USM Card Reader unavailable: "Parameter is incorrect"

"Sharon F" <sharonfDEL RemoveThis @ETEmvps.org> wrote in message
news:uwekWO%23WGHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> On Sat, 08 Apr 2006 16:59:33 GMT, Ted Kerin wrote:
>
>> I'm running WinXP SP1, and cannot see the files on an SD card (512 MB),
>> by
>> using a USB card reader.
>>
>> When I plug the card reader (with SD card) into the USB port, Windows
>> recognizes the new hardware and assigns a drive letter. Then, in
>> Explorer, I
>> can see the drive -- and I can even see all of the individual folders on
>> the
>> SD card (the camera creates these folders).
>>
>> But, when I try to open the individual folders on the card, I get an
>> error
>> message:"Please insert a disk into Drive H". After a couple of seconds,
>> that
>> error message is replaced with: "H:\ (shows path to the folder I'm trying
>> to
>> open on the card) is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect."
>>
>> Disk Management shows the card as a removable drive with FAT filing
>> system,
>> status "Healthy".
>>
>> I have tried 2 kinds of USB card readers, and both have the same problem
>> on
>> this computer. However, both USB card readers work fine, with the same SD
>> card, on my laptop -- which is also WinXP SP1.
>>
>> Any ideas, please?
>
> Do you have optical or zip drives connected? If yes, change your drive
> letters. Leave a span between the internal hard drives and the optical/zip
> drives. Then try the card reader. You shouldn't have to do this but some
> drives (readers, memory sticks, etc) when connected will insist on using
> the first letter after the internal hard drives.
>
> Another thing to try: Disable power management on the connection used for
> the card reader. If it connects via USB ports, open the properties of
> those
> USB ports. On the Power Management page, change the settings so that the
> USB ports do not go into standby. This should help to keep anything
> connected to those ports "live" and accessible.
>
> --


Thanks for the informative reply, Sharon -- I tried both of those tips, and
unfortunately, they didn't fix the problem.

I am just occasionally able to drill down to the .jpg files in the
sub-folders on the SD card, but ninety per cent of the time, no. And I don't
see any pattern to the few times when it works. Here's another oddity: I can
pretty often see the files in the first sub-folder on the card, but I can
almost never open the other folders. So, it's not that the computer
completely fails to see the card -- I just can't see beyond the folder and
sub-folder structure, and the contents of the first sub-folder.

I also tried using a powered DVD hub, thinking maybe the card reader needs a
bit more power than it's getting from the USB bus -- but, still no joy.

Any other ideras, please?

"Ted Kerin" <tfkerin.DeleteThis@noearthlinkspam.net> wrote in message
news:zvc_f.4999$i41.1994@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> "Sharon F" <sharonfDEL.DeleteThis@ETEmvps.org> wrote in message
> news:uwekWO%23WGHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> On Sat, 08 Apr 2006 16:59:33 GMT, Ted Kerin wrote:
>>
>>> I'm running WinXP SP1, and cannot see the files on an SD card (512 MB),
>>> by
>>> using a USB card reader.
>>>
>>> When I plug the card reader (with SD card) into the USB port, Windows
>>> recognizes the new hardware and assigns a drive letter. Then, in
>>> Explorer, I
>>> can see the drive -- and I can even see all of the individual folders on
>>> the
>>> SD card (the camera creates these folders).
>>>
>>> But, when I try to open the individual folders on the card, I get an
>>> error
>>> message:"Please insert a disk into Drive H". After a couple of seconds,
>>> that
>>> error message is replaced with: "H:\ (shows path to the folder I'm
>>> trying to
>>> open on the card) is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect."
>>>
>>> Disk Management shows the card as a removable drive with FAT filing
>>> system,
>>> status "Healthy".
>>>
>>> I have tried 2 kinds of USB card readers, and both have the same problem
>>> on
>>> this computer. However, both USB card readers work fine, with the same
>>> SD
>>> card, on my laptop -- which is also WinXP SP1.
>>>
>>> Any ideas, please?
>>
>> Do you have optical or zip drives connected? If yes, change your drive
>> letters. Leave a span between the internal hard drives and the
>> optical/zip
>> drives. Then try the card reader. You shouldn't have to do this but some
>> drives (readers, memory sticks, etc) when connected will insist on using
>> the first letter after the internal hard drives.
>>
>> Another thing to try: Disable power management on the connection used for
>> the card reader. If it connects via USB ports, open the properties of
>> those
>> USB ports. On the Power Management page, change the settings so that the
>> USB ports do not go into standby. This should help to keep anything
>> connected to those ports "live" and accessible.
>>
>> --
>
>
> Thanks for the informative reply, Sharon -- I tried both of those tips,
> and unfortunately, they didn't fix the problem.
>
> I am just occasionally able to drill down to the .jpg files in the
> sub-folders on the SD card, but ninety per cent of the time, no. And I
> don't see any pattern to the few times when it works. Here's another
> oddity: I can pretty often see the files in the first sub-folder on the
> card, but I can almost never open the other folders. So, it's not that the
> computer completely fails to see the card -- I just can't see beyond the
> folder and sub-folder structure, and the contents of the first sub-folder.
>
> I also tried using a powered DVD hub, thinking maybe the card reader needs
> a bit more power than it's getting from the USB bus -- but, still no joy.
>
> Any other ideras, please?
>
>

I found a work-around, but it seems odd and I'd love to understand why it
works.

