OK, so Linux is smart and XP is dumb and I want to undumbify XP. (Re: SD card reader)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

I haz laptop. Laptop haz Texas Instruments SD card reader. (Detects as "Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Integrated FlashMedia Controller" in Device Manager). I have a WinXP / Fedora Linux 10 dual boot.

Here's the thing: Under Fedora, it reads/writes 16 GB SD cards no problem.

Under WinXP (SP3, fully updated) it solemny ignores any SD card bigger than 4 GB. Note: to read any card at all under Windows, I have to install a driver. I've tried drivers downloaded from Acer, from HP... Texas itself seems to not offer drivers in its site.

I've been scourging the Net for XP drivers like crazy. Somewhere, there must be a driver that reads bigger cards. Help plz?

[pokerfan]

1. MS has a hotfix

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934428">This article describes a hotfix for Microsoft Windows XP that adds support for Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) cards that have a capacity of more than 4 gigabytes (GB).

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. Ah, I found that. But here's the kicker:

I have SP3, and when you have SP3, installing the fix fails because it says you "already have it." But you don't. Next up: Reinstalling XP SP2, applying the hotfix, testing, and THEN apply SP3.

I'll be pretty miffed if it works and SP3 makes it not work again. Nasty regression bug.

[pokerfan]

3. Ah well then

Just boot into Linux and sin no more, my child.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. I need to have both. Work.

By the way, having Linux on dual boot greatly helps maintenance chores on the Windows partition.

[struggle4progress]

4. This may or may not be relevant:

32-bit windows has some address space issue that limits it to 4GB

Memory Limits for Windows Releases
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx

There's a similar address space issue with the FAT32 format