Card Read Error

[Mr. Scar]

anyone else get this message? I think this promo 1gig card is a lemon. First I got the message Drive Busy! now I'm getting Card Read Error. I copied everything onto my computer. Then initialized the card, put the data back on the card....still getting Card Read Error

[montydad5000]

Yes, I had this same problem with the built-in card.  It kept freezing up when trying to access my song and the only way to kill the power was to remove the batteries.

I wound up exchanging the whole unit and just got my new one today.

I will try again and see how it goes.

[Pedro]

anyone else get this message? I think this promo 1gig card is a lemon. First I got the message Drive Busy! now I'm getting Card Read Error. I copied everything onto my computer. Then initialized the card, put the data back on the card....still getting Card Read Error

I got this error once and it was because of low battery. If it continues, backup your data and initalize your card to see if it solves.

[Jimmytheg]

Hi,

I just got the unit, and I am getting the "Card Read Error," and "Drive busy." Should I return it, since I have only had it one week, or is this an easy problem to fix?  I don't want to start recording stuff, then lose it.
Any suggestions?

[Pedro]

Hello and welcome!

Have you tried initializing the card?

[guitarron]

or try another card if you got- 1gig cards a microcenter are down to $6.99 for their generic card

[64Guitars]

Those who are having memory card problems with their Micro BR might want to read this message:

http://forums.rolandclan.info/?action=show_thread&thread=22820&fid=26&page=1


Several things come to mind which might explain why these errors are occurring.

1) As admin has already suggested, weak batteries. The memory card probably requires a minimum voltage to work reliably and it may not get the required voltage when the batteries get weak. If you absolutely must use batteries, then make sure they're fresh. Otherwise, use a PSA series power adapter instead.

2) Slow memory card. I don't know what the minimum card speed is for the Micro BR (a good question for someone to ask Roland tech support), but I'd guess that it might be around 50x to 60x. If your card is slower than that, you're bound to have errors. Also, I don't know how reliable the manufacturer's speed ratings are, so it's probably a good idea to use cards that are rated 80x or faster. This gives you a bit of a safety factor in case the manufacturer's claimed speed is faster than the actual speed.

3) Defective or incompatible card. This is less likely, but possible. If you're having trouble with one card, try another. They're fairly inexpensive and it's always good to have spares.

4) Firmware bug. Years ago, when the BR-864 first came out, there was a bug in its operating system which corrupted the card's data after extensive editing (copy, move, punch-in/out, etc.) Roland later corrected the bug in a firmware update. I have no reason to believe that the Micro BR has such a bug, but it's possible.

5) Card size is greater than 1GB. Roland says to only use cards up to 1GB. Some people have reported that larger cards will work but you can only access 1GB of the card's total capacity. Still, you're taking a chance if you use a card that's larger than 1GB since the Micro BR was not designed for it. So this may or may not be a factor in this card error issue.

If you're using batteries, I think the most likely reason for card errors is that the batteries are weak. If you're using a PSA series adapter, I think the most likely reason for card errors is a slow, defective, or incompatible memory card. Once you start getting errors on the card, the data will likely get corrupted and you'll continue to get errors until the card is re-initialized and the cause (weak batteries, for example) is corrected. So, if you get errors while using batteries, then continue to get errors with a PSA series power adapter, that doesn't mean that the batteries weren't the cause.

[Jimmytheg]

Hi, thanks for all the suggestions. Since my unit is brand new, and I used it for about an hour, I didn't think it would be the batteries, but who knows. So I bought new batteries, and it still gives me the error. So I don't think that's it. Excuse my ignorance, but how do I initialize the card? thanks

[64Guitars]

how do I initialize the card?

First, backup any data from the card, if you can. Initialization erases everything from the card, then creates a new, empty song. See page 110 of the Micro BR manual.

One thing that I forgot to mention in my previous message is that many new cards come pre-formatted. So users will put the new card in their Micro BR and it will seem to work. However, this is not recommended. You should always initialize a new card in the Micro BR before using it. Formatting the card on a computer is not the same thing, so always initialize in the Micro BR.

[Glenn Mitchell]

I get them occasionally. It may well be the series of commands,
It's often after a bounce or 2 and or mastering.
Then it will behave for long periods of time.