Problem MMC+USB Connection

[Fede81]

This is a copy&paste from N-Gage Arena Forums. Someone can help me???


fede



Joined: 08 Nov 2003
Posts: 4

Posted: 23 Nov 2003 14:35 Post subject: Problem with MMC+usb connection

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, i'm the administrator of a spanish ngage community and one user post this problem...
I repeat exactly he did anda now i have the same problem T_T
We formatted the MMC card with NTFS file system, at this moment connection to pc works ok...
After we try to access to the MMC card with the phone, how we supposed we get an error because the phone don't ahve ntfs support.
Ok, then we formatted the mmc with the phone, all ok. We can now access to the mmc with the phone but surprise! now we can't access via usb connection.
When we connect the phone windows xp doesn't recognize any device...
I tried in my other pc and also doesn't recognize anything
Someone can help us?
Thx.

Back to top


taco



Joined: 20 Nov 2003
Posts: 29

Posted: 24 Nov 2003 07:22 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i am having the same problem, however, the usb connection will work when i have a game installed instead of the blank mmc.

I called nokia and they couldnt help so now i have to take the phone back to the shop where i bought it from to get it checked out...

prahaps there is a glitch in the way the n-gage formats mmcs? although i did format the mmc in fat32, then via the phone as the phone says the memory card is corrupt if its in fat32, and then it was still working with usb for a while, and i am sure i didnt do anything to the card and it just wouldnt work anymore

Back to top


virtualeech



Joined: 11 Oct 2003
Posts: 341

Posted: 24 Nov 2003 10:00 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Try formatting the card from your PC with FAT16. That should work on both machines.

Back to top


taco



Joined: 20 Nov 2003
Posts: 29

Posted: 25 Nov 2003 07:32 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

leech - i dont think you undertsand, the mmc has been formatted with the phone, so its in whatever the ngages native format is, but it is completely inaccessable from the PC, so unless we have a card reader formatting the card in fat16 is impossible

Back to top


lazyd



Joined: 15 Nov 2003
Posts: 142

Posted: 25 Nov 2003 07:35 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

im confused... what are u guys talkin about... rephrase it plz

Back to top


virtualeech



Joined: 11 Oct 2003
Posts: 341

Posted: 25 Nov 2003 09:46 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You sad you did format the card with FAT32. Since the n-gage doesn't do that (it uses FAT16) I assumed you had a card reader. How else did you get your card formatted at FAT32?

Also fede sad he formatted the card with NTFS, that means he must also have a card reader. NTFS will never work on the n-gage.

Back to top


fede



Joined: 08 Nov 2003
Posts: 4

Posted: 26 Nov 2003 18:51 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

virtualeech i formatted mmc card with ntfs with the usb connection and ther was no problem...
when i unplugged the phone and started to work with mmc the phone tells me that mmc is corrupted(all ok), then i formatted the mmc with the phone and after this i tried the usb connection and didn't work...
I also think this can be fixed formatting mmc with FAT16 in a card reader, the only problem is i haven't a card reader

Back to top


taco



Joined: 20 Nov 2003
Posts: 29

Posted: 27 Nov 2003 06:51 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i ended up going back to the shop where i bought the ngage from and let the tech guys there help out.
they gave me a new mmc and everything is good now, though i would have liked to find out if formatting the mmc with a card reader would have fixed the mmc (if so then that means there is a problem with the way n-gage formats mmcs)
anyways, i am not going to format my mmc until a need arises

Back to top


virtualeech



Joined: 11 Oct 2003
Posts: 341

Posted: 27 Nov 2003 12:07 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The problem was that you formatted the MMC with Windows through the USB. You should never do that. Justformat on the nGage or with a cardreader

Back to top


taco



Joined: 20 Nov 2003
Posts: 29

Posted: 28 Nov 2003 05:59 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

leech, i dont think you are understandinhg at all, while we both DID format the mmc with windows, the n-gage will not reconize the card and will say that it is corrupt and tell you to format the card (on the n-gage). this was not the problem.

now after we formatted the mmc using the n-gage, the n-gage is happy with it and is functioning fine, but the usb will no longer work. (although for me, the problem was NOT trigger by a format, i am fairly sure it happened after i disconnected the usb after transferring files, then the next time i tried - nothing)

I formatted the MMC about a dozen times using the n-gage, i formatted the n-gage a few times and i formatted my PC to be sure, but the usb was still was not working with the n-gage formatted MMC, however the usb WOULD work with a game MMC (sonicN)

I called nokia they were puzzled. I went back to the shop where i got it, they tested it, they rang nokia, tried everything nokia suggested, then tried another MMC and the new MMC was working fine with the usb.

so my question now is how does an MMC be faulty so as to be functioning fine fine in the n-gage but block the usb connection?

and as far as i knew the n-gage acted just like a card reader when plugged into the usb...

Back to top


virtualeech



Joined: 11 Oct 2003
Posts: 341

Posted: 28 Nov 2003 10:44 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I understand your problem but what I meant with my last post is that if you format the MMC through Windows (n-gage is indeed just like a card reader when hooked up with USB) you can also format is with NTFS, FAT32 and some others the n-gage doesnt 'support. So it st safer(better?) to format your MMC with the n-gage. It was just meant as a warning for other people.

As for your current problem; is Windows maybe expecting a different format. The card was first formatted though WIndows so maybe windows keeps track of this somewhere and now associate this card id number with FAT32 or NTFS because as far as windows knows this was the original format of the card. It shouldn;t do this but with windows you never know. Is it somehow possible to change the card id number so windows can be fooled?

