Card Reader Can't See XD Card

Discussion in 'Laptop Hardware' started by lornajane, Aug 23, 2008.

  1. lornajane

    lornajane

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    I have a new Acer Aspire One, the linux version. I have put the 2GB XD data card from my camera (card is fine, been using it for ages) into the machine, but nothing happens. I expected to see some notification that I removable data had been added, and nothing happens. I've had a quick look around and I can't see it mounting anywhere - what do I do to be able to read this card? Does this work for anyone else?

    Thanks!

    Lorna
     
    lornajane, Aug 23, 2008
    #1
  2. lornajane

    Sid

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    Is it visible in file manager?

    Is this on a standard system?
     
    Sid, Aug 23, 2008
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  3. lornajane

    lornajane

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    This is a standard system, all I've done so far is turn on advanced mode and install Opera and Skype I think. I don't see it under file manager, I just see "Documents", "Downloads", "Pictures", "Music", "Desktop" and "Videos". Any ideas what I should try next?
     
    lornajane, Aug 23, 2008
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  4. lornajane

    Sid

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    Do you have an SD card that you can try in the same slot?

    A daft idea, can you invert the card and insert it?
     
    Sid, Aug 23, 2008
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  5. lornajane

    lornajane

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    I don't think I have an SD card ... will have a think if I have a gadget that might have one in.

    I did try turning the card the other way up (not such a daft idea!) but it doesn't seem to fit in that way. I've got it with the metal contacts facing downwards, and it seems to click in and out fine, feels like it fits correctly.
     
    lornajane, Aug 23, 2008
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  6. lornajane

    Sid

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    Have you enabled advanced desktop?

    Right click settings, removable drives and media, check the options.
     
    Sid, Aug 23, 2008
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  7. lornajane

    lornajane

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    I have enabled advanced desktop, but I don't see that option under settings. Is there a command-line equivalent?
     
    lornajane, Aug 23, 2008
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  8. lornajane

    Sid

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    Ooops different system......................

    Right click....
    Settngs manager, xfce manager, file manager, advanced, configure....

    Same menu different way :)
     
    Sid, Aug 23, 2008
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  9. lornajane

    lornajane

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    Oh, yes I found the settings "File Manager" -> Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced Tab -> and the configure link. It looks like it is all enabled, volume management is turned on and all the boxes are ticked. I unticked a few so that stuff didn't auto-run but that isn't helping.

    Not sure what to try next really!
     
    lornajane, Aug 23, 2008
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  10. lornajane

    lornajane

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    I tried an SD card and it worked like a dream. But XD really doesn't work! Can anyone suggest anything else I could try? Is anyone having the same issue? Where can I report to acer that there is a problem with this?
     
    lornajane, Aug 25, 2008
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  11. lornajane

    RockDoctor

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    I'm seeing the same problem - xD card apparently not detected. I'm running Fedora on my 120GB HDD AA1. No acknowledgement of the insertion in /var/log/messages. My first guess is that something is not connected that should be.

    Edit: xD card does work when mounted in my USB card reader
     
    RockDoctor, Aug 26, 2008
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  12. lornajane

    joaer

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    I can mention that I tried to read a Memory Stick Duo (in an adapter to fit as a plain Memory Stick). It did not work. My SD works like a charm though. I haven't tried any other card type, but it apperas that even though it says multiple card reader, it only works with SD. :cry:
     
    joaer, Aug 27, 2008
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  13. lornajane

    jango

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    Memory Stick didnt work for me too....
     
    jango, Aug 30, 2008
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  14. lornajane

    goofball

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    Works fine under Vista, haven't tried XP or Linplus though. 1GB Olumpus Type M
     
    goofball, Aug 30, 2008
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  15. lornajane

    lornajane

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    Just updating to say I took the machine back to PC World who verified the card in another card reader and then tried it in another aspire one - and it still didn't work. They will replace my machine but there seems no point since they all seem to have the same problem. The acer aspire one can't read XD cards :(
     
    lornajane, Aug 31, 2008
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  16. lornajane

    novicechris

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    I have the same problem and cant find the xd card not sure what to do next any suggestions
     
    novicechris, Aug 31, 2008
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  17. lornajane

    retsaw

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    The card reader in my Linpus AA1 reads xD cards, though the only xD card I had to test was a 64MB one from an old camera, so I don't know if it works with modern larger cards.
     
    retsaw, Sep 1, 2008
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  18. lornajane

    lornajane

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    Well I got mine working - the problem seemed to be the card??

    The card works fine the camera and in the card reader and in other card readers, but not in the aspire one. A new card works in all of the above. They are both 2GB cards, I have no idea what that is about. I've reformatted the card that was causing the problem and it still doesn't work :(
     
    lornajane, Sep 1, 2008
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  19. lornajane

    middlenamefrank

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    IIRC, XD and Memory Stick are both proprietary formats. They'll fit into a normal readers just fine, but they can't be read/written unless the manufacturer has paid the royalties and has the encryption/decryption protocols embedded into the software. Both of them were pretty much scams by the original manufacturers (Sony for Memory Stick, Olympus/Fuji/? for XD) to get you to pay so you could read and write your own content. I hate to say it but you'll probably have no luck getting them to work on a 'non-approved' platform. I don't recommend Olympus/Fuji cameras (or Sony's using the Memory Stick format) to my friends who are in the market for that reason. You're locked into at most a few vendors for storage media, and reading them is problematic too.
     
    middlenamefrank, Sep 2, 2008
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  20. lornajane

    RockDoctor

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    Given the problems we seem to be having with xD cards under Linux, I decided to do a bit of investigating. Apparently the multi-card reader is a JMicron JMB8X. I copied the Linpus kernel to my Cambridge (what will be Fedora 10) install, hoping that some time in the future I can make it play nice for me. For now, note the following:

    ~$ locate jmb38x
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.23.9lw/kernel/drivers/jmb38x
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.23.9lw/kernel/drivers/jmb38x/flash_bd.ko
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.23.9lw/kernel/drivers/jmb38x/jmb38x_ms.ko
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.23.9lw/kernel/drivers/jmb38x/jmb38x_xd.ko
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.23.9lw/kernel/drivers/jmb38x/memstick.ko
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.23.9lw/kernel/drivers/jmb38x/mspro_block.ko
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.23.9lw/kernel/drivers/jmb38x/xd_card.ko
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.27-0.314.rc5.git9.fc10.i686/kernel/drivers/memstick/host/jmb38x_ms.ko
    /mnt/Cambridge/lib/modules/2.6.27-0.323.rc6.fc10.i686/kernel/drivers/memstick/host/jmb38x_ms.ko

    The Linpus kernel, kernel-2.6.23-9lw, includes a bunch of jmb modules not present in the two stock Fedora kernels I also have installed. As has been mentioned above, these apparently are proprietary. What this means is that although an xD card works fine under Linpus (at least mine does), it won't with a stock Fedora (or Ubuntu) install.
     
    RockDoctor, Sep 13, 2008
    #20
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