Best Method to Upgrade SD Card

JackOnan

Member
Nov 18, 2010
87
1
I am going to replace my current class 2 8GB sd card with the same size class 10 (I guess the NOOKcolor will only benefit from a class 6, but I got a class 10 for the same price). Was just wondering what the best step by step method would be.

I'd like to format the card in the NC, but I have many apps installed which rely on the sd card to store data, so rebooting with a blank sd may cause problems.

I do a have a USB reader, so I was thinking the best way would be to:
1. shut down the NC and remove the currrent sd card
2. put it in the usb reader and make an image of it from windows using some software
3. write that image to the new sd card
4. put new sd card in NC and power up

Any ideas on what software to use to make and write an image of the card? I have win32diskimager which I used for rooting - would that be sufficient or is there something better? Or maybe you have some other way of doing it. My main concern is that the card is formatted properly and any system or hidden files are copied to the new card(if there even are any). I would think if I used an image, it would copy the formatting that the NC did on the old card to the new one. I'd like to hear your ideas. Thanks.

Edit: Correction - New sd card is 16GB not 8, so I guess the image idea won't work anyway
 
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darmeen

Senior Member
Jan 8, 2011
1,007
119
Don't overthink it...put your new Class 10 in the nook and format it...take your class 2 and copy all the data in it onto your computer (I have a different folder for each of my SD cards)

Then copy all that data from your PC to your class 10 card and put it in the NC.
 

faceman

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 21, 2011
654
140
Don't overthink it...put your new Class 10 in the nook and format it...take your class 2 and copy all the data in it onto your computer (I have a different folder for each of my SD cards)

Then copy all that data from your PC to your class 10 card and put it in the NC.
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What he said... changing cards for the purpose of just having a bigger card... just copy and paste my friend.

The only time you have to be concerned about making an image for the SD is if you are running the whole OS from it. In that case, there are a few partitions on the card and imaging is the only easy answer. If it's just your storage card and you're running the os from the internal eMMC, then copy and paste.

Speaking of this, I make a copy of my sd card on my pc about once or twice a week just in case the card fails. Backup is important!
 

JackOnan

Member
Nov 18, 2010
87
1
Ok, I guess I'll use the filecopy method. My main concern was that any apps that run at startup and write to the sdcard would fallback to the internal memory and make a mess of things. For example, I have news programs that cache their data to the sdcard and run automatically to update their data. I also have several hundred other apps that may do the same thing - so you can see how they may all make a mess at boot, creating folders and caching data at startup on the internal storage.
 

darmeen

Senior Member
Jan 8, 2011
1,007
119
You don't need to reboot the nook to swap the cards...and if you are worried about your news program updating while you swap, just turn off your wifi while you do it...if the news reader can't download anything new, then you don't have to worry about it updating files.
 

faceman

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 21, 2011
654
140
Or just turn the nook completely off. Pull old Sd out, put it pc, ,copy all files to a folder, put new sd into pc, copy all files from folder, put new sd into Nook. Turn it on and enjoy!
 

JackOnan

Member
Nov 18, 2010
87
1
You don't need to reboot the nook to swap the cards...and if you are worried about your news program updating while you swap, just turn off your wifi while you do it...if the news reader can't download anything new, then you don't have to worry about it updating files.

This sounds like it should work.

Or just turn the nook completely off. Pull old Sd out, put it pc, ,copy all files to a folder, put new sd into pc, copy all files from folder, put new sd into Nook. Turn it on and enjoy!

I would do this, but wanted to format it in the NC - I've heard of problems(flakey behavior) if its not formatted in the NC. But of course these reports are anecdotal and who knows what they did. I would think any FAT32 format should work, right? I'll give this a try - format from windows.
 
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faceman

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 21, 2011
654
140
I would do this, but wanted to format it in the NC - I've heard of problems(flakey behavior) if its not formatted in the NC. But of course these reports are anecdotal and who knows what they did. I would think any FAT32 format should work, right? I'll give this a try - format from windows.

Thats a valid concern; so do this:

1. Turn off NC
2. Remove old sd card
3. Insert new SD card
4. Turn on NC
5. Go into Settings-> Device Info -> SD Card -> Unmount SD -> Format SD Card
(This will format new card to B&N delights)
6. Turn off NC
7. Insert old SD into PC and copy all contents to a backup folder somewhere
8. Remove old SD card from PC
9. Insert new SD card into PC
10. Copy entire contents of sd card backup folder to the new SD card (do NOT copy the folder over, just its contents)
11. Remove new SD card from PC
12. Put new SD card into NC
13. Boot NC and enjoy.

Yes, when you copy the SD card backup folders contents from the PC to the new SD Card, it will overwrite some folders and files that were put there when the NC formatted the card, but that is OK.

Hope this helps.
 

rico2001

Senior Member
Dec 8, 2010
1,599
266
This sounds like it should work.



I would do this, but wanted to format it in the NC - I've heard of problems(flakey behavior) if its not formatted in the NC. But of course these reports are anecdotal and who knows what they did. I would think any FAT32 format should work, right? I'll give this a try - format from windows.

Using windows will work as well. I formatted my 16GB card fat32 with my pc before copying my files over. Either the NC or pc works; if one was unfamiliar with formatting, I'd stick with letting your NC do the work.
 
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