Methods known to fix SD card issue/problem - mounting, unmounting

[basketthis]

Notice - Sprint/LG have released a software update for the LG Optimus S which corrects the SD card un-mounting issue. This update is called "VC". To check if you're running VC you can go to Menu > Settings > About Phone > Baseband Number = LS670MVC​

Complaint: Many people now (if not everyone) have had issues or problems with the SD card mounting and unmounting on it's own and being a nuisance as well as leaving some things inaccessible. This was solved by removing the sd card physically then re-inserting it.
There currently is no "update" fix for the problem although Sprint has acknowledged it and is claiming that they will release a fix in the future. Personally, I am not counting on this nor would I trust Sprint and all it's wisdom to fix an android software issue. As commendable as their efforts may be I just don't see it happening...

However, there is hope!Listed below will be the most reliable ways of fixing this issue/problem. I would consider this a permanent fix. There have been no issues reported with the method described in post #1.

This should be a list of known fixes for the SD card issues that users have experienced. This should include any resolutions from previous threads. There should be no discussion in this thread. This is only meant to be a list of confirmed solutions. You are welcome to post your solution. This is NOT A TROUBLESHOOTING THREAD. If you want troubleshooting, there is another thread for that.

These instructions will tell you how to properly setup the card for use and transfer your old files from your old card.
Goes as follows (I suggest following these step by step to achieve desired results):

1. No matter where you buy it, make sure that it's legitimate. Make sure it's at least a Class 4!!! I would recommend an 8gb or more for future expandability and the 8gb is the one that worked for me! There is a really good price on the 8gb Sandisk right now in the androidcentral store: (MODS help me out with the link here) --- http://store.androidcentral.com/san...d-with-mobilemate-micro-reader/7A128A3291.htm That is probably the best price for a legitimate memory card that you know is not fake. You will know it is Class 4 by looking on the card itself. There is a VERY small white circle with a number inside of it. It should be a small 4!

Disclaimer: Buying an illegitimate card can cause unknown issues and possibly damage your computer and phone. I would recommend not buying from an unknown source (i.e. eBay, or an untrusted source). Androidcentral.com is a trusted place. Hence why it is recommended.

2. Get to your nearest computer and unpackage this fresh SD card!

3. Insert the card into your computer FIRST! Do not put this card into your phone until you have done the steps listed below. There will be a step to insert the card into your phone. Don't worry.

4. At this point you have the card in your computer and a prompt should pop up asking what you want to do with the "removable media". Look to see what drive letter is assigned to the new memory card (i.e. E:, F:, G and write it down, remember it, scream it out loud... You will need it for reference in the next step. Click CANCEL or EXIT. DO NOT select the open folder for viewing or any other options.

5. Open "My computer". You should see the removable media drive listed in this folder. RIGHT CLICK the appropriate drive letter. This is important that you know which drive letter it was so that you click the right one. (If you don't, you will have much bigger problems than the memory card on your phone... If you don't remember which drive letter, just repeat steps 1-4 and continue.) A drop down menu pops up with a list of options. Click Format...

6. Important! Make selections exactly as listed!

1. -Capacity is the size of the drive (can't change that).
2. -File system should be listed as (default). Leave it as it is.
3. -Allocation unit size must be set to "Default allocation size"
4. -Volume label is optional
5. -If Quickformat is checked, un-check it

7. Click Format. Wait 15-20 min. Yes, it's long. But patience IS a virtue and worth waiting for in this case....

***-----------***SKIP TO STEP 9 IF YOU DON'T NEED ANY FILES OFF THE OLD MEMORY CARD***-----------***​

8. If you want to copy files from your old memory card to the new one, now is the time (at what point you transfer the data doesn't really matter it's just more of a convenience to do it now rather than later since you should have both cards out of the phone at this point). Remove the NEW memory card from the computer (as not to cause confusion while transferring files, this doesn't really make a difference but I know I would be the one to mess this up so it's more of a disclaimer for the illiterate like me). Insert the old one. Open the drive (folder) to view files. Highlight all of the files and select 'copy'. Right click your desktop and make a folder (it will be temporary). Open the folder, right click and paste the files to the folder. At this point you can either format, completely erase, or just take out the old memory card and burn it or put it under your car and drive over it a few times, smash it with a hammer, shoot it, or otherwise properly dispose of it. It's no longer of use to you.

8.1. Insert new memory card back into computer. Copy (drag and drop, cut + paste, doesn't matter) files in temporary folder on desktop to the drive letter assigned to the new memory card. Erase (or keep as a backup) the folder with these files in it.

