Likebook Alita

[parkher]

HELP!!!

How to insert a memory card into Alita! Or how to insert the card onto/into the tray.
I am afraid that the tray with the card will jam completely and will be left stuck half-out.
Or perhaps something will break inside.
Should I cut/ file off part of the card to make it thinner? Especially the thicker protruding edge farthest from the pins.

If the tray is placed vertically with the ejection hole to the bottom right, then (I assume) the card must be placed on top of the tray with its pins facing down towards the frame and away from the tray edge with the ejection hole. I don't see any other way to place the card. But the tray still does not go inside. It seems, the card has to be somehow inserted into the frame completely, without even a millimeter protruding above the frame of the tray. But it is impossible to do. Especially at the end away from the pins.
How much force can be applied to insert the card into the tray and to insert the tray into the reader? Something will break for sure. Or will stuck without a chance to move in either direction.

UPDATE:
Gradually somehow I managed to push the tray all the way in. The last couple of millimeters with considerable force.
After rebooting, the card was detected.
It is a 256 GB card. I don't see any chance to eject that card now. I am afraid even to try.
I would prefer uploading files to the card directly, not through that ftp-like portable devices api. But I guess I was lucky anyway, considering.
Stupid stupid design!

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by parkher

Should I cut/ file off part of the card to make it thinner?

No, file the straight edge of the SD card to fit in the tray

[parkher]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

No, file the straight edge of the SD card to fit in the tray

You mean, the edge that is higher than the rest of the card, needed to extract the card with the nail of a finger, I am guessing.
Or to make the card shorter?

Anyway, the whole tray is now in and I don't see it ever getting out. Not with the ejection pin alone. Perhaps, with a knife along the edges.
I really did not expect such a design where the card has to be altered to fit in.

When I was trying to push the tray in, Alita was off.
When I switched it on, the card was not detected. Only after rebooting, it was finally detected. That is a bit strange. Switching it on itself was not enough.

UPDATE:
well, I switched Alita off and on several times. The card was always detected.
Then I tried ejecting the card. Of course, it did not move even one micron.
I did not apply very much force on the pin either.
But after that, the card is gone. Perhaps just a coincidence. Not reliable contact in the first place. Or I could have pushed somthing inside, after all.
I have no idea how to extract the card now. Not without some damage to the card cover and/or around it. Well, damage to the tray is no big deal, a tiny plastic replaceable thing.
Perhaps even the same that is used in some phones.
Perhaps it is possible to disassemble Alita and get to it from inside?
But again, no idea how.
Without a card, it is useless anyway. Except for some experimenting.

[parkher]

I was told that it should never happen - the card on the tray should slide in easily, and no need to file off anything. At least that is the case with all the phones and tablets, etc.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by parkher

I was told that it should never happen - the card on the tray should slide in easily, and no need to file off anything. At least that is the case with all the phones and tablets, etc.

I discovered, that some cards are a little bit thicker, than others. I had the same problem with a Samsung 256 Evo Plus, but finally I succeeded in putting it into the tray.

[parkher]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

I discovered, that some cards are a little bit thicker, than others. I had the same problem with a Samsung 256 Evo Plus, but finally I succeeded in putting it into the tray.

My current problem is with a Patriot LX Series 256 GB card.
Still, I think Boyue put there a sim card tray. I'am sure a sim card would fit perfectly.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by parkher

My current problem is with a Patriot LX Series 256 GB card.
Still, I think Boyue put there a sim card tray. I'am sure a sim card would fit perfectly.

This is the tray foom Alita with the problem card.
The tray from ares is the same

[mbrisco]

The new firmware is out. Anyone tried it? Did they upgrade Android from version 6?

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by mbrisco

The new firmware is out. Anyone tried it? Did they upgrade Android from version 6?

No .

[parkher]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

This is the tray foom Alita with the problem card.
The tray from ares is the same

So you did not cut (the inside of) the tray itself?
I cannot compare it with mine, as my tray is stuck inside, but I think it is not cut all the way through, only partially, so it has a thinner part where in your picture there is nothing at all. But I might be wrong.
Still, what if they included a wrong tray with my Alita.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by parkher

So you did not cut (the inside of) the tray itself?
I cannot compare it with mine, as my tray is stuck inside, but I think it is not cut all the way through, only partially, so it has a thinner part where in your picture there is nothing at all. But I might be wrong.
Still, what if they included a wrong tray with my Alita.

I think, the SD is too thick

[parkher]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

I think, the SD is too thick

They all seem to be too thick.
So, the tray is out. Works fine without a card now. But not tested will it detect the card or no more.
So what I need to do: I think - to remove the protruding thick edge of the card - the one that is probably made to make extracting the card from a regular slot easier. This protruding edge stucks the most - at the very end of inserting the tray.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by parkher

They all seem to be too thick.
So, the tray is out. Works fine without a card now. But not tested will it detect the card or no more.
So what I need to do: I think - to remove the protruding thick edge of the card - the one that is probably made to make extracting the card from a regular slot easier. This protruding edge stucks the most - at the very end of inserting the tray.

With some cards i had problems, with others not.Now i have a 512 Gb intern formatted inside and Im not interested to change.

[parkher]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

With some cards i had problems, with others not.Now i have a 512 Gb intern formatted inside and Im not interested to change.

There is another question I have.
When I insert a card, I have a choice either to use it as internal or to be able to share with other devices.
With Mimas, I tried to use it as internal. After formatting I got an OK message and a proposal to move installed apps to it. I politely declined.
But the card did not show up anywhere. Not separately, not as increased internal storage. The same initial storage remained as if without a card. When connected to PC through the portable devices api - also the card was not shown - neither separately nor as an increased storage.
So I formatted the card (also on Mimas) as shareable - that way at least I see it and can use it. And I can have books and dictionaries on it.
I don't see any advantage of having it as internal storage - even if I could access that storage. So on Alita, I did not even try it.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by parkher

There is another question I have.
When I insert a card, I have a choice either to use it as internal or to be able to share with other devices.
With Mimas, I tried to use it as internal. After formatting I got an OK message and a proposal to move installed apps to it. I politely declined.
But the card did not show up anywhere. Not separately, not as increased internal storage. The same initial storage remained as if without a card. When connected to PC through the portable devices api - also the card was not shown - neither separately nor as an increased storage.
So I formatted the card (also on Mimas) as shareable - that way at least I see it and can use it. And I can have books and dictionaries on it.
I don't see any advantage of having it as internal storage - even if I could access that storage. So on Alita, I did not even try it.

If the card is formatted as internal, then everything is saved to this card - apps, data, music, pictures, etc - and this is seen in the device as sdcard1.
Internally formatted cards are much more secure than external, since they are partitioned GPT.
There are programs that should be on their own drive if they need login credentials - they can be moved.

Swapping the SD card is very uncomfortable anyway, as you have to remove the cover, eject the card from the system, eject the tray, then you can remove the card.
The internal file system is much safer than the external one - possible are NTFS (slow) or Fat32 (huge clusters) - both very disadvantageous (exfat is not accepted).
Take the tray out and plug it in again is certainly not gentle on the device, it's not done for that.

If I have to take over data, then I do this via WiFi File Transfer, or via USB OTG, because I can use USB sticks, flash drives, hard disks, etc and I do not have to bother with the tray (exfat is accepted).