timeOday

Q: Macbook Pro 8,2 (2011) does not support SDXC?

I just got a Lexar Professional 128 GB 400x SDXC (class 10) and my Macbook Pro cannot format or read it with the built-in reader.  The reader is model 0x16bc (not a USB device).  Everything I have found indicates it should be compatible.  The OS is 10.6.8 (10K549).

 

It's not a connection issue; it sees the card but reading / formatting always returns an error message.  It can use smaller (non XC) SD cards fine.

 

I can read/write the card through a $6 Transcend card reader, but 128 GB at USB2.0 speeds is pretty useless.

 

Is there something wrong with the early SDXC readers?

 

Thanks.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), SDXC

Posted on Dec 3, 2012 8:59 PM

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Q: Macbook Pro 8,2 (2011) does not support SDXC?

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  • by shldr2thewheel,

    shldr2thewheel shldr2thewheel Dec 3, 2012 9:28 PM in response to timeOday
    Level 7 (25,881 points)
    Dec 3, 2012 9:28 PM in response to timeOday
  • by timeOday,

    timeOday timeOday Dec 3, 2012 10:08 PM in response to shldr2thewheel
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 3, 2012 10:08 PM in response to shldr2thewheel

    shldr2theweel, according to that page it should work.  The problem is, it in fact does not.

  • by shldr2thewheel,

    shldr2thewheel shldr2thewheel Dec 3, 2012 10:11 PM in response to timeOday
    Level 7 (25,881 points)
    Dec 3, 2012 10:11 PM in response to timeOday

    exactly.  what error message are you receiving?

  • by timeOday,

    timeOday timeOday Dec 3, 2012 10:32 PM in response to shldr2thewheel
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 3, 2012 10:32 PM in response to shldr2thewheel

    When I insert it, it says "The disk you inserted is not readable by this computer."

    So I select Initialize... Partition... 1 Partition... ExFat... Apply... Partition.

    "Partition failed with the error: POSIX reports: The operation couldn’t be completed. Cannot allocate memory"

     

    I also tried with SDFormatter.app from sdcard.org (SD Association).  I get "Could not format the card."

     

    If I put it in my plug-in USB Card Reader, it formats fine (1 ExFat partition, as before) and I can create files on it.

    But then I eject it, insert directly into the card reader slot, and I get "The disk you inserted was not readable by the this computer" again.

     

    Then I put an old 8 GB SD directly into the slot and it works fine.  And I regularly use the slot with another card for my Camera.

     

    I also just tried the new 128GB card in my Olympus point-and-shoot, still ExFat formatted, and it works fine... very fast.  Shows room for 7445 RAW+JPG files.

  • by clintonfrombirmingham,

    clintonfrombirmingham clintonfrombirmingham Dec 3, 2012 10:35 PM in response to timeOday
    Level 7 (30,009 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 3, 2012 10:35 PM in response to timeOday

    I have three Class 10 SDXC cards that work just fine (although, with one, I have to wiggle it around a bit to get a good connection).

     

    Not sure why you're having problems...

     

    Clinton

  • by timeOday,

    timeOday timeOday Dec 4, 2012 6:20 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 4, 2012 6:20 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

    "I have three Class 10 SDXC cards that work just fine"

     

    Are any of them 128 GB?  Also, are you still on OSX 10.6.x like me, or have you moved to 10.7 or 10.8?  To me it seems like maybe support for 128GB doesn't work in 10.6.

  • by clintonfrombirmingham,

    clintonfrombirmingham clintonfrombirmingham Dec 4, 2012 7:57 AM in response to timeOday
    Level 7 (30,009 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 4, 2012 7:57 AM in response to timeOday

    No, all three of mine are 64GB - and I'm running ML...

     

    Clinton

  • by timeOday,

    timeOday timeOday Dec 4, 2012 9:36 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 4, 2012 9:36 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

    I just tried the card in the newer (retina) macbook pro of a co-worker and it works fine.

     

    The Vendor ID, Device ID, and Revision of the built-in card reader is identical on his machine, but he is using OSX 10.7.

     

    Based on that, I am leaning towards the theory that 10.6 is at fault.  I have applied available OS Software Updates (except iTunes) yesterday.  I can't think of much more to try but upgrading to 10.7 and see if that helps.  (I wouldn't really mind but it has to be done through our IT dept so who knows how long that will take).

  • by timeOday,

    timeOday timeOday Dec 6, 2012 9:08 AM in response to timeOday
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 6, 2012 9:08 AM in response to timeOday

    I tried the card in a slightly older MacBook Pro (just before Thunderbolt) with OSX 10.6 and it worked fine.

    However it has a different card reader

     

    Built in SD Card Reader:

     

      Vendor ID:    0x05ac

      Product ID:   0x8403

      Revision:     1.00

     

    Also, after formatting the card in another device, I re-inserted and ejected it into my MacBook about 20 times and 2 times it was able to read the partition table.  This makes me think I must have a flaky motherboard (even though it reads other SD cards fine) and upgrading to 10.7 may not fix it.  Who knows.

  • by timeOday,Solvedanswer

    timeOday timeOday Dec 11, 2012 6:50 PM in response to timeOday
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 11, 2012 6:50 PM in response to timeOday

    I ended up exchanging the card for an identical model, which works fine.  (I did not upgrade the OS).

     

    I can't explain this, since the previous card worked in two other MacBooks, and my camera, and a USB card reader.