9. Insert new memory card into phone. You no longer have issues with SD card!

Advanced follow-on: You may now use custom recovery menu to allocate different drive sizes to split up the memory card.



Feel free to click the "thanks" button if this helps you!

 

[KSmithInNY]

This worked for me. I used to get the mount/unmount issue 10x's a day (reduced by formatting the card to fat32). I purchased a class 10 8gb card on black friday and have not had a single mount/unmount issue since. Almost 4 weeks later and not 1 single issue.

Also there are recorded issues with other LG phones using class 2 cards which is what this phone comes with. Upgrade to a faster class and the issue should be solved.

 

[Cat88Extreme]

This WIll fix the problem. I purchased a 16gb class 4 when I bought my phone and never had an un-mounting problem. I didn't buy one for my wife's and she had the problem. On a hunch I tried the 2gb class 4 card we had laying around and the problem is solved. We just assumed it was due to a cheap generic card.

 

[jerry43812]

This worked for me. I used to get the mount/unmount issue 10x's a day (reduced by formatting the card to fat32). I purchased a class 10 8gb card on black friday and have not had a single mount/unmount issue since. Almost 4 weeks later and not 1 single issue.

Also there are recorded issues with other LG phones using class 2 cards which is what this phone comes with. Upgrade to a faster class and the issue should be solved.

The smaller the class number, the faster the card, so I've been taught. Which does turn out to be false.

 

[KSmithInNY]

The smaller the class number, the faster the card, so I've been taught.

Nope, other way around. Higher the class number the faster the write speed of the card.

The Speed Class Rating is the official unit of speed measurement for SD Cards, defined by the SD Association. The Class number represents a multiple of 8 Mb/s (1 MB/s), and meets the least sustained write speeds for a card in a fragmented state.
These are the ratings of some currently available cards:
Class 0 cards do not specify performance, which includes all legacy cards prior to class specifications.
Class 2, 2 MB/s, slowest for SDHC cards.
Class 4, 4 MB/s.
Class 6, 6 MB/s.
Class 10, 10 MB/s.

 

[kalex]

This also worked for me. I got 16GB Class 10 card and haven't had any issues with it

 

[evda]

Has anyone fixed this issue with a brand other than Sandisk? The 8gb class 4 is a bit pricy. Kingston sells the same specs for 60% less. Thoughts?

 

[weenerdog3443]

Mine was doing it, 16gig class 2 but yesterday I turned stagefright back on, thundeRom v1.5 and since then it has not done it once. I doubt that the 2 are related but who knows. before I was getting it about 4 times a day

 

[bullman2410]

I know you said not to post troubleshooting in here but not sure where you wanted troubleshooting to go. I formatted my class 4 8GB card on Monday (12/20/2010) to get rid of the SD unmounting issues. I am still getting just as many (if not more) unmounting issues. I followed the directions in post #1 step by step. I'm running ThunderROM 1.5 with Xionia 004 Kernal. I have not used custom recovery to partition my SD card.

The only thing different about my process was that I have been using this SD card for weeks. I transferred all the files onto my computer and deleted everything off the SD card before formatting it.

Any ideas to why I'm still having the issue?

Thanks in advance.....

 

[simon.ponder]

Testing something out

I know you said not to post troubleshooting in here but not sure where you wanted troubleshooting to go. I formatted my class 4 8GB card on Monday (12/20/2010) to get rid of the SD unmounting issues. I am still getting just as many (if not more) unmounting issues. I followed the directions in post #1 step by step. I'm running ThunderROM 1.5 with Xionia 004 Kernal. I have not used custom recovery to partition my SD card.

The only thing different about my process was that I have been using this SD card for weeks. I transferred all the files onto my computer and deleted everything off the SD card before formatting it.

Any ideas to why I'm still having the issue?

Thanks in advance.....

I took my friends Class 2 8gb SD card, and formatted it with the phone, then set up 32mb swap, 512mb ext4, and then roughly 7.5gb left over for storage. I did this Monday morning, and I have not had a mount/dismount instance to date. Although my class 4 8gb SD card never had any problems either.

Maybe something else is different with my friends class 2 card. Who knows...

 

[ccrs8]

I am using a 16gb class 2 card that I pulled from my Samsung Moment. I did not format it or do anything other than remove it from the Moment and put it in the Optimus. That was weeks ago, and I have never experienced any problem whatsoever. I got it off of ebay almost a year ago. I don't remember what brand it is, but there is no branding on the card itself and I'd imagine if it was a name brand like kingston or sandisk it would say so on the card.

