X96 Max Plus can only boot from some SD Cards?

[vmce]

Hi, I’m setting up a new X96 Max Plus (S905X3, 4GB/32GB, gigabit) for a friend and I can’t get it to boot coreelec 19. I’ve setup a new memory card Sandisk Ultra 32GB using both Rufus and Win32DiskImager and it just boots to android with both, also tried the recovery button that just boots to Android Recovery.

Now here’s the odd thing, I have an X96 Air (S905X3, 4GB/32GB, gigabit) and the new sd card works on that fine and my existing Sandisk Ultra 16GB and a Kingston 4GB work on both boxes.

Any ideas why the 32GB will boot on one box and not the other? This might not strictly be related to Coreelec directly, but I’d appreciate the help.

[loki7777]

Try using balena Etcher instead rufus.

[vmce]

Thanks but no luck, same as Rufus and Win32DiskImager, works on my X96 Air but not the X96 Max Plus. I’ve ended up swapping the cards over instead.

[7Ji]

So 16GB works yet 32GB doesn’t?
A potential reason is that the u-boot in your box only supports SDHC yet the 32GB one is SDXC.

You may need to check the Wikipedia page for SD to understand the difference between SD, SDHC, SDXC, SHUC : SD card - Wikipedia

Technically all <=2G cards are in SD standard, 2G - 32G cards are in SDHC standard, 32G - 2T are in SDXC standard, 2T - 128T SDUC

And the latter standard controller can read earlier standard card, so SDHC controller or SDXC controller with SDHC firmware if the vendor is lazy, can only read SD and SDHC cards

The problem is that not all 32G cards are actually in SDHC standard these days, especially the new ones, even the capacity is supported by SDHC. Some manufacturers choose SDXC for all their cards to save budget (same on-card controller for all products instead of having a dedicated SDHC one on <=32G cards)

You can check the mark on your card, if it says SDXC, then it can’t be supported by your box’s bootloader since it only supports SDHC

[rolfi79]

x96max + has a very slow card reader. I recommend using a USB3 flash drive. USB3 10x faster boot than microSD card.

[vmce]

Yeah that’s the case, definitely a SDHC card not SDXC, I’ve given it to a friend now, tbh the box is flakey at booting, if it’s disconnected from the mains for more than 5 mins it boots back to android instead and it’s really hit and miss to get it to boot back into coreelec again often going to android recovery instead, once it’s booted in it’s ok though as long as you don’t cut the power to it for more than 5 mins.