copying to SD card returns "disk full" error [but it's not full!]

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Level 1

9 points

copying to SD card returns "disk full" error [but it's not full!]

so i just got this Samsung digital photo frame...

I also got a 2GB SD card from Verbatim, so i can put it in the frame and display more photos

The SD card came with a USB reader.

I grabbed about 300 JPGs @ approx 300k each (approx 85MB total), and the copy operation choked at about 13MB. I got a "-34" error (disk is full), but it's obviously nowhere close to being full

now here's the interesting part...

when i insert the SD card into the +frame device+, and connect the FRAME via USB, two new drives mount:
1) the frame's internal memory
2) the SD card

When I try to copy the SAME photos to the same SD card "directly" via USB, the copy chokes at the same point!

I also tried skipping the file where the copy fails, but the one AFTER it fails, as does the one after that, etc

I've also taken the same SD card + reader, plugged it into my PC, and successfully copied approx 1GB of data (albeit different data)

Finally, I've tried formatting the card in Disk Utility, to no avail

So in summary:
1) cannot copy all files via USB card reader
2) cannot copy all files when SD card is read as a drive when inserted into frame
3) disk format did not help
4) can copy 1GB of data when card/reader is attached to PC/Windows

Is it the card?

Is it the reader?

Does anyone have suggestions for cards &/or readers that they can verify as Mac-compatible out of the box?

thanks in advance

iMac (Intel CPU), Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Posted on May 11, 2008 12:40 PM

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Answer 1

Limnos

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428,039 points

May 11, 2008 1:17 PM in response to YogurtBoy

Was this card full of photos at one stage already? When you drag items to the trash they are not deleted off the drive, they are just marked as trashed. You have to empty the trash to actually clear up the space. Windows does this automatically for things like flash drives but on a Mac they are still in the flash drive's own trash, taking up space on that drive until you empty the trash.

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Answer 2

YogurtBoy Author

Level 1

9 points

May 11, 2008 1:31 PM in response to Limnos

Thanks for the suggestion

Unfortunately, the problem persists.

Besides, when I formatted the drive at some point, it was cleared for sure, then the problem resumed on my first copy attempt after that.

Anyway, I emptied my Trash AND I checked the card on Windows, and verified it was truly at max capacity (around 1.9MB), then I tried copying on my Mac

This time, I grabbed the LAST 100 files (still around 85MB), and it died again around the same point.

ARRRRRGGGGG!!!!

Message was edited by: YogurtBoy

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Answer 3

Limnos

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428,039 points

May 11, 2008 1:33 PM in response to YogurtBoy

Try doing fewer files at a time and see if that is the problem. On some old Macs this was an issue which I would not expect on a newer Mac and OS but it is worth a try.

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Answer 4

YogurtBoy Author

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9 points

May 11, 2008 1:36 PM in response to Limnos

yes I tried that. I copied 50, then 1 by 1, I inched to the point where the bulk copy failed, and it failed on the same file. I also tried 1 by 1, SKIPPING that file (thinking it might be a problem with the individual file), but the "+1" file caused the same error

Thanks again, though

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Answer 5

Limnos

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428,039 points

May 11, 2008 2:02 PM in response to YogurtBoy

I personally have run out of suggestions, but I can say I have a USB2 GE 11-in-1 Card Reader that I use with a 256 MB CF card (from a Canon camera) all the time and have never had issues. I have never copied onto the card (so I guess I still have one question which is do you see any problems when copying off the card?).

I also wonder if the disk has some strange formatting issues. What format does Disk Utility say the drive has?

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Answer 6

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

May 11, 2008 2:06 PM in response to YogurtBoy

Try an experiment, format it HFS or HFS+ and see if the Mac copies the files.

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Answer 7

Limnos

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428,039 points

May 11, 2008 2:17 PM in response to BDAqua

You said you tried formatting the disk in DU but to no avail. Did it not format, or did the format not work, or...? I understand that the frame will probably require you ultimately end up using FAT. Do you have any other disks you could try in this reader?

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Answer 8

BDAqua

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May 11, 2008 2:28 PM in response to Limnos

Yeah, we're just trying to see if there's a problem with the Mac itself, or just the Mac's smb R/W. 😉

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Answer 9

YogurtBoy Author

Level 1

9 points

May 11, 2008 5:02 PM in response to YogurtBoy

a few updates...

as far formatting the SD card goes, it formats fine to FAT 16, and reports that it has about 1.9 GB free space after the operation

per Limnos's suggestion, I put about 1GB of files onto the SD card (in Windows), then mounted it on my Mac. All 844 files copied successfully FROM the card to my Mac HDD

I then formatted the SD card (FAT 16) to make sure I had as much free space as possible, and then copied the same 844 BACK to the SD card successfully

So the card is capable of holding more than 20GB of data - it's just that it's just not the 20GB I want!

I haven't tried formatting the card to HFS yet, because I think I'm on to something else...

I just grabbed a DIFFERENT set of JPGs; about 44 files, but bigger (totalling 70MB). All files copied over OK, which is about 50MB more than original set of files causing trouble.

I'm gonna try something else; stay tuned...

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Answer 10

YogurtBoy Author

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9 points

May 11, 2008 5:40 PM in response to YogurtBoy

some good news and some bad...

per BDAqua's suggestion, I formatted the SD Card to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)", and all the JPGs copied successfully to the card.

As expected, though, the digital photo frame doesn't recognize the card.

As far as trying other cards/readers go, I have neither. However, a friend of mine has 5-in-1 type reader, and a spare CompactFlash card. I'll have to wait till I see him next to try the next experiment.

If anyone has any other suggestions, keep 'em coming

Thanks for the advice so far...

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Answer 11

YogurtBoy Author

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May 12, 2008 5:39 AM in response to YogurtBoy

UPDATE:

Although I don't have another card and reader to test with +per se+, I do have a Sony digital camera, which uses a proprietary Memory Stick. Still, it mounts as a drive when I connect it, so I connected it, and copied the same 300+ files (70MB) to the camera... successfully.

I think I've done enough troubleshooting to isolate the problem with either the SD card, or the reader. Either way, they're both going back since they were purchased as a bundle.

Limnos mentioned a USB2 GE 11-in-1 Card Reader and a CompactFlash card... What other brands and types of cards and readers can others vouch for as Mac compatible?

Thanks

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Answer 12

YogurtBoy Author

Level 1

9 points

May 12, 2008 8:54 AM in response to YogurtBoy

ANOTHER UPDATE:

I remembered I had a CompactFlash card from an old camera...

While I don't have a "card reader" for CF, it DOES mount as a drive when I plug it in to the digital photo frame, and connect the frame via USB.

So, I grabbed the JPGs, and the copy failed at the exact same point!

I then dragged and dropped the files one by one, and the 64th copy failed.

So I think I've ruled out the card(s) now as the culprit.

What could the problem by on my Mac or the file(s)?

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Answer 13

YogurtBoy Author

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9 points

May 12, 2008 9:48 AM in response to YogurtBoy

After talking with tech support @ Apple AND Verbatim (the SD card vendor), I FINALLY got the solution (from the Verbatim tech support)...

I had to take the card to my PC running Win2K, and format the card to FAT32.

Until now, it had been formatted as FAT16, and apparently the Mac doesn't see beyond 17MB of an SD card formatted as FAT16... at least not this manufacturer's.

And the card must be formatted as SOME variation of FAT for the digital photo frame to recognize it.

Jeez, I've never done so much troubleshooting in a 24-hour period as this past day!!!

Thanks all for your assistance.

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Answer 14

Limnos

Level 10

428,039 points

May 12, 2008 9:53 AM in response to YogurtBoy

Glad you got the problem sorted out. It's interesting I was along the right lines on it being a formatting issue (and was right about it having to be in FAT for the frame) but it was beyond me to go farther than that. I know FAT 16 vs 32 presents problems with really, really, really large files but didn't know it would present problems with small ones.

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Answer 15

pjm361

Level 1

39 points

Jul 28, 2008 12:47 PM in response to YogurtBoy

I'm having the same problem with a Kingston 2GB micro SD card and it is in FAT 16. Is there a way to reformat to FAT 32 using a Mac?

Message was edited by: pjm361

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