Possibly dead Micro SD card?

[Diosoth]

The front card reader panel on my PC seems to be about useless... too old, too much dirt. The Micro SD slot stopped reading after trying to clean it, the main SD slot never worked well due to being shaped poorly. I've been using a $2 micro SD reader but hit a snag- it will read the cards from my camera and Wii just fine but wouldn't detect the cards I keep in a storage case, even after cleaning those. Yeah I don't get that, either. I had another SD/Micro SD USB reader stick but while those cards would work, the thing had such a bad intermittent connection in the USB slot I had to toss it.

I looked on eBay for a replacement front reader but couldn't find one- not that I'm certain I could even get the old one out easily, if at all. I opted for this instead since it has a good score and a few extra USB ports-
Amazon.com

So all the cards read fine.... except one. A 32GB Samsung EVO Select only has one file present- "USBCp6F." at 3.85GB. No folders or files that should be there. It's not a huge loss as it was duplicate of another 32GB card I use for file backups so nothing is lost. But is the card dead? Encrypted? Locked? Should I hard format it or toss it?

 

[RolandJS]

Some time ago, from Amazon Prime, I purchased and used two external usb-connected mini & regular SD-card readers. I can maybe find the past order for the manufacturer if you want. Do you have Amazon Prime and/or a local business-oriented computer place? Maybe explore and find what you need and want.

 

[Diosoth]

Thta's not even addressing the question. I already obtained a suitable card reader/USB hub. The question regards the troubled card.

 

[RolandJS]

Thta's not even addressing the question. I already obtained a suitable card reader/USB hub. The question regards the troubled card.

Sorry about that, I was speed-reading too much past your opening sentence: "The front card reader panel on my PC seems to be about useless..." and then saw this: "...I looked on eBay for a replacement front reader..."
I wonder if one possible solution would be hardware or software that could "force-format" your SD card? When I had problematic SD cards, sometimes I could format them and regain their former reliability.

 

[rvcjew]

Thta's not even addressing the question. I already obtained a suitable card reader/USB hub. The question regards the troubled card.

Format it with this SD Memory Card Formatter | SD Association If it doesn't come back after that it's shot. It sounds like your old reader that could read some but not others was not SDHC or SDXC and only SD rated. The one you linked is XC so you should be good for the future.

 

[Diosoth]

Format it with this SD Memory Card Formatter | SD Association If it doesn't come back after that it's shot. It sounds like your old reader that could read some but not others was not SDHC or SDXC and only SD rated. The one you linked is XC so you should be good for the future.

What's odd is my cheapo reader used to work fine with those specific cards, and can still read the 128GB EVO I use in the Wii. It's the cards I kept in the foam-lined case that it suddenly can't pick up. But aside from that one card the others work fine in the new reader. Any idea what happened? Did the intermittent connection on the faulty reader goof with something while losing connection? Any idea what that mystery file is?

...before anyone points it out, I am aware the Wii is rated officially for no more than a 32GB card. However as long as it's formatted as FAT32 larger cards often work fine.

 

[RolandJS]

rvcjew, I downloaded the utility and the info page, thanks! Diosoth, did that formatter get your SD card back into service?