backup to the Lexar 256 MB SD card failed

[jurwit]

I have SL-C760 and I tried to make backup to Lexar 256 MB SD card. For a factory formatted disk backup failed after 20%. Then I installed fdisk on my SL-C860 and reformated my SD disk. I made primary partition 256 MB on this disk - FAT16 and formatted it. SD disk is writeble. I can write both from Zaurus and over the USB, but after this operation backup failed again after 6%.
Does anyone have any idea what I can do more? Do I have any chance to make backup to my SD card.

jurwit
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SL-C860

[Anonymous]

I tried with a panasonic...worked fine.

[obs1]

I had same problem - but with SanDisk 256MB SD. It failed after like 80% .. 2 times. Then I tried my friend\'s CF and it worked fine.

[oreo]

See these instructions for using fdisk.
all of this junk-These fdisk commands

Try making a vfat partition and file system on the card.
If that fails try making an ext2 partition and file system.

[jurwit]

Oreo, I tried VFAT (MS FAT32), I tried also MSFAT16 on etire SD card. In both cases backup to SD card FAILED.
Did you suggest of making two partitions, one of VFAT and one ext2?

jurwit

[oreo]

Did you suggest of making two partitions, one of VFAT and one ext2?

No. I thought the card fomat could cause the failure. The steps in the link for using fdisk will create one partition. If the vfat partion does not work, delete the partiton with fdisk and create a new ext2 partion and file system and try again.

[jurwit]

If the vfat partion does not work, delete the partiton with fdisk and create a new ext2 partion and file system and try again.

But ext2 partition is not visible in samba? Am I correct? So I will no longer have a chance to see this SD disk in my laptop. Good point that I can do backup to a CF. I will have to look for a SD disk not having this problems. As I understand few of them behave properly.

[oreo]

Yes, you cannot directly read ext2 from a card reader connected to a Windows PC. All my linux PDA flash cards are ext2. I can read and write them over USB from a Windows PC in Network Neighborhood and mapped as a network drive. Zaurus file transfer to and from Windows works with ext2 cards. I telnet to the Zaurus from Windows and can remotely read and write ext2 cards over the network.

I have a PocketPC with flash cards formated by Windows. Other flash cards I use in digital cameras. These cards can be read by Windows in a card reader, but I only read and write these cards from Windows over USB with Activesync and ACDSee.

I use SanDisk SD cards and have no problems. Many people write that they have problems with Sandisk cards, but I like them.

[jurwit]

What version of Zaurus do you have. Is it possible this SD problems are only in the SL-C860?

jurwit

[oreo]

What version of Zaurus do you have.

SL-5500 SR3.10, I have no experience with the SL-C860.

[edo]

Hi Oreo,

I have a Zaurus SL5500 SR3.10 just like yours. I also had problems at certain points with my backups failing. The thing is... The backup creates itself on the internal Zaurus RAM first, and once the backup is created it writes it out onto the CF or SD card. I have about 15-16 Mb of apps/games/etc installed into my Zaurus ram at the moment and there is about the same amount of free RAM available. I install as many apps/games onto SD card (fdisk-ed and made into an ext2 filesystem) as possible to free up as much Zaurus RAM. Even so, I have little spare space. Anyway, the backup works. If I install much more, I will probably end up with too large a backup file that overfills the tmp space and dies part-way.

Hope that helps....

1) Format sd card with ext2 file-system
2) Install apps to sd card if possible (fortunately lots of apps will install and run fine from sd)
3) Try not to exceed 15Mb of apps installed to internal Sharp RAM
4) Check available space with the System Info program in the Settings menu
5) Finally, if you still have problems with the backup, make sure there is space left on the sd card!! (Doh!)

Regards,
edo.