Pi 3 is Destroying SD Cards

[dhatkovsky]

Same issue for me. RPI3b+ keeps burning SD cards. 3 in a row. Older RPI versions worked fine. I believe it should be an issue in RPI3b+ design. I had no chance to test RPI3b so maybe same issue there.

[HawaiianPi]

RMA for the card, had to take picture, picture revealed crack in card.

Seems like it was YOU who destroyed the micro SD card.

In any case, it's pretty startling to see that either the card or the Pi itself is not fault-tolerant for these things. For an inexpensive computer you kind of don't want to go through multiple $15 MicroSD cards, esp. when you're not sure what caused the excess heat in the first place.

That should be obvious. Mishandling the card and cracking it was the problem. Treat your cards more carefully.

I have loads of micro SD cards that have been inserted and removed from many devices over and over again, and I have yet to damage one. I routinely swap cards in and out of Pi computers with no problems.

[cspan]

With all due respect, you weren't there, you don't know the level of care I take with microSD cards, you don't know the level of heat that the card slot rose to. It's entirely possible that it can crack under high heat, and/or is more susceptible to cracking when very hot and being removed.

Just because you haven't experienced it, doesn't mean it can't happen.

Please quit making accusations, and consider re-reading the forum rules about decorum.

[rpdom]

It is very possible that the heat was caused by a fault in the card. The card slot does not normally get hot, maybe a bit warm if anything.

A very small number of people have reported cards getting very hot and failing - not just in Pi's, but in all sorts of other devices. Not just microSD cards, full sized ones as well. In every case the device has been fine and run successfully and cool with a new card.

[cspan]

It is very possible that the heat was caused by a fault in the card. The card slot does not normally get hot, maybe a bit warm if anything.

A very small number of people have reported cards getting very hot and failing - not just in Pi's, but in all sorts of other devices. Not just microSD cards, full sized ones as well. In every case the device has been fine and run successfully and cool with a new card.

Thanks for your reply ... yes, a prior card and subsequent card both ran fine, so that is consistent with your scenario.

[HawaiianPi]

Please quit making accusations, and consider re-reading the forum rules about decorum.

You mean like your unfounded accusation that the Pi computer damaged your card?

[HawaiianPi]

Same issue for me. RPI3b+ keeps burning SD cards. 3 in a row. Older RPI versions worked fine. I believe it should be an issue in RPI3b+ design. I had no chance to test RPI3b so maybe same issue there.

Definitely not a design fault. Your Pi may be defective if it killed 3 cards in a row, but without any details it's hard to say for sure.

[mahjongg]

if an SD card becomes very-very hot (enough so that its case cracks, due to steam build up inside them) then that means an electric defect (short circuit) has occurred inside that card.
That is not something that you can get to happen with any kind of software, as no sd-card has a self-destruct instruction/mechanism you can trigger, as seems to be implied. Its also unlikely to point to a connection problem between the card and card holder, as at worst that would have caused a short on the outside of the card, not inside it.

Instead it seems the sd-card(s) in question have some kind of construction fault inside them, that can lead to a spontaneous short inside them (if you have ever looked at pictures of how such a card can look inside you wonder why it doesn't happen more often).

yes, its very unlucky if you get three of such cards in a row, but this would simply point to a source of bad cards.

Note there are many cards on the market that are fake, and/or of very dubious quality, that are sold as premium ones.

[cspan]

Please quit making accusations, and consider re-reading the forum rules about decorum.

You mean like your unfounded accusation that the Pi computer damaged your card?

I don't think I made such an accusation: I didn't start this thread or title it ... perhaps you should turn your ire on the OP instead.

If you read my first contribution to this thread, I said, near the bottom "... either the card or the Pi itself is not fault-tolerant ..." - i.e., I did not claim I knew which was the cause. And in fact, since the card was replaced by SanDisk under warranty, I did then infer that the card was the problem.

[n67]

I don't think I made such an accusation: I didn't start this thread or title it ... perhaps you should turn your ire on the OP instead.

What's funny is these people taking it as some kind of personal affront that you made some kind of "accusation" against their beloved printed circuit board (the Raspberry Pi).

Come on, guys. It's a piece of hardware. It doesn't have feelings.

[QuadeHale]

I am having this same issue. I have a dozen Pis out in the field that run non-stop all day long without complaint.
I recently purchased a pair of Pi3 B+'s. I have been through five cards now - ADATA, Sandisk and Kingston. Class 4 and Class 10, doesn't matter. Sometimes I get a clean boot, but after one or two, I get a red light, no boot - not even the rainbow out of the HDMI - and when I pull the (hot) microSD out, it has likely developed a crack. When it doesn't crack, I put it in a USB reader and lo and behold, it reports 30 MB capacity and no partition table.

This is not an isolated problem. It has happened on both the Pi 3 B+'s now.
I am trying the sixth and final card now, because I've run out of them.

I have tons of experience with this hardware, and I have never seen anything like this. There has to be something wrong with the Pi 3 itself. Maybe there was a bad batch of them that went out, I don't know. I do know that I'm starting to get angry because I have things I want to get done and this has eaten my afternoon and a hundred bucks in SD cards that should never have burned up.

[scruss]

I am having this same issue.

New thread please. You are not having the same issue.
SD cards get faintly warm, not hot. Are these legit cards, checked in f3 or similar?

[jamesh]

I am having this same issue. I have a dozen Pis out in the field that run non-stop all day long without complaint.
I recently purchased a pair of Pi3 B+'s. I have been through five cards now - ADATA, Sandisk and Kingston. Class 4 and Class 10, doesn't matter. Sometimes I get a clean boot, but after one or two, I get a red light, no boot - not even the rainbow out of the HDMI - and when I pull the (hot) microSD out, it has likely developed a crack. When it doesn't crack, I put it in a USB reader and lo and behold, it reports 30 MB capacity and no partition table.

