N810 Memory Card Bug

Do you use the built-in memory card on the N810? If so, read this.
There have been reports of a bug on the Nokia N810's built-in 2 gigabyte memory card. If you use the built-in memory card, you may want to read this post as it will tell you how to fix the bug.

It's very very easy to fix this yourself.

What is the bug? What problems can it cause?
The built-in memory cards on the earliest batches of N810s were incorrectly formatted at the factory. This may cause files stored on the built-in card to become corrupted, which means you wouldn't be able to open them.

If your N810's built-in card has this bug, even if it works fine now, it may run into problems later on. For this reason, it's a good idea to fix this bug now before those problems happen in the future.

Does Nokia know about this? Have they fixed it?
Yes, Nokia now knows about it, they've documented it on their official bug-reporting website, and they've fixed it.

However, there's not much they can do about N810s which have already been sold, so if you have an N810 you may want to make sure you carry out the bug-fixing procedure below just to be on the safe side.

Does this affect the N810's main memory, with all my applications and other files?
No.

The main memory is separate from the built-in memory card. Any files stored on the main memory will be unaffected by this bug. The main memory's folders appear uppermost on the list of folders in the tablet's file manager, under the section marked "Nokia N810". Anything in these "Nokia N810" folders and sub-folders is unaffected by this bug.

Applications are all installed to the main memory, so the bug will not affect them either.

This bug only affects files and folders in the "Internal Memory Card" section of the file manager.

Does this affect all N810s?
No, it may only be a small percentage, but it's quite a tricky process to check whether your N810 is affected. It's actually much easier just to carry out the repair procedure below, so it's recommended that everyone with an N810 does it.

How do I fix this bug?
This bug is very easy to fix, all you need to do is reformat the internal memory card yourself using the tablet's file manager.

Before you do this though, you should be aware that formatting a memory card wipes all the information from it. If you have information you want to keep which is stored on the N810's built-in memory card, you should make sure you have a back-up copy of it somewhere else (such as on your computer). You can find out more about this topic by clicking here to read our tutorial on how to connect to a computer using the USB cable.

Another thing to be aware of: if you have used the built-in memory card to extend the N810's RAM, you will have to switch this extension off before you format the card. You can do this by going to the Control Panel (click on the Applications menu, then Settings, then Control Panel). Once you're on the Control Panel, double-click on the Memory Icon, then click on the "Virtual" tab at the top of the box. Make sure that the "Extend Virtual Memory" box is UNticked, i.e. make sure it is empty. Then click OK.

After you've backed up any information you want to keep, and made sure the virtual memory extension is switched off, you can format the built-in card. Here's how to do it:

1. Click on the Applications menu (three green squares on the left).

2. Click on Utilities.

3. Click on File Manager.

4. Click on Internal Memory Card.

5. Click on the menu at the top of the screen, select Tools, then Format Memory Card.

6. Click on OK.

The formatting process should now begin. After it's finished, the bug will be gone (and indeed the bug may never have even existed on your N810).

Does this bug affect the N800?
No.

The N800 does not have a built-in memory card so this bug cannot exist on the N800.

Does this affect my N810's ordinary separate memory cards?
If you've formatted your memory cards on the tablet itself, they should work fine.

However, cards formatted on other devices such as a PC may have problems. If you're unsure about a memory card, format it on the tablet using the tablet's file manager. Make sure you select the correct card when doing the formatting. Cards show up in the file manager with the name you gave them when formatting them, or the name they had when you bought them.