanner. Put it in a card reader, and try to format the card with SD formatter. Then, if the card will not format, the card is bad. If the card will format, then try to put files on the card with the computer without using Sentinel. If you can write to the card and read from the card, it is good. If you cannot write to the card, or read from the card, it is a bad card. If every thing is good, leave the card in the reader, not the scanner, and see if Sentinel recognizes the card.

I have tried 3 SD cards that all format and read in various devices, but each shows "SD Card File Error" when I get to the firmware update stage.

 

[billsblots]

And you are sure it's formatted as FAT or FAT32 AND you have used the CLEAR USER DATA on it (after you format it)?

Thanks for the good suggestion.

I did see the FAT32 today after reformatting. Unfortunately, on the prompt to remove the USB cable so formatting would begin, the screen blanks and comes back to "SD Card File Error", "Use Sentinel 'Clear User Date'".

(Yes, I've Cleared User Data somewhere between 15 and 20 times by now. Also reformatted the original and two other micro SD cards with SD Formatter to FAT32.)

The properties show File System FAT32, 54.6 MB used and 3.63 GB free space.

Data on the card can be read on a computer with a card adapter, i.e., a list of states and files.

We have downloaded the firmware and database files to the card while plugged into the computer, and when transferred to the 536 and turned on it flips into SD Card File Error again. This happens with multiple micro SD cards. It has never showed "Updating Firmware" with the bar moving across the screen as seen on one of the youtube videos.