WinXP SP3 can't read 4GB SD card in multicard reader

[Orrie]

Hi,

I am trying to connect a 4GB SD (Hewlett Packard brand) in a multi-card
reader to a USB port on my Win XP SP3 computer. The computer doesn't
recognize either the SD, nor any of the "drives" usually displayed for this
multi-card reader. In fact, the computer would not start properly with the
card reader/4 GB card connected.

I believe the computer has USB 1 ports, and the card reader is certified for
USB2, and has worked fine with xD, SD and CF cards of 2 GB and smaller.
Everything works fine if I insert a 2GB card in the same slot of card
reader.

Reading past messages about this problem, I saw that it was supposed to
solved with SP3.

Is there anything else I am supposed to do to get Win XP SP3 to recognize a
4 GB card, such as install driver or new dll, or change a BIOS setting? Or
is it necessary to buy a new card reader that may have updated specs?

Thank you.

Orrie

 

[Malke]

Hi,

I am trying to connect a 4GB SD (Hewlett Packard brand) in a multi-card
reader to a USB port on my Win XP SP3 computer. The computer doesn't
recognize either the SD, nor any of the "drives" usually displayed for
this multi-card reader. In fact, the computer would not start properly
with the card reader/4 GB card connected.

I believe the computer has USB 1 ports, and the card reader is certified
for USB2, and has worked fine with xD, SD and CF cards of 2 GB and
smaller. Everything works fine if I insert a 2GB card in the same slot of
card reader.

Reading past messages about this problem, I saw that it was supposed to
solved with SP3.

Is there anything else I am supposed to do to get Win XP SP3 to recognize
a
4 GB card, such as install driver or new dll, or change a BIOS setting?
Or is it necessary to buy a new card reader that may have updated specs?

1. The First Question Of Troubleshooting: If the problem is new, what
changed between the time things worked and the time they didn't?

2. Do you have Acronis True Image Home installed? Apparently there is an
issue with USB card readers not being seen after the latest Windows
Updates. The solution is to get and install the latest build of True Image
from Acronis' website.

Malke

 

[smlunatick]

1. The First Question Of Troubleshooting: If the problem is new, what
changed between the time things worked and the time they didn't?

2. Do you have Acronis True Image Home installed? Apparently there is an
issue with USB card readers not being seen after the latest Windows
Updates. The solution is to get and install the latest build of True Image
from Acronis' website.

Malke

4GB SD card is in reality a SDHC card. Both the SD and SDHC cards are
the exact same size but SDHC requires a SDHC card reader. SDHC cards
"internal" structure is different than the SD cards. Does your card
reader state that it can read SDHC cards?

 

[Paul]

Hi,

I am trying to connect a 4GB SD (Hewlett Packard brand) in a multi-card
reader to a USB port on my Win XP SP3 computer. The computer doesn't
recognize either the SD, nor any of the "drives" usually displayed for this
multi-card reader. In fact, the computer would not start properly with the
card reader/4 GB card connected.

I believe the computer has USB 1 ports, and the card reader is certified for
USB2, and has worked fine with xD, SD and CF cards of 2 GB and smaller.
Everything works fine if I insert a 2GB card in the same slot of card
reader.

Reading past messages about this problem, I saw that it was supposed to
solved with SP3.

Is there anything else I am supposed to do to get Win XP SP3 to recognize a
4 GB card, such as install driver or new dll, or change a BIOS setting? Or
is it necessary to buy a new card reader that may have updated specs?

Thank you.

Orrie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_digital

"The format has proven to be very popular. However, a change in the
format, while allowing capacities greater than 4 GB (SDHC), has
created compatibility issues with older devices which cannot read
the new format. Since SDHC format cards have the same physical shape
and form factor as the older format, this has caused considerable
confusion for consumers. SDHC cards require an SDHC capable device
firmware, generally not found with older devices."

