[dman777]

I have a TMobile Pearl with a 2 Gig Sandisk Micro Card. I went on the Tmobile site and from what it lists I have the latest OS, but for some reason my Pearl is only recognizeing 1 gig on my 2 Gig card. Any suggestions?

[John Clark]

What OS version is on your BB?

Edit: Nevermind....You say it's the latest. It's 4.2.0.64? Did you format the card in the device? Also, where did you get the card?

[jayf63]

I have a 2GB "Sandisk" I got off of ebay, and it won't format as more than 1GB in my PC, my camera, my gps, or my Pearl. I think it's a counterfeit.

[John Clark]

That was why asked where you got it. Many immitations on eBay. I just bought one from NewEgg.com. Cost about $41 shipped but they can be trusted.

[dman777]

I got it from a seller off of Amazon. I to thought at first it was counter fit, but the packaging is authentic retail packaging. I didn't know I needed to format...maybe I'll try that when I get home.

[dman777]

When I try to format it with Windows it only allows me to select 958 MB. Is there a setting somewhere on the phone to change the size? Is it possible to be a conterfit SD micro when the packageing is retail packageing?

[jynxst]

I remember reading an article a while back about just how similar the counterfeit SD cards can be to the real Sandisk. The article pointed out very fine details that can be found on the cards themselves, and that give a clue as to whether it was real or fake. Something about a letter in the font of the fake ones looking different than the real. Either way, my point is that it is very hard to tell by just looking. I guess the biggest clue is the price.

- J

[BB8100user]

Originally Posted by dman777

When I try to format it with Windows it only allows me to select 958 MB. Is there a setting somewhere on the phone to change the size? Is it possible to be a conterfit SD micro when the packageing is retail packageing?

Stick it in your PC using a SD adapter and see what Windows recognizes...

[dman777]

Where in the PC would you stick the adaptor in?

[HamsterStyle]

You have to have an adapter to slide the micro into. than you just put that in the memory card reader like a camera memory card. I saw the micro SD at target. The 512 was $15, and the 2 gig was $99. I dont know if that was that good of a price, but thought i would mention it.

tommy

[cassinator]

You can always call up Sandisk too. They have very good support and it should have a decent warranty on it too.

[Elijah86]

I also have the same problem. i bought the sandisk of amazon and when i got it it was 2gb and could use all 2gb. when i bought it i was using the tmob .42 os which only had support for 1gb. with out knowing i formated it and it formated it to 1gb. now it wont go back to 2gb. even with the latest os. i have done lowlevel formating and have not been able to get it back to 2gb

[nigletsyz]

yeah, for sure your card is a counterfeit. I would return it to the seller. FYI, Fry's Electronics usually has 2GB micro SD cards on sale for around $25.

[Elijah86]

The ebay user is no longer a register user and since im lazy i never looked in to why it wasn't working till 5 months after i bought it. im not sure what to do. When i got the card in the mail it was only in the plastic clam shell protector with no packaging. that should have been a red flag.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by Elijah86

The ebay user is no longer a register user and since im lazy i never looked in to why it wasn't working till 5 months after i bought it. im not sure what to do. When i got the card in the mail it was only in the plastic clam shell protector with no packaging. that should have been a red flag.

There are sellers on eBay selling cheap Chinese chips that either have the SanDisk name on it or they make the graphics look like a SanDisk, but if you look carefully you will see that SanDisk is not mentioned anywhere on the chip label.

The other scam is they put 2GB graphics on to a 1GB chip, sell lots of them for a low price, then close their eBay account once the sheet hits the fan. They then open a new eBay account and pull the same scam again.

That is why I recommend the following on buying memory on eBay:

Buy only from a seller who specializes in selling memory. Odds are those are legit sellers.

Buy only from sellers with lots of feedback ratings, usually 200 or more.

Buy only from sellers who have feedback comments that say the memory worked well.

I only buy memory if the seller has a 99.5% rating or above.

Also keep in mind that with any of the above, you won't get burned because eBay and SanDisk go after the counterfeiters. Crooks only operate for a little while before the complaints move these companies into action. [I know this because I talked to a SanDisk executive about this].

And here's the sad news: your chip will probably operate OK, but I would not take it on any trips where it would be my sole chip, as it might fail at the most inopportune time. Unfortunately, the insides of the counterfeit chips are just as shoddy as the fake casing and label.

If you are lucky, it could have been a label scam only. This is where people buy 1GB chips for dirt cheap, stick or paint on a 2GB label, list on eBay and double their money. Yes, it's a two bit scam, but punks find all kinds of ways to steal money.

[rpbyrd2]

radio shack has a sell on micro sd cards right now 2 gigs for 29.99 and 1 gig for 19.99

[BBGregPearl]

You just have to search for some good deals.

[krmtdfrg25]

Originally Posted by nigletsyz

yeah, for sure your card is a counterfeit. I would return it to the seller. FYI, Fry's Electronics usually has 2GB micro SD cards on sale for around $25.

I got mine from Radio Shack for $35 and it is the real deal

[Elijah86]

yep sandisk says its a fake. hitekgear sucks.

[SanFrancisco]

I mentioned it in another thread, but might as well say in here.

I was talking to a SanDisk executive. He said that to counter the counterfeiters they are coming out with chip cases where the back of it will be clear.

You will be able to see the inside of the chip and confirm that the circuitry inside is genuine. He said that a true SanDisk chip has a unique architecture and look, so much so that counterfeiters cannot duplicate it.

He did not say when they were coming out with the chips nor on which chips they would be placing this security feature.

Currently, some counterfeit SanDisk chips use a hologram on the back to show the chips are genuine. I can't recall, but I think I saw some genuine chips with holograms, but not sure. But if you look at the holograms they typically have some bogus Chinese writing on them.