 

[basketthis]

I know you said not to post troubleshooting in here but not sure where you wanted troubleshooting to go. I formatted my class 4 8GB card on Monday (12/20/2010) to get rid of the SD unmounting issues. I am still getting just as many (if not more) unmounting issues. I followed the directions in post #1 step by step. I'm running ThunderROM 1.5 with Xionia 004 Kernal. I have not used custom recovery to partition my SD card.

The only thing different about my process was that I have been using this SD card for weeks. I transferred all the files onto my computer and deleted everything off the SD card before formatting it.

Any ideas to why I'm still having the issue?

Thanks in advance.....

This is the troubleshooting thread: http://forum.androidcentral.com/lg-optimus-s/43684-freezing-lock-ups-sd-card-issues.html

My recommendation is that you make sure your card is legit. I recommend the sandisk card that I have linked in my original post. I can not guarantee that this will work any other way. If in doubt just follow my instructions and I can guarantee that you will not have issues. there are other variables in your case as well like the over clocking which shouldn't have an effect on it but if you are atoll still having issues, you will need to try with and without the over clock... I said follow my instructions "for desired results" otherwise there is no way to figure out each individual issue. If you choose to go your own route that is what the troubleshooting thread is for. This thread is here as a reference. I hope that helps and I wish you the best of luck. And again, thumbs up if this helps you

 

[zefie]

1) Unchecking Quickformat does nothing. This is an old feature for disk drives where it scans the entire disk for unreadable sectors. SD Cards map this internally.

2) Formating from PC may be better done with the Official SD Card Formatter. YMMV, untested on this model.

3) I have the issue occasionally and just hit mount. Or even easier to just eject it when it says save to remove and put it back in ;p

 

[basketthis]

1) Unchecking Quickformat does nothing. This is an old feature for disk drives where it scans the entire disk for unreadable sectors. SD Cards map this internally.

2) Formating from PC may be better done with the Official SD Card Formatter. YMMV, untested on this model.

3) I have the issue occasionally and just hit mount. Or even easier to just eject it when it says save to remove and put it back in ;p

I found it to be too much of a nuisance to deal with. I found this to be the solution for me and many others. You are welcome to contribute your own solution but I can not guarantee that doing it any other than what I listed will work. Although it doesn't seem like you're looking like a solution.

 

[Martin5]

This happened to me three times and all three times I found corrupt files on the SD. Once the files were deleted the card worked great.
Here's what I did each time to fix it.
0 - From windows disk properties, check the SD for errors.
1 - Install a product (on the PC) like Beyond Compare to compare directories/files.
2 - Compare the SD card to an empty folder and start to sync/copy the files to the empty folder.
NOTE - if the SD hangs and dismounts make note of the file it's stuck on, just reinsert the SD and click try again. If it continues the file was good, if not click Skip - file may be corrupt.
3 - when the sync is all done run a compare again on the two folders and delete the unmovable files on the SD.
4 - Once the files are deleted that should be it, put it back in the phone and enjoy.

I'm using a DINC with 8GB SD and will normally find a couple pictures or cache files from an app corrupt. It seems when the phone trys to scan or access the file it will unmount.

Good luck and hope this helps out...

 

[basketthis]

Good contribution. Haven't tried it personally but this may work for someone as an alternative. Seems that you also chose to not use the stock provided samsung 2gb.

 

[whodi]

I pulled my old 4gb class 2 Sandisk card out of my TouchPro and have not had a dismount issue since. I did a full format on the card and copied my files from the stock card.

I just think the current cards are either not true class 2 or are just inferior.

 

[dougdeep]

Replacing the card is the only step here that matters. The problem is with the card that comes with the phone. Any guidance on how to get the original card to work well?

 

[basketthis]

Replacing the card is the only step here that matters. The problem is with the card that comes with the phone. Any guidance on how to get the original card to work well?

Some replacement cards do still demonstrate the same problems as the stock card. The important part is to make sure its higher than class 2 (to guarantee a solution to the problem). We have also seen issues with some "HC" or high capacity cards.

Solution for stock card: crush it up and throw it away

 

[ccrs8]

Some replacement cards do still demonstrate the same problems as the stock card. The important part is to make sure its higher than class 2 (to guarantee a solution to the problem). We have also seen issues with some "HC" or high capacity cards.

Solution for stock card: crush it up and throw it away

I put a 16gig class 2 sdhc card in the day I got the phone (after following basketthis's solution for the stock card) and have not had any problems at all. That being said, I only put that card in because it's what I had around the house. If I were to buy a card today, I wouldn't get anything lower than a class 6 given the low prices of the cards nowadays. If i wasn't gray already, I'd be turning gray waiting around for music to copy to my class 2 card from my computer.