HTH,
Paul

 

[Big_Al]

Hi,

I am trying to connect a 4GB SD (Hewlett Packard brand) in a multi-card
reader to a USB port on my Win XP SP3 computer. The computer doesn't
recognize either the SD, nor any of the "drives" usually displayed for this
multi-card reader. In fact, the computer would not start properly with the
card reader/4 GB card connected.

I believe the computer has USB 1 ports, and the card reader is certified for
USB2, and has worked fine with xD, SD and CF cards of 2 GB and smaller.
Everything works fine if I insert a 2GB card in the same slot of card
reader.

Reading past messages about this problem, I saw that it was supposed to
solved with SP3.

Is there anything else I am supposed to do to get Win XP SP3 to recognize a
4 GB card, such as install driver or new dll, or change a BIOS setting? Or
is it necessary to buy a new card reader that may have updated specs?

Thank you.

Orrie

I won't say it will work but look at this. I bought a 4 gig chip and
it would not work on my built in reader. Found this fix (which is in
SP3 by the way).
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923293

You have to request it from MS, but that's just a click of the link.

 

[Orrie]

Hmm. The fact that only the 4 GB cards give me problems makes your point
about their requiring an SDHC capatible reader seem worth pursuing. I'll
have to try one.

I've had my card reader for a few years, and I think it pre-dates the SDHC
cards. At the time I bought it, I was shooting with an Olympus that used xD
cards, and I think the largest xD card available was only either 512 MB or 1
GB. I don't know if SD cards were available with higher capacity, nor
whether SDHC cards were available at all.

Orrie

1. The First Question Of Troubleshooting: If the problem is new, what
changed between the time things worked and the time they didn't?

2. Do you have Acronis True Image Home installed? Apparently there is an
issue with USB card readers not being seen after the latest Windows
Updates. The solution is to get and install the latest build of True Image
from Acronis' website.

Malke

4GB SD card is in reality a SDHC card. Both the SD and SDHC cards are
the exact same size but SDHC requires a SDHC card reader. SDHC cards
"internal" structure is different than the SD cards. Does your card
reader state that it can read SDHC cards?

 

[Orrie]

Thanks, Al. I think I will try a new card reader first before installing an
MS Hotfix. If a new card reader doesn't work, I'll try the Hotfix and/or
Acronis True Image Home.

I was afraid that if I shoot a bunch of pix on a 4 GB card, I wouldn't be
able to get them uploaded into my computer. I'll be visiting my
grandchildren soon, and having my pix of them stuck in a card would be a
real pain.

Orrie

 

[Orrie]

I just discovered something odd when I tried to uploading a couple of test
photos from the 4GB SD card directly from my Canon PowerShot S5 camera. In
other words, bypassing the card reader The Canon software wouldn't recognize
it the card, and started search for other sources from pix.

However, when I tried to upload the test pix using Picasa 2, it worked
without a hitch. Picasa recognized the camera, and didn't have any trouble
uploading the images. Of course, there were only two images on the card.
I'll have to try this again after I shoot a few hundred.

Orrie

 

[M.I.5¾]

Hi,

I am trying to connect a 4GB SD (Hewlett Packard brand) in a multi-card
reader to a USB port on my Win XP SP3 computer. The computer doesn't
recognize either the SD, nor any of the "drives" usually displayed for
this multi-card reader. In fact, the computer would not start properly
with the card reader/4 GB card connected.

I believe the computer has USB 1 ports, and the card reader is certified
for USB2, and has worked fine with xD, SD and CF cards of 2 GB and
smaller. Everything works fine if I insert a 2GB card in the same slot of
card reader.

Reading past messages about this problem, I saw that it was supposed to
solved with SP3.

Is there anything else I am supposed to do to get Win XP SP3 to recognize
a 4 GB card, such as install driver or new dll, or change a BIOS setting?
Or is it necessary to buy a new card reader that may have updated specs?

4GB and larger SD cards are in a new architecture called HCSD (High Capacity
Secure Data). They are not compatible with older card readers that were not
built to access the new cards. The change in architecture was necessary
because the original SD architecture had a 2GB limit. It has nothing to do
with the USB media driver and SP3 is not at fault here.