This is not an isolated problem. It has happened on both the Pi 3 B+'s now.
I am trying the sixth and final card now, because I've run out of them.

I have tons of experience with this hardware, and I have never seen anything like this. There has to be something wrong with the Pi 3 itself. Maybe there was a bad batch of them that went out, I don't know. I do know that I'm starting to get angry because I have things I want to get done and this has eaten my afternoon and a hundred bucks in SD cards that should never have burned up.

Power supply? There must be some commonality in your setup that is causing an issue - it's not the Pi3B+ design or we would be inundated with complaints, and we are not. At all. Even a bad batch would have come up on our radar, and we have had no other reports than this one.

[k-pi]

.....and when I pull the (hot) microSD out, it has likely developed a crack. When it doesn't crack, I put it in a USB reader and lo and behold, it reports 30 MB capacity and no partition table.

Sounds like you may have some sort of an electrical short across the card contacts to me(?).

[Scoonix]

Hello,

Just for information/confirmation, I also had/have this problem.
Bought a Pi 3 b+ YESTERDAY and I've already two SD card "burned":
- one samsung EVO plus 32 gb : became super hot and never booted. Not detected by laptop anymore
- one SanDisk ultra 16gb : worked for 1-2 hours, shutdown OS, waited a few minutes, unplugged the Pi 3, went to sleep (me ), replugged the Pi 3 and card get instantly super hot and no boot. Card not be detected by laptop anymore).
When I say hot, I mean really really super hot...

I'm using 5.1V 2.5A official Pi alimentation...

I'm sure that not all Pi 3 are destroying SD cards, but mine did (or my alimentation/set-up, on a fresh install on a new board...).
Just posting to say that the case is not so islolated (and the workaround "buy another SD card and it might not burn" is not an option for me).

Trying to get refund from the shop where I bought it (and yes, the boards alim, sd cards are NOT copies).

That's a pitty because the 1-2 hours I could use it it was really cool.

PS:
if the alim is not the right one and cause the SD to "burn", what should I use ? Is the offical Pi alimentation safe for Pi 3 ? I'd rather use the previous version of Pi than litterally burning money on burning SD cards...

[pcmanbob]

Hi.

If the SD cards are getting hot then that suggests the SD cards themselves are faulty internally, just running raspbian on them should not cause them to fail, I have SD cards that I got when the Pi b+ ( the original one ) first came on the market and they still work just fine.

[Scoonix]

Hi.

If the SD cards are getting hot then that suggests the SD cards themselves are faulty internally, just running raspbian on them should not cause them to fail, I have SD cards that I got when the Pi b+ ( the original one ) first came on the market and they still work just fine.

So two high quality manufacturers made faulty sd cards ?

Running raspbian should not cause them to fail, but the Pi I got might ...
I would be very very unlucky if that was the case, but I'll try to get another Pi 3+ and Sd card (if seller is ok to exchange) and give another try.
But if the sd card burn again, then the Pi design is "guilty"
I'm sure that a lot of people never had this problem, but I'm also sure that some people are having it. And in my case (as some others who posted here), I tried two differents sd cards brands so I really think that my Pi is the cause (or me but... I'm no expert, but I know how to plug an SD card... )).

One of the SD card was running perfectly on an Arduino project so I really doubt that it was faulty (and both cards are in the top recommended for Pi..). Anyway I'll test again with a new set (Pi+SD) but if it burn the card again that will be the last time.

I'm not angry against Pi, just really disappointed cause it seems to be really cool.

[jamesh]

I suspect if you have broken two in such a short time that there is a problem with the Pi itself. I suggest returning it under warranty.

[Scoonix]

I suspect if you have broken two in such a short time that there is a problem with the Pi itself. I suggest returning it under warranty.

Yep, went to the shop and explained the problem.
Got a new raspberry pi (and SD card, same model as before) and no problem since (crossing fingers).

I suspect that the first one has been somehow damaged while transport/storing by the supplier (or just bad luck... it happens).

Thanks for the support and reallly, that "little thing" is really cool.

Kind regards to all

[robin48gx]

I have had several PIs fail now where the common factor seems to be the SD card getting very hot.
as with other posters, I have taken micro-sd cards from known working devices (like cameras) and then had them destroyed by PI 3B+ PCBs.

[jamesh]

I have had several PIs fail now where the common factor seems to be the SD card getting very hot.
as with other posters, I have taken micro-sd cards from known working devices (like cameras) and then had them destroyed by PI 3B+ PCBs.

Unlikely. We've had no confirmable reports of this happening, and we have sold a lot of Pi3's so I would expect that if this were a HW problem we would be seeing many many more reports. What SD cards can do is simply wear out. What sort of strain are you putting them under? Very high numbers of writes?

[YanKleber]

I am about to buy my first Pi 3B but after to read this thread I must to confess that I am way scared to push the button...

[gordon77]

I own many Pi's, from the first version to the 3b+, and have never had a sd card fail. Just power down properly, don't just pull the power.

[pcmanbob]

I am about to buy my first Pi 3B but after to read this thread I must to confess that I am way scared to push the button...

Go ahead

If you follow simple rules like buy your SD cards from known good supplies so they are not sub-standard or fakes , power down your pi properly and treat things with some care you should not have any problems.

I have many pi right from the very first and the SD cards I first used still work just fine, you I have had cards become corrupted due to power fails but a simple re-format in my camera has always sorted them.

[jamesh]

I am about to buy my first Pi 3B but after to read this thread I must to confess that I am way scared to push the button...

We've sold 25million Pi devices, compare that to the number of SD card issues described here. Hopefully that will guide your decision.