Weird Vita issue

[MosesRockefeller]

So... my Vita 1000 has been rock solid, but today it started showing some strange symptoms after working fine this morning.

 

I was playing Salt and Sanctuary this morning without problems, but I think what caused the problem was me downloading Final Fantasy X/X-2 last night. If anybody else owns this game digitally, you probably know that the games are listed together as one "game" in the store. I'm not sure if they're separate in the download list, because mine is way too big to scroll through. Combined I think they are 6-ish GB, but they do download as two separate games. Anyway, yesterday I freed up about 7GB, then started the download. The first game finished, but the second did not. I paused it and brought the Vita to work with me, figuring I'd resume it later (since there doesn't seem to be a way to download FFX-2 separately, I planned to finish downloading, then move the install to my PC with Content Manager.

 

Anyway, at some point today the Vita decided the memory card was not fully inserted. It might have gotten jostled around in my backpack (I have a hard case on it though). Now it reboots every time I wake it up, saying the memory card has been removed. If I wait for the reboot to finish, it works fine for a bit, but then it reboots again later after waking it from sleep. The memory card is fully seated, but I did remove it, boot it up, shut down, insert the card, and boot up again. It doesn't help.

 

The other issue I'm having is almost as bad... at some point in this process, the download aborted to where it no longer shows up. But the 3GB the game uses was not freed on the memory card. I rebuilt the database a few times but it did not help.

 

Suggestions? I suspect that I need to format the card (or that it's beginning to be unusable), but I'd rather avoid that if possible. Only my Salt and Sanctuary save is not backed up to PS Plus but I didn't progress that far today.

 

Oh, I do have a Vita 2000 that I can pop this card in if that might help.

Edited July 19, 2017 by MosesRockefeller

[Undead Wolf]

If I were you, I'd insert the card into the Vita 2000 and see if has the same issue. If not, turn on the Vita 1000 without the memory card inserted, go into the settings, and choose to restore the system. If that doesn't work, put the memory card back into the Vita 2000, backup your saves to PS+ if you can, and then format the card. I know it sucks, but since rebuilding the database didn't work, I don't think you have many other options. 

[MosesRockefeller]

Hmm. Well I bit the bullet and formatted the memory card after doing your test and a few others (all of which failed). I had to format it from the Safe Mode menu (or whatever it's called); it wouldn't work under Settings. 

 

Anyway, I was able to see the full card being empty and reinstall a few games. However, it got stuck downloading a game (error C1-2741-4) and now I can't do anything with my download queue. Pausing, canceling, etc all fail to do anything. Most of them are in Waiting to download... status but the one that fails outright shows the "Could not download" error with that code. 

 

I guess I could try a database rebuild... this is frustrating. 

[Guest]

Have one of them babies myself. Man this is scary shit. I shouldn't had come in here and read the things you said. The fear of it happening to all of us. I need to forget this! jeeez, good luck though.

[MosesRockefeller]

22 minutes ago, ERGOPROXY-DECAY said:

Have one of them babies myself. Man this is scary shit. I shouldn't had come in here and read the things you said. The fear of it happening to all of us. I need to forget this! jeeez, good luck though.

Well, I'm wondering if it's time for me to backpedal on my opinion that the 64GB cards aren't prone to failures. Now I'm beginning to doubt my previous stance. I was able to play a game this morning on the reformatted card, but downloading new games tends to fail more than it succeeds, and I have to restart and do a database rebuild. I DID successully upload a save to PS+ though, so that's progress.

[Undead Wolf]

2 hours ago, MosesRockefeller said:

Well, I'm wondering if it's time for me to backpedal on my opinion that the 64GB cards aren't prone to failures. Now I'm beginning to doubt my previous stance. I was able to play a game this morning on the reformatted card, but downloading new games tends to fail more than it succeeds, and I have to restart and do a database rebuild. I DID successully upload a save to PS+ though, so that's progress.

 

I own a 64GB memory card, and it was fine for years, but only recently has it started to have significant problems. It happens to all of the 64GB cards eventually, it's just a matter of time. I'm sorry to say it, but what's happening with your card is likely the start of its demise. The problems start out relativity minor, but they get worse over time until it eventually becomes almost unusable. It sucks, but I think you might have consider looking into getting a new memory card. I ended up getting a 32GB card recently, and while the size downgrade is a bummer, it's really nice not having to worry about games randomly closing and being unable to start, or saves corrupting for no reason.

[MosesRockefeller]

2 hours ago, Undead Wolf said:

 

I own a 64GB memory card, and it was fine for years, but only recently has it started to have significant problems. It happens to all of the 64GB cards eventually, it's just a matter of time. I'm sorry to say it, but what's happening with your card is likely the start of its demise. The problems start out relativity minor, but they get worse over time until it eventually becomes almost unusable. It sucks, but I think you might have consider looking into getting a new memory card. I ended up getting a 32GB card recently, and while the size downgrade is a bummer, it's really nice not having to worry about games randomly closing and being unable to start, or saves corrupting for no reason.

Yeah, I have a 32 in my 2000, but I liked having separate games on each card and system. Now I only have a 4 as a spare, which is too dang small. I guess I could shell out for another 32 but they're so expensive. 

 

Still, I got 2 years out of the 64, so I shouldn't complain. I've had one SD card die, although that was WAY less expensive of course. 

 

I still don't know if I'm completely convinced that the 64s are special... I mean I used the heck out of this card, writing to it several times a day and solid state memory does have a finite number of reads and writes. I wonder if other cards would have similar issues with heavy use over several years. 

