SD Cards failing in Galaxy S3: Samsung's insane response.

[Kelly Kearns]

The biggest foe these cards have is static electricity. A quick shock could potentially fry it. It could be an issue with the GS3 due to its plastic cover, which could store a charge. That charge could develop by simply sliding the phone from the pocket of corduroy pants. If it transfers to the card, then ZAP!

It's possible that it's not the GS3 itself, but a combination of the phone's chassis material and the conditions of the environment.

Just a thought.

It does seem like the common denominator is SanDisk and not Samsung. I have a 32gb DaneElec card in it for 7 months now and it's fine.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

My card is ScanDisk, but not an Ultra. So far, I have been seeing an awful lot, if not all the post of fried cards being ScanDisk ULTRA.

 

[Suntan]

MicroSD cards are flash-based memory storage devices. No moving parts.

There should be no reason for it to be failing.

Do you call GE and give them that line of reasoning when one of your light bulbs burns out?

The fact that I had problems with two microSD cards means that there is some sort of problem here.

Of course... What else could it mean?

-Suntan

 

[Todd Vance1]

I joined this site and forum JUST to respond to THIS thread. My wife and I both had DroidX's for about 2 years. I got the s3 a few months ago...shortly after, the microSD card (that I had been using the whole time in my Droid) failed and could not be reformatted even using my PC. So, I borrowed my wife's recently because I need to be able to take lots of pictures. Last night, after shooting a couple pics... I get the SAME dreaded message "SD card is blank or has unsupported files..." This SD card had also been in use for around 2 years.

The cards are ruined...they worked for a very long time BEFORE the S3 and both died shortly after being put into the S3.

I strongly vote for the fact that the S3 is doing this... and I think the user who suggested that maybe the plastic back cover might be causing it due to static sounds like they are on to something. In addition to the plastic back, I have a soft plastic cover that could be adding to the issue...? Who knows. But this is not just a coincidence. If it hasn't ruined your card yet, I would say that you have just been lucky.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

I joined this site and forum JUST to respond to THIS thread. My wife and I both had DroidX's for about 2 years. I got the s3 a few months ago...shortly after, the microSD card (that I had been using the whole time in my Droid) failed and could not be reformatted even using my PC. So, I borrowed my wife's recently because I need to be able to take lots of pictures. Last night, after shooting a couple pics... I get the SAME dreaded message "SD card is blank or has unsupported files..." This SD card had also been in use for around 2 years.

The cards are ruined...they worked for a very long time BEFORE the S3 and both died shortly after being put into the S3.

I strongly vote for the fact that the S3 is doing this... and I think the user who suggested that maybe the plastic back cover might be causing it due to static sounds like they are on to something. In addition to the plastic back, I have a soft plastic cover that could be adding to the issue...? Who knows. But this is not just a coincidence. If it hasn't ruined your card yet, I would say that you have just been lucky.

But again, the "plastic" is polycarbonate and polycarbonate has anti-static properties, it is used in electronics all the time.

 

[Todd Vance1]

Ok, I missed that. I wonder if the outer soft cover that I purchased could be causing it.

For me, both cards failed right after using the camera... I don't know if that could be it.

The reason I am even here on this website is because after my second card went bad last night, I thought to myself..."this is crazy, I have to google this and see if this S3 could actually be killing my sd cards"....and I found this thread (this was the first one I went too, there may be more).

Who knows... but again, never had a problem with the Droid X. ( I was using a hard otter box case with that phone - btw)

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Ok, I missed that. I wonder if the outer soft cover that I purchased could be causing it.

For me, both cards failed right after using the camera... I don't know if that could be it.

The reason I am even here on this website is because after my second card went bad last night, I thought to myself..."this is crazy, I have to google this and see if this S3 could actually be killing my sd cards"....and I found this thread (this was the first one I went too, there may be more).

