Memory card for Nokia Lumia 1520 smart phone.

robinpe

New Member
Power User
Memory card for Nokia Lumia 1520 smart phone Wind. 8.1.

I currently have an 8GB,Micro SDHC, Class 4, Non-branded Memory Card in my phone, but it's full up. I have bought & tried a Kingston 64GB, Micro SDXC, Class 10; a SanDisk, 64GB, micro SDXC, Class 10; & a Samsung 64GB, micro SDXC, Class 4. None of them is recognized by my phone, although they work fine in my laptop. Do I need to reduce the size down to a 32GB, SDHC, or what can anybody recommend for me to try next. I have read that somebody has installed a 128GB in the same model phone & got it to work, but I don't want to go to the expense for that size. Thanks for any suggestions!
 
It's not something I've experienced, so maybe someone who's experienced the problem first hand will come along shortly. However, when you say they aren't recognised, I assume it shows the SD Card in Storage Sense as 'not found'? Just out of interest, if you install the 'Files App' (a Microsoft App), does if show the card then?

Another thing to check is whether the cards are formatted to the right file system? Taken from HERE:

What file systems do my Lumia phone support?

Your phone supports FAT32 for SDHC cards, exFAT for SDXC cards, with a single Master Boot Record (MBR) partition table.

- Up to 32-GB SDHC cards using the FAT file system.
- 64-GB SDXC cards using the exFAT file system.

Instructions for formatting the card here:
FAQ - My memory card is not working properly in Lumia phone - Microsoft - UK

If that doesn't work, a quick Google search shows that some people have needed to completely reset the phone before it would recognise their SD card. Obviously, this would be a bit of a sledge hammer solution and not particularly ideal as it would entail backing up your entire phone, completely wiping it and starting again from scratch by going to Settings > About > Reset Your Phone.
 
Thanks for that 'arc1020. Yes, it did read 'not found' each time. I actually already had the 'Files' app installed. I inserted the cards into a 'reader' & plugged them into my laptop first. I formatted them there, I also right-clicked the cards & checked the 'Properties'. The cards did all read 'exFat'. I thought that maybe going to a SDHC instead of a SDXC might make a difference. That's why I thought a 32GB card might work. I know certain 64GB cards will work as has been attested in some reviews of this specific phone model, but I don't know which ones. One guy recommended FULLY formatting the card in a laptop first, turning the phone completely off, & then insert the card. I tried that, didn't work! Any more suggestions out there fellows!!
 
All devices have limits as to the size of SD card they will recognize. My LG phone is limited to 32 GB SD cards. Often the same model device will be manufactured over a period of time and later versions may have higher capabilities.

When formatting the device in your laptop what format did you use? NTFS is commonly used in Windows but most such devices will not recognize it. You would probably need to use FAT 32.

Check the manual for your device to see what the size limits are and what format is required.
 
Thanks LMiller 7. I did format with exFat 32. The manual doesn't say anything about limits for this model. Other than SD cards can be installed! However, I'm going to try a 32GB & see if that works. I know 64GB have been successfully installed on this model, I don't know about the date of manufacture of the models they used. I've even read a review where they installed 128GB with not problems. Any more suggestions folks!!
 
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