This morning I was going to move some pictures to sd, but when I got to My Files it said there were no files on it. I shut down the S5 and took out the card. It looks ok, no corrosion. I put it back and there's still the same problem. The second time was the same. It's a 256 gb sd card, red and gray.
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Major sd problem
- Thread starter Rgarner
- Start date
Do you have another device you can try the card in? If it asks you to format the card, don't do it.
These cards can fail suddenly and without warning, but the fact that's it's not telling you that the card is unrecognised or can't be mounted is a good sign. However it might be that it's suffered a slightly less terminal failure and you'll need to use a file recovery tool (I'd personally use a computer and a card reader rather than faff around trying to find a decent Android file recovery app, but then I have a choice of computers for this type of thing).
These cards can fail suddenly and without warning, but the fact that's it's not telling you that the card is unrecognised or can't be mounted is a good sign. However it might be that it's suffered a slightly less terminal failure and you'll need to use a file recovery tool (I'd personally use a computer and a card reader rather than faff around trying to find a decent Android file recovery app, but then I have a choice of computers for this type of thing).
You're lucky enough. This is the only working phone I've got right now, not counting that apparently uncrackable J3, and no computer. I had a similar problem just after I put in my friend's sim card. It wasn't showing sd at all. Apparently I had put it in wrong. When I reinserted it, it took a while ("processing") but eventually showed the files. This time I hadn't removed it. Maybe something somehow got in and caused a problem with the spot where it fits. Could I do something about that, rubbing alcohol, canned air?
I don't know what the SD slot on an S5 looks like. I doubt a spray of canned air would do any harm, but equally you'd expect that removing and inserting the card would move any debris that was on the contacts.
To be honest I think a problem with the card is more likely. Do not copy anything to it until you've had a chance to run some sort of file recovery. Unfortunately I've never used an android app for this so can't recommend one to try.
To be honest I think a problem with the card is more likely. Do not copy anything to it until you've had a chance to run some sort of file recovery. Unfortunately I've never used an android app for this so can't recommend one to try.
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Red and grey sounds like a SanDisk card. Any chance you can download the SanDisk "Memory Zone" app which is 68mb. At least it may identify the issue and there are some tools there, along with a manual on their website.
they are pretty cheap:
edit:sorry did not see your last post....no computer.
If you have moved apps to SD then if the SD is unavailable the apps will be too. So it's probably another symptom of the same problem.
Online recovery sounds unlikely: you need low-level access to the storage device for file recovery, so there would have to be some software installed on the device (any OS which would grant that level of access to a website, which is what online recovery without specialist on-device software would need, is one that I'd not go anywhere near!).
Do you know anyone who owns a computer? There are free data recovery utilities (e.g. Recuva for Windows) and a microSD card reader costs very little, so it's really just a matter of borrowing someone's time to do it (if you had an old Android device that used USB Mass Storage rather than MTP you could just plug the phone into a computer and use it as a card reader, but I think the S5 is too new for that).
Online recovery sounds unlikely: you need low-level access to the storage device for file recovery, so there would have to be some software installed on the device (any OS which would grant that level of access to a website, which is what online recovery without specialist on-device software would need, is one that I'd not go anywhere near!).
Do you know anyone who owns a computer? There are free data recovery utilities (e.g. Recuva for Windows) and a microSD card reader costs very little, so it's really just a matter of borrowing someone's time to do it (if you had an old Android device that used USB Mass Storage rather than MTP you could just plug the phone into a computer and use it as a card reader, but I think the S5 is too new for that).
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If you want to try an sd app like Memory Zone (SanDisk) , could you not choose a few apps to uninstall temporarily,?
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It didn't lie: the pointer in the launcher (desktop or app drawer) is still there but part of the application is not installed (it was, but the files aren't there now), so to the phone it looks just like a left-over shortcut to an app that has been uninstalled, which can easily happen for other reasons. If you are that short of space I assume you won't be able to uninstall these apps and then reinstall them (to internal storage), but I'd not worry about them for the moment.
I think the fact that the card is recognised at all is hopeful, but I think the only hope is to find some way of running some file recovery software.
I think the fact that the card is recognised at all is hopeful, but I think the only hope is to find some way of running some file recovery software.
I took a big chance yesterday. There was a card that sure looked sd on sale at Walgreens. It's SanDisk and 64 gb. The only thing was the package didn't mention if it would work for phones. I got it for about $26 and put it in this morning. The S5 recognized it right away and it already has 2 files on it though I didn't put them there. I guess I should just go ahead and start putting stuff on it. I have temporarily retired the 256 gb until I can deal with it properly. What's the best way to store it, in the adapter? I guess that's for connecting it to a computer. Would it be safe to carry that in a pocket?
In the adapter is probably safer than loose, since microSD cards are so small they are easy to lose. But losing them is the only real risk (that and, if you carry it in a pocket, forgetting to remove it before doing your laundry...).
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You don't want to keep the SD card in the S5 for now? I don't have a Samsung anymore, but on my Nokia (which I also may need to replace as cheaply as possible) on the Camera app I can choose to save new photos to SD card.
For transferring you should be able to either use Samsung's file app (is that My Files) or the Memory Zone app - my files.
You don't need the Memory Zone app anymore if you're stuck for space.
You're in an unusual situation / location for buying a replacement phone if I understand, but if you want to know what I'm considering I'm happy to reveal my stupidity.
I wouldn't get a used Samsung as there is stupid demand for out of date devices at silly prices.
Last years Motorola's or Nokia's and some Chinese brands are good value.
For transferring you should be able to either use Samsung's file app (is that My Files) or the Memory Zone app - my files.
You don't need the Memory Zone app anymore if you're stuck for space.
You're in an unusual situation / location for buying a replacement phone if I understand, but if you want to know what I'm considering I'm happy to reveal my stupidity.
I wouldn't get a used Samsung as there is stupid demand for out of date devices at silly prices.
Last years Motorola's or Nokia's and some Chinese brands are good value.
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Photos and videos: look at the settings of your camera app and see if it has an option to choose the folder it writes to. If it has, set that to something on the SD card (not all have, but I'd hope that most do).
Screenshots, I don't know.
I would love to keep the 256 gb sd in the S5 but since it seems not to be working and I probably can't have 2 in at the same time, I have reluctantly stowed it for now. Of course, just because I bragged about being such a good caretaker and all around pocket person, I lost the darn thing. It fell right out of my pocket, along with other things. The good news is that I found it and now the SD and Cricket sim are in 2 separate bags in a larger bag of phone stuff. Meanwhile, photos and videos are apparently being automatically saved to sd, and I'm switching screenshots "by hand". That's taking a lot of time because it turns out that the phone has some dating back to last September. I suppose this sort of thing teaches patience...