Who knows... but again, never had a problem with the Droid X. ( I was using a hard otter box case with that phone - btw)

Here's a thread that just popped up where a couple of people have been able to restore their cards and could be the issue. I'm still thinking it is mainly a ScanDisk Ultra card issue...

http://forums.androidcentral.com/t-galaxy-s-iii/241258-micro-sd-card-just-stopped-being-recognized.html

 

[Todd Vance1]

Here's a thread that just popped up where a couple of people have been able to restore their cards and could be the issue. I'm still thinking it is mainly a ScanDisk Ultra card issue...

Thanks... but google "s3 sd cards failing" and see what you get. Ill take a look at your link, thanks again.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Thanks... but google "s3 sd cards failing" and see what you get. Ill take a look at your link, thanks again.

Even there many, many of them are the ScanDisk cards and the ultra series...

 

[Kelly Kearns]

And some more reading at the ScanDisk forums..

Mobile memory, professional cards and all other standard cards - SanDisk Forums

 

[GreenBerry84]

Has anyone had problems with Samsung branded cards? I'll be looking to get an SD card and I think I'll avoid SanDisk from reading here and the links, I'm wondering if Samsung is the one to go with?

 

[anon(94115)]

I have been using the same one for two plus years in about five different phones, including this one

This is in response to the samsung branded sdcard question, not the thread overall

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[Shaggydaze]

I have hours of songs on SD card. It will play them flawlessly for hours... until out of no where it will only play 1-2 seconds of the song and go on like this for every song or it doesn't play them at all and get "unable to read this type of file". I will un-mount SD card and re-mount. It will work again sometimes. Repeat until it works.

The card was formatted correctly and I load the music on it from laptop. Never had this issue with my old Droid Global but have an issue with it on my Samsung Galaxy S3. Phone is 3 weeks old with new 64g SD card as well.

 

[KreepyKen]

But again, the "plastic" is polycarbonate and polycarbonate has anti-static properties, it is used in electronics all the time.

"anti-static properties" doesn't mean that it can't ever carry a charge. The term is actually "static dissipative" and they are designed to avoid build-up of a static charge...they slowly conduct the charge away. They can still carry and conduct electricity under the right circumstances. Factors that can come into play include the material it's rubbing on, humidity levels, temperature, degris that might be on the surface of the phone, and other environmental conditions.

Read this on static charges: Fixing Common Static Problems

Conceivably, a charge could build up on the surface of the battery cover due to removing from a pants pocket, the charge can travel the surface to the inside and arc to the card, which is only a millimeter or two away.

I vote that we poll people who have this problem to find out if they routinely store the phone in their pockets and what types of material those pockets are made of.

 

[anon(94115)]

And which pocket. The front generates more static...

:rolls eyes:

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[leanneleg]

Mine has started acting very flakey... It will mount and unmount randomly and then disappears all together for a while. I called Samsung today and was told to reset my phone and that there is no reported problem.... blah blah blah. I then went to best buy to talk to them who informed that that I can exchange my phone but there is no point as they have had lots exchanged for the same issue and that it will happen again. The guy told me that one customer exchanged his phone 3 times in 2 months and it happened to each phone after a period of time.

So, for now, I will just have my camera save pics to the phone and live with it until a fix is figured out!

 

[anon(94115)]

Or have it auto upload to dropbox, that is my solution

Sent from the nexus of the Android world, the SGS3.

 

[FunkMasterJoe]

I got a 32gb SanDisk as well for my S3, worked fine for a month or 2. Then completely died out. Wouldn't even work on my computer either, or my bros phone. Sucks, paid $30 for that thing.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Android Central Forums

 

[ansu11]

My S3 has fried 3 cards for me. Two SanDisk 32Gb class 10 and one Transcend 16Gb class 6. They all worked 1-2 moths.
First 32Gb was replaced under warranty. Guess I have to send the other one back too.
There's is really something wrong about S3 handling SD-cards

 

[AxlMyk]

Here's the trick to SD cards. Put a new one in the phone, and don't format it.
Don't ever remove it from the phone and use a card reader with it.

--Tapatalk 2 on SGS3.

 

[moosc]

I bet one issue every one is skipping is class 10 speed. Last I checked class 10 speed isn't isn't supported on android. There are a ton threads showing the sweet spot Is class 6. But folks don't care

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk 2