In Disk Management, if I run Properties | Tools | Error-checking on the card
reader (Disk Management sees it as a "Removable Disk"), then after that
everything on the SD card can be seen and opened easily. Weird, but it works
consistently.

"Ted Kerin" <tfkerin RemoveThis @noearthlinkspam.net> wrote in message
news:oDd_f.5035$i41.1349@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>

>
> I found a work-around, but it seems odd and I'd love to understand why it
> works.
>
> In Disk Management, if I run Properties | Tools | Error-checking on the
> card reader (Disk Management sees it as a "Removable Disk"), then after
> that everything on the SD card can be seen and opened easily. Weird, but
> it works consistently.
>

I should say, I don't have to be in Disk Management to do this. I can start
in Windows Explorer, then right-click on the Drive letter, then continue as
above to Properties, Tools, etc..

The whole fix, from "Start", is about 7 clicks. I wish it wasn't ecessary,
but I'm relieved to find how it can be done.

On Sun, 09 Apr 2006 19:53:56 GMT, Ted Kerin wrote:

> "Ted Kerin" <tfkerin.RemoveThis@noearthlinkspam.net> wrote in message
> news:zvc_f.4999$i41.1994@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>>
>> "Sharon F" <sharonfDEL.RemoveThis@ETEmvps.org> wrote in message
>> news:uwekWO%23WGHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>> On Sat, 08 Apr 2006 16:59:33 GMT, Ted Kerin wrote:
>>>
>>>> I'm running WinXP SP1, and cannot see the files on an SD card (512 MB),
>>>> by
>>>> using a USB card reader.
>>>>
>>>> When I plug the card reader (with SD card) into the USB port, Windows
>>>> recognizes the new hardware and assigns a drive letter. Then, in
>>>> Explorer, I
>>>> can see the drive -- and I can even see all of the individual folders on
>>>> the
>>>> SD card (the camera creates these folders).
>>>>
>>>> But, when I try to open the individual folders on the card, I get an
>>>> error
>>>> message:"Please insert a disk into Drive H". After a couple of seconds,
>>>> that
>>>> error message is replaced with: "H:\ (shows path to the folder I'm
>>>> trying to
>>>> open on the card) is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect."
>>>>
>>>> Disk Management shows the card as a removable drive with FAT filing
>>>> system,
>>>> status "Healthy".
>>>>
>>>> I have tried 2 kinds of USB card readers, and both have the same problem
>>>> on
>>>> this computer. However, both USB card readers work fine, with the same
>>>> SD
>>>> card, on my laptop -- which is also WinXP SP1.
>>>>
>>>> Any ideas, please?
>>>
>>> Do you have optical or zip drives connected? If yes, change your drive
>>> letters. Leave a span between the internal hard drives and the
>>> optical/zip
>>> drives. Then try the card reader. You shouldn't have to do this but some
>>> drives (readers, memory sticks, etc) when connected will insist on using
>>> the first letter after the internal hard drives.
>>>
>>> Another thing to try: Disable power management on the connection used for
>>> the card reader. If it connects via USB ports, open the properties of
>>> those
>>> USB ports. On the Power Management page, change the settings so that the
>>> USB ports do not go into standby. This should help to keep anything
>>> connected to those ports "live" and accessible.
>>>
>>> --
>>
>>
>> Thanks for the informative reply, Sharon -- I tried both of those tips,
>> and unfortunately, they didn't fix the problem.
>>
>> I am just occasionally able to drill down to the .jpg files in the
>> sub-folders on the SD card, but ninety per cent of the time, no. And I
>> don't see any pattern to the few times when it works. Here's another
>> oddity: I can pretty often see the files in the first sub-folder on the
>> card, but I can almost never open the other folders. So, it's not that the
>> computer completely fails to see the card -- I just can't see beyond the
>> folder and sub-folder structure, and the contents of the first sub-folder.
>>
>> I also tried using a powered DVD hub, thinking maybe the card reader needs
>> a bit more power than it's getting from the USB bus -- but, still no joy.
>>
>> Any other ideras, please?
>>
>>
>
> I found a work-around, but it seems odd and I'd love to understand why it
> works.
>
> In Disk Management, if I run Properties | Tools | Error-checking on the card
> reader (Disk Management sees it as a "Removable Disk"), then after that
> everything on the SD card can be seen and opened easily. Weird, but it works
> consistently.

No idea why it works but never argue with results!

When XP was first released, the card reader I had been using successfully
during beta testing suddenly stopped working. Replaced it with a different
brand and haven't had a problem since. So what's the difference between one
reader and the next? Firmware, possibly?

--
Sharon F
MS-MVP ~ Windows Shell/User