Software to mark bad blocks on SD card?

views:

2338

answers:

Software to mark bad blocks on SD card?

Do any one know a software to check AND mark bad blocks on SD card?

To clarify - bad block is a block of card which can't store data. The problem is - no error reported on read or write operation. The only way to check it is to write data and then read it. There is tool to check and find those blocks, but it will not mark them as bad.

It there are many, please tell which of them are freeware.

ps. Old formating software could mark bad blocks, but only on device errors.

UPD. I need it to support FAT12 (default on SD card). And it could be for WinCE, win or unix.

+1 A:

Considering an 8G SD card is about $15 these days, I would just chuck the bad card and buy yourself a brand new one.

jrockway 2009-01-11 22:55:17

It is not for personal use. If you have 100 cards in use it is not so easy to recheck them all and change. But we had to do so now. :(

Malx 2009-01-11 23:02:34

If the card is already starting to fail, what makes you think that it is going to stop failing after you mark the blocks that appeared to be bad today?

jrockway 2009-01-11 23:03:42

Is is not. But I could use it until it fails in all blocks :)

Malx 2009-01-11 23:43:09

+2 A:

SD cards include controller circuitry to perform bad block management and wear leveling.

If you're starting to see bad blocks at the user level, the memory is just plain bad.

Michael Burr 2009-01-11 23:39:38

I have read that it is not enough. There is "Ultimate Software Solution for High-Performance Flash Storage"

Malx 2009-01-12 00:06:05

+1 on this advice. Malx: Your ultra-cheap commodity hardware is failing. Replace it before you lose important data.

jrockway 2009-01-12 00:14:05

@Malx - the software you're referring to (Samsung's XSR) is the type of thing that would go into an embedded system/device using NAND flash parts. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's what Samsung puts on SD card microscontroller for SD cards they manufacture.

Michael Burr 2009-01-12 00:43:01

@Michael Burr - look at PDF here:http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/products/flash/Products_XSR_PortingGuide.htmlIt states host OS as WinXP. It is LLD low level driver. Loot at http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/flashsoftwareInfo.do?ppmi=1174 - app area.

Malx 2009-01-12 02:45:03

@jrockway - device of this type could have bad blocks from begining - http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/products/fusionmemory/Products_FAQs_Reliability.html

Malx 2009-01-12 02:56:32

@Malx - my reading of that document indicates that development is performed on WinXP - they go thorough a process of developing a 'dummy' LLD for a non-existent NAND device to run on WinXP as an example. The intent is to ultimately port the LLD and OAM (and other modules) to the target device.

Michael Burr 2009-01-12 02:58:55

Michael Burr 2009-01-12 05:11:43

+1 A:

SD cards don't have low-level error checking abilities like hard disks do with SMART - your best bet is to format them using mkfs -cc to do a read-write test for bad blocks - these type of cards are more likely to fail when writing than when reading so a readonly test won't catch many errors, if any at all.

Or if you have the time, implement an ECC module for device-mapper...

Ant P. 2009-01-12 02:06:53

Sorry, but I can't find -cc for any other then ext2/ext3 fs. But I need FAT which is default for SD cards.

Malx 2009-01-12 02:30:48

Check out this nifty utility: http://sosfakeflash.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/h2testw-14-gold-standard-in-detecting-usb-counterfeit-drives/

swinefeaster 2010-10-23 03:59:19

Thanks. But it is only checks for errors. It is not marking bad blocks.

Malx 2010-10-26 16:16:20

ansaurus

tags:

views:

answers:

Software to mark bad blocks on SD card?

related questions