M200 - problems formatting an SD card

[Digital]

I want to create a boot SD card but I can't get either the SD format utility or the create SD boot disk utility to recognise the SD card. It's a 2GB card and I can see it in Windows explorer and copy files to and from it, but neither of these utilities recognise it. I seem to recall reading that there were constraints on the size of SD card that the M200 could recognise but I couldn't find the relevant posts here.

Also, if I take the SD card out of the card reader, and the put it back in again, it isn't recognised again by Explorer and in Device Manager it says that it cannot load the device driver because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. (Code 38). I have to reboot to enable the card to be used again.

It's a new card and I don't have another known one to hand to compare. But something isn't quite right. Any suggestions?

[Digital]

OK, I solved the driver problem with a system restore, so the 2 GB card is accessible via Explorer and can be popped in and out without any problem. But I still can't format the card nor create a boot disk with it as the Toshiba SD utilities don't recognise the card. The help page illustrates the process with a 256 MB card so perhaps that's as big as can be used. I tried to buy one today to check but nowhere had anything less than 1 GB!

Anyone know for sure if 256 MB is the maximum size that can be formatted or used to create a book disk?

[bmhome1]

Unlike Compactflash, SD depends on external controller reading format even though Windows used produce non-compliant spec results that can cause problems later.

Try formatting the 2GB SD FAT16 with same cluster size a 256MB SD would have (2048 bytes), bootability may be emulated cylinder head locations matching up.

If not, 512MB card size probably would work in M200 SD Utility and more easily found still sold in camera shops and drug stores.

Here is Panasonic's SD formatter utility version new enough to even format SDHC to exact SD card specs, only 1.25MB and Vista ready:

http://panasonic.jp/support/global/c...formatter.html

[wallen]

Also, I vaguely remember the Toshiba SD card driver not being great, and I had to do a windows update to get a Microsoft one that worked better...

[Digital]

Thanks for these suggestions. In fact I have an earlier version of the Panasonic SD formatter which I used a year or so ago to recover a 2 GB card that had been formatted in an HP camera as 1 GB, but it didn't make any difference. However I will try the specific settings suggested to see if that makes a difference as I hunted all over town last evening and couldn't find a 256 or 512 SD card anywhere!

As for the driver the version I am currently using is 6.0.4069.5 and it would seem to be a Microsoft one. I've tried Windows update but don't get anything different.

[bmhome1]

You might want to ask about the card size maximum for SD booting over at gottabemobile.com's Toshiba forum, most of the former M200 owners who would know are there.

I could still find 512MB cards locally at the drug stores with photo printing kiosks or Walmart. I'm suprised camera shops in your area don't.

[wallen]

As for the driver the version I am currently using is 6.0.4069.5 and it would seem to be a Microsoft one. I've tried Windows update but don't get anything different.

<div align="right">Originally posted by Digital*-*May 09 2008*:* 03:51:59 AM</div id="right">

I think it had to be updated by going into Device Manager, finding the SD Card device and open it's properties and clicking Update Driver...

[Digital]

I did that as well and this seems to be the latest version.

[samie]

Hi..

You can download "SD Memory Card Format" from toshiba website and use it to format your SD.

then you can use the SD Memory Boot Utility to make your SD bootable

try google it.. if you can't find it, PM me and I will sent it to you