# What is going on with this memory card? (Folder names copy, but not the contents) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2022, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467 "2022-02-14T16:10:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467/1 "2022-02-14T16:10:01Z")
I’m trying to copy a bunch of folders and the files inside them to a new memory card from my laptop. But for some reason, it keeps copying _just_ the folder names and not the contents. (If the folder has just files inside of it, sometimes those will copy, but if there are sub-folders then nothing copies). I’ve tried it several times…and usually if I go one folder at a time it works, but anything beyond that and I keep getting just the folder names. Anyone have any idea what would cause that? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467/2 "2022-02-14T16:25:03Z")
Not really ! Try rebooting and formatting the card. Shouldn’t be necessary but can often cure weirdnesses. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467/3 "2022-02-14T16:26:23Z")
yeah, I was trying to avoid formatting the card since I’d already copied a bunch of data to it. But I may have to…I was hoping someone here had seen this before and could offer some explanation as to what exactly is happening. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467/4 "2022-02-14T16:29:07Z")
Are you sure the card isn’t a phony? What’s the capacity and price? If you bought it online, can you link to it? ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467/5 "2022-02-14T16:33:17Z")
It’s a SanDisk 256 gb, I think it was around $30 on Amazon but I’m not sure exactly which one. Of course, I’m not positive it’s not a phony, but I’m not sure how I’d know—it certainly looked like every other one I’ve ever bought. But it does work, if I copy the folders one by one (including the sub-folders—each one copied one by one works just fine) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467/6 "2022-02-14T16:41:07Z")
This is just a guess, but I do know that during file copy operations the folders are created first, and then populated with the files. What happens if you pick a much much smaller sample of folders with only a few files each? What happens if you pick the original batch of folders and leave the computer running overnight and recheck it in the morning? My guess is that although the GUI of your OS is showing the file copy completed, the write operation hasn’t actually written the files. USB thumb cards are slow slow slow. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467/7 "2022-02-14T16:45:03Z")
I actually discovered the problem after letting it run overnight with a large amount of files. I did try it with just one folder (which had three sub-folders in it, each with maybe 20 files). I got the same result, unless I copied each folder over one by one. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-going-on-with-this-memory-card-folder-names-copy-but-not-the-contents/959467/8 "2022-02-14T17:13:23Z")
well, I formatted and rebooted and tried a small sample of folders. Appears to be working so far.