 

[smlunatick]

Hmm. The fact that only the 4 GB cards give me problems makes your point
about their requiring an SDHC capatible reader seem worth pursuing. I'll
have to try one.

I've had my card reader for a few years, and I think it pre-dates the SDHC
cards. At the time I bought it, I was shooting with an Olympus that used xD
cards, and I think the largest xD card available was only either 512 MB or 1
GB. I don't know if SD cards were available with higher capacity, nor
whether SDHC cards were available at all.

Orrie







4GB SD card is in reality a SDHC card.  Both the SD and SDHC cards are
the exact same size but SDHC requires a SDHC card reader.  SDHC cards
"internal" structure is different than the SD cards.  Does your card
reader state that it can read SDHC cards?

xD cards are up to 2GB and only Olympus is still using the format. My
Fuji Film camera can use both SDHC and xD cards. With SDHC cards
getting to 32GB, xD seems to be going way of the SmartMedia cards,
extinct!

 

[smlunatick]

I just discovered something odd when I tried to uploading a couple of test
photos from the 4GB SD card directly from my Canon PowerShot S5 camera. In
other words, bypassing the card reader The Canon software wouldn't recognize
it the card, and started search for other sources from pix.

However, when I tried to upload the test pix using Picasa 2, it worked
without a hitch. Picasa recognized the camera, and didn't have any trouble
uploading the images. Of course, there were only two images on the card.
I'll have to try this again after I shoot a few hundred.

Orrie

As with any software, check for updates.

Also, check your local stores for SDHC sales. Some SDHC memory cards
can be bundled with a compatible reader.

 

[Andie]

Any luck yet? i AM having your same problem and have been browsing the net
for a solution. Most of the sites say to download the patch for xp but since
i have sp3 i already have the patch but my multireader is not reading 4gb SD
HC card...Some peaople said it worked for them on the same dell 1505 computer
with the patch but I cannot install the patch...what now?

 

[smlunatick]

Any luck yet? i AM having your same problem and have been browsing the net
for a solution. Most of the sites say to download the patch for xp but since
i have sp3 i already have the patch but my multireader is not reading 4gbSD
HC card...Some peaople said it worked for them on the same dell 1505 computer
with the patch but I cannot install the patch...what now?

If you did read this thread completely, you must know that you need to
confirm that your reader is SDHC compatible. Both the SD (limited to
2GB max) and the SDHC (starting with 4GB) might be the same size but
the internals of the media cards are not the same. A SD reader (which
seems to be what you have) will never read a SDHC media card.
However, a SDHC card reader will successfully read a SD media card.

 

[Bob Willard]

I'm having the exact same problem and don't think it's related to the 4
Gig SD card, as much as it is to the number of photos on the card. I've
successfully uploaded videos and movies from the exact same card, but in
small quantities (seldom more than 80 pics @ 12 mp each) Just home from
vacation and am unable to upload 1,000 pics @ 5 mp each from the same
card that worked before

I don't think the problem is caused by XP. I have XP SP3 on this PC,
and I've read several hundred pix from my 4GB card. (In fact, ISTR that
I filled the card with ~1100 .JPGs and then read it, as a test, when I
first got that 4GB card.)

 

[smlunatick]

I don't think the problem is caused by XP.  I have XP SP3 on this PC,
and I've read several hundred pix from my 4GB card.  (In fact, ISTR that
I filled the card with ~1100 .JPGs and then read it, as a test, when I
first got that 4GB card.)

Besides having the XP with all updates, the card reader must support
the newer SDHC format. Both the older SD (Secure Digital) and the
SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards appear to be the exact same
size, the internal media structures are not the same.

 

[Tony Gomm]

Hi, I have the same problem (a multi-card reader that won't access 4Gb+ cards) but got round the problem by buying a cheap USB SDHC reader that does work if plugged into the multi-reader USB slot.

 

[Jack Toff]

Dumbo: You replied to a post from 2008. Do you really think the OP is
coming back to read your reply after all these years?