EDIT: If the MMC also didn't work with the Windows version at the shop then the above coulds not heve been the problem. Sorry.

Have you tried getting more info on the card with WinHex? It's a nice program that gives very detailed information obout the format of the card (or any other drive) and it's contents.

Back to top


beermonsta



Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Posts: 147

Posted: 28 Nov 2003 17:01 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get an MMC reader it'll only cost you a few quid (£5 UK pounds) put it in the card reader and format in fat 16 as virtualleech said Even though it does`nt pick the card up when it`s in the n-gage the card reader will read it.

Not sure why the N-gage will no longer read it but see if once it has been formated in fat16 format the n-gage will then read it. If it does`nt just continue to use the card reader.

Back to top


fede



Joined: 08 Nov 2003
Posts: 4

Posted: 29 Nov 2003 12:30 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

beermonsta i picked up a card reader and i formatted my mmc with fat16(all cluster 512,1024,etc..), fat32, ntfs...
I tried with partition magic, i tried with all i had in my hands and the usb connection don't work anyway...
I'm starting to get crazy and i don't find any help in any place...
And, the solution "go back to the shop..." isn't good for me...
I want to repair this by myself...and if i have to learn the native symbian filesystem and program a formatter i will do it, but this is my last try...

[baraduke]

many time , when i connect th e ngage, the pc tell me many things curious & errors
each time , i need to deconnnect it and reconnect, and after its ok

you say the usb work or not with mmc game ????
or another mmc card ?

another thing !
some time when i format, it seem to format , but not, you see because is very quick
it happen with my new 128MMc card
i try again and it format really !!!!!!!! you don't miss it, 15Mn for 128Mo !!!!!!!!!!

so try verify it realy format, or not just erase

good luck

herve

[baraduke]

my only solution , is to reset totaly the phone

not just reset defaut setting
but i don't know how to reset totaly the phone
maybe it's a battery inside, for keep memory

maybe it's a wrong "inside" setting of the phone
a reset must be work

but a real reset !

good luck

herve

[szantopeter]

I had the same problem and couldn't find the solution for a while. I was suspecting that the partition table might be damaged. I tried to fix this problem on windows but I couldn't find a tool, so I asked a linux firend to do this for me. He was kind enough to wite me a detailed description on what he have done, his only clausule was to post it to a forum, a true linux attitude Here is what he have written:


-------------------------------------------------------------


How to format SD/MMC card on Linux

Problem:
Something went wrong on the memory card - the NGage is able to read / write the
card, but does not recognize as an USB storage device.
The card is accessible from Windows.

Reason:
Wrong / corrupted partition table

Solution:
Re-create the partition table, format the card.
My friend asked me to carry out this process on my Linux box because he was not able
to find the actual process in MS WIN XP.
Probably you can do the same on win XP with a ton of programs or maybe with the
system tools - I am not a Win expert.

WARNING!!
!!! All data will be lost from the card !!!!


WARNING!!
Be sure the right device! Applying the process other devices than the memory card
could render your system un-usable!!

DISCLAIMER
Do it on your own responsibility! This process may do any harm to your computer, may
eat all of the cheese from the fridge...


The process will carry out on FEDORA CORE 5 / GNOME, other modern (i.e. 2.6) linux
should be the same.
Root access is required!

Open a terminal.


1. Find the device for the card
Before any operation we should know the right device for the memory card.
Plug the card into the card reader, after the icon shows up on the desktop, in the
terminal exec the mount command:

[ztutto@asd ~]$ mount

The output will contain lines like these:

/dev/sda7 on / type ext3 (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
/dev/sda1 on /boot type ext3 (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
/dev/sda2 on /opt type ext3 (rw)
/dev/sda5 on /xfc3home type ext3 (rw)
/dev/sda3 on /xfc3root type ext3 (rw)
none on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw)
sunrpc on /var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs type rpc_pipefs (rw)
automount(pid2087) on /net type autofs (rw,fd=4,pgrp=2087,minproto=2,maxproto=4)
/dev/sdb1 on /media/disk type vfat (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,shortname=winnt,uid=500)

We know the system disk is /dev/sda, so the memory card is /dev/sdb (your system may
differ, however the card shoud be /dev/sd<something>. The system mounts the hot-plug
media on /media, it can help to identify)

Record the device for later use


2. Create a fresh partition table

Become root:
[ztutto@asd ~]$ sudo su -
Password:
[root@asd ~]#
(or just type su -, in this case you have to know the root password!)

Start the fdisk program, with the device determined in 1.
[root@asd ~]# fdisk /dev/sdb
<something message, you can ignore it>
Command (m for help):

In fdisk the commands are one letter and closed by enter. Apply the following commands:
o
w
(The o will create the new partition table, the w will write to the disk)
The command prompt will returned, fresh the kernel partition table:
[root@asd ~]# partprobe


3. Create new partition

Start the fdisk program again, with the device determined in 1.
[root@asd ~]# fdisk /dev/sdb
<something message, you can ignore it>
Command (m for help):

Give the n command for new partition, select p (for primary partition) and 1 (for
first partition).
Accept the default size parameters (enter).

Give t command, select 1 (1st partition) and set the type to 6 (FAT16).

Give the w command - the changes will save to memeory card.


4. Format the memory card:

[root@asd ~]# mkfs.msdos /dev/sdb1
or
[root@asd ~]# mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1


READY
close the terminal, use the card