Database Users

How to use SD card as real Secure card?

Hi!
Could someone point me to info how can I use SD card as real Secure storage of data?
What I need to do - to use it under Win Mobile platform?
is Any 3-rd part software available?
thanks for any information.

ryhor said:
Hi!
Could someone point me to info how can I use SD card as real Secure storage of data?
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it depends on how you define secure?
If you mean 'nobody else can access the data if they get a hold of the card' ... there are many articles on the web discussing this issue - here's a decent (but slightly dated) one: http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Securing-Pocket-PC.html
There are a LOT of app's which will provide you with varying levels of encryption for your data - Resco Explorer has an option to encrypt, for example.
Use google (or your preferred search engine) to search for "pocket pc" and "security" (or perhaps "encryption") and you'll get plenty of hits.
I must point out though that we are talking about an extremely portable device. A PDA is just so easy to steal! An SD card is even more so. So if you are talking about data which really MUST remain secure ... you may well be better served by not putting it on your unit in the first place.

Hi
Actually we wanna do a simple thing.
we wanna put our application and data on SD card and allow access to this storage only to someone who have right to do it. (it isn't top secret )
SD category 3 of levels of SDMI security requirements will be fine for us.
http://www.sandisk.com/Oem/DocumentInfo.aspx?DocumentID=1344
But as I understand - there is some problem with it. It is a little bit strange - because every normal SD card has to provide this feature (and it is), but just there is no any suuport of it from OS? even there is no some 3-rd part File System Drivers?
It isn't sounds so hard to implement.

Why do I feel like we got gipped again?
I believe SD is a scam over MMC cards just like 1.44MB 3.5" floppy disks was a scam over the 720KB version... :x

SDMI
ryhor said:
Hi
But as I understand - there is some problem with it. It is a little bit strange - because every normal SD card has to provide this feature (and it is), but just there is no any suuport of it from OS? even there is no some 3-rd part File System Drivers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did some research into SDMI last year, as a part of a contract I was on. I've dug into my notes and found this:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/drm/sdksandversions.aspx#version
It may be of some use to you. Probably not ... frankly I find the whole approach of DRM to be a joke

(Yet another) Big Storage question

Finally decided to bite the bullet and try the big storage hack. Dumped my ROM onto a SD card then loaded it into the hex editor which promptly complained about lack of memory (on a pc with 1gb of ram). I then noticed that the bin file was 512mb ! Yes you guessed, I used a 512 card to dump the rom.
From what I have read so far it seems that romupdate creates a file the same size as the storage card so my question is this, whats the minimum size of sd card that can be used ? I have an old 32mb card lying around and I dont really want to have to buy a 128mb card because all it will be used for is this one task.

Don't you have any imagination? How about switching to another hex editor. Now the answer to your next question in queue: use the search function to find out about other hex editors.

3 things:
- enlarge your pagefile
- