Dead microSD card; any way to resuscitate it?

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Marc_G

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Hi folks,

My favorite microSD card, an 8 GB Class 10 brand name card, suddenly died. I tested it in a camera yesterday before heading out to the field to fly a few.

Got to the field, turned on the keycam, and it acted all wonky. Set it aside and investigated it when I got home.

The card doesn't seem to register whatsoever in any device I put it in. I've got an SD card adaptor for the computer; it's not seen there. Doesn't show up in any of my several cameras.

Sure, it's just a replaceable electronic bit, but it has some history: it was part of a keycam that hung in a tree for three months, eventually recovered with memory intact when the rocket was recovered. It worked fine for several months after that.

I've checked the contacts area; clean and shiny. Went over them lightly with an eraser just to make sure there was no invisible gunk preventing contact.

I'm not aware of anything else I can do but figured maybe someone here would have an idea.

Thoughts?

Marc
 
Hi folks,

My favorite microSD card, an 8 GB Class 10 brand name card, suddenly died. I tested it in a camera yesterday before heading out to the field to fly a few.

Got to the field, turned on the keycam, and it acted all wonky. Set it aside and investigated it when I got home.

The card doesn't seem to register whatsoever in any device I put it in. I've got an SD card adaptor for the computer; it's not seen there. Doesn't show up in any of my several cameras.

Sure, it's just a replaceable electronic bit, but it has some history: it was part of a keycam that hung in a tree for three months, eventually recovered with memory intact when the rocket was recovered. It worked fine for several months after that.

I've checked the contacts area; clean and shiny. Went over them lightly with an eraser just to make sure there was no invisible gunk preventing contact.

I'm not aware of anything else I can do but figured maybe someone here would have an idea.

Thoughts?

Marc

I remember this card! I was amazed that it survived 3 months outdoors.

From what I remember about logic circuits and how these cards are made, my guess is that moisture probably got inside the SD card thru the contact area and started to corrode the internal conductors from the terminal strip to the chip and logic controller itself. Those conductors are very fine and tiny to begin with. Once moisture gets inside the SD case itself it's only a matter of time before those conductors and paths corrode to the point of being too tiny to deal with any current at all. Your last test on the card was probably enough to break what's left of the conductors.

BUT, just in case I'm wrong, and if you have a external card-reader and adapter for the MicroSD card, double check it again and double check the adapter. You might get lucky and it was just a minor issue with the connections. But after 3 months of outdoor conditions I do have my doubts.
 
Thanks!

It turns out these cards are on sale at Best Buy for $15 each, so I'm sending the wife to pick a pair of them up.

Since the card lasted for months after I recovered it, it's hard to imagine it was corroding all that time but I have no better explanation. I've tested it in several adaptors and cameras; all seem to think it doesn't exist.

I want to get some of that CSI tech where they can go in and recover data even when some of the circuitry is dead, if the chip itself is still alive!

But, in the end, this thing is a commodity item and only worth a few minutes effort...
 
Thanks!

It turns out these cards are on sale at Best Buy for $15 each, so I'm sending the wife to pick a pair of them up.

Since the card lasted for months after I recovered it, it's hard to imagine it was corroding all that time but I have no better explanation. I've tested it in several adaptors and cameras; all seem to think it doesn't exist.

I want to get some of that CSI tech where they can go in and recover data even when some of the circuitry is dead, if the chip itself is still alive!

But, in the end, this thing is a commodity item and only worth a few minutes effort...

I have absolutely no idea how to separate both halves of the card so you can peek around. For all I know, they might just dip the chips in a mold and the case might be a single one-piece design.
The chip might be fine for now, but it sounds like the circuit path that supplies power is dead.

But, it would be neat to look at one under the microscope and see what's on there.
 
The card doesn't seem to register whatsoever in any device I put it in. I've got an SD card adaptor for the computer; it's not seen there. Doesn't show up in any of my several cameras.

While working on micro-controller code for SD cards I have fragged more than one SD file system. A few times I even messed up the partition table so it needed an fdisk before mkdosfs to fix.
 
Prolly fried...
But one possible desperation shot.

Get a gallon a distilled water and let the card soak for a month, swirl it around once a day to agitate any deposits.

Then get it out and airdry somewhere warm for a bit, week or so.

Think of it like cpr.
It is already dead and can't get no deader.
 
Try using a USB 2.0 Memory reader. Most of the older readers are usb 1.1 ..

Try using a 2.0 reader as it will provide more power to the chip and maybe allow you to read it.

I have taken chips apart and attatched leads to the chips to allow them to be read.

I personally would not put that chip in water, although the theroy itself sounds correct, I do know that the boards can and will absorb water and swell and from what ive seen the swelling will break the tiny solder connections that make the electricity flow from point a to point b.

Im sure the data is still on the chip itself, the power circuit itself may be whats keeping it from being seen..

Try using a 2.0 device and if that dont work let me know, I might be able to bypass the power circuit and get your data off of the eprom.

Tom
 
Thanks for all the great thoughts, guys!

I've officially done last rights and dropped it in the trash.

Meanwhile my darling wifey came home with a pair of replacement cards. One is for the regular family camera as we're going on vacation in a week and my story is that we need a bigger card for it to store pictures and movies from the trip. :wink:

After the trip, hmmm... it may find its way into my other keycam.

Meanwhile I'm loading one of them into the keycam that failed on the field yesterday and putting it through its paces.

Marc
 
Sorry I didn't get to posting before you trashed the card.

There are two non-invasive things you can (could have) try.

First, soak it in 100% pure denatured alcohol (displaces water)

Second, preheat your oven to 240 degrees, and place the card in there for 15 minutes. This can reseat any damaged solder joints, and help drive out any moisture or alcohol that remains.

It may allow you to get your data off the card, and use it as a backup.
 

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