[Undead Wolf]

2 hours ago, MosesRockefeller said:

Yeah, I have a 32 in my 2000, but I liked having separate games on each card and system. Now I only have a 4 as a spare, which is too dang small. I guess I could shell out for another 32 but they're so expensive. 

 

Still, I got 2 years out of the 64, so I shouldn't complain. I've had one SD card die, although that was WAY less expensive of course. 

 

I still don't know if I'm completely convinced that the 64s are special... I mean I used the heck out of this card, writing to it several times a day and solid state memory does have a finite number of reads and writes. I wonder if other cards would have similar issues with heavy use over several years. 

 

Ah, well since you already have a 32GB card, I guess it's not so bad. I mean at least you don't have to buy a new card to keep playing your Vita(s). I'm still getting used to having less space with my 32GB card, but considering how most of my Vita games are physical, it's something I can live with. I mean let's be honest, you're never going to need that many digital games installed on your Vita at any one time; it's just convenient.

 

I don't think it's a coincidence that people complain about the 64GB cards having issues way more than cards of the other sizes, especially since the smaller sized cards are much more common in the west. While I'm sure problems can occur with the other memory cards too, it seems to take longer/isn't as much of an issue as opposed to the 64GB cards.

 

When my memory card started to have issues, I looked it up and came across this which I found quite interesting: 

I know the memory cards are expensive, but the way I see it, you have two options: You can either live with the 32GB and 4GB cards you have now, or purchase another 32GB to replace the failing 64GB card. If you continue using the 64GB card, the problem is only going to get worse. You'd have to prepare for potential loss of save data and what not like I did. Personally, I think you'll be fine with the other two cards you currently have as long as you just delete games when you're finished with them, but it's up to you.

 

Edited July 21, 2017 by Undead Wolf

[MosesRockefeller]

9 hours ago, Undead Wolf said:

I know the memory cards are expensive, but the way I see it, you have two options: You can either live with the 32GB and 4GB cards you have now, or purchase another 32GB to replace the failing 64GB card. If you continue using the 64GB card, the problem is only going to get worse. You'd have to prepare for potential loss of save data and what not like I did. Personally, I think you'll be fine with the other two cards you currently have as long as you just delete games when you're finished with them, but it's up to you.

 

Yeah, this is true. It's all about convenience. I did breeze through that Reddit thread just now, and it's interesting that somebody mentioned certain games being incompatible. I wonder if FFX-2 is one of those? As I mentioned, FFX downloaded and installed without problems, but trying to download FFX-2 is what kicked off the issues. It's probably a coincidence, but who knows.

 

Last night I finished the FFX-2 download on the 64GB card (finally), and I succeeded in copying the 5 or 6 games I had downloaded to my laptop. I cleared out some space on the 32GB card (I had some Vita versions of games I have or already played on PS3 that took up a lot of space - e.g. Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter - and due to my large backlog, I want to play games I haven't played yet before re-playing games), so tonight I will transfer FFX and FFX-2 over and make sure they launch successfully.

 

Thankfully the Salt and Sanctuary save did upload from the 64 and download to the 32, and it works. I guess it's time to ditch the 64, sadly.

 

I do have a handful of physical games, but I prefer digital on all my consoles, for convenience (I know, I keep coming back to that). My experience here definitely makes a good case for going physical on Vita though, because it would avoid the memory card corruption issue (except for patches, but at least the saves would be intact since they're always on the game card I think).

 

Anyway, thanks for the help, even though you were mostly telling me what I already knew but didn't want to accept.

[Satoshi Ookami]

45 minutes ago, MosesRockefeller said:

for convenience (I know, I keep coming back to that)

Convenience == Physical on Vita   

[MosesRockefeller]

12 hours ago, Satoshi Ookami said:

Convenience == Physical on Vita   

How is it convenient to swap cards? I can now agree that it's more stable, and possibly cheaper, and allows for imports. But none of those things are convenient. Stable yes. 

 

 

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

6 hours ago, MosesRockefeller said:

How is it convenient to swap cards?

Finish game -> swap card  

Not only they are convenient in terms of storage space and in terms of easy access, they also make you actually finish games  

[MosesRockefeller]

10 hours ago, Satoshi Ookami said:

Finish game -> swap card  

Not only they are convenient in terms of storage space and in terms of easy access, they also make you actually finish games  

I guess we have different definitions. Opening an icon on your home screen without swapping cards is as easy as access gets. Anyway, as long as you have a card big enough to hold at least 2 games, with digital all you have to do is make sure your next game is installed, and of course you can download the next game at night when you're asleep. 

 

As far as the other comment goes, some games aren't conducive to finishing uninterrupted by other games. Story heavy JRPGs are, but I have a lot more than that for Vita. There is also the frustration factor for some games. Certain games are only enjoyable when I chip away at them in between other games. 

 

Also, what if your place of residence catches on fire? All you have to do with a digital collection is grab your Vita (Vita DOES mean life after all, and what would be the point in living without it?). It's pretty difficult to grab a shelf full of VIta games though! 

 

Digital gaming - now with increased fire protection! 

Edited July 22, 2017 by MosesRockefeller

[Satoshi Ookami]

3 hours ago, MosesRockefeller said:

Also, what if your place of residence catches on fire? All you have to do with a digital collection is grab your Vita (Vita DOES mean life after all, and what would be the point in living without it?). It's pretty difficult to grab a shelf full of VIta games though! 

Living without the collection of physical Vita games...?

That's not life...

[MosesRockefeller]

15 hours ago, Satoshi Ookami said:

Living without the collection of physical Vita games...?

That's not life...

Haha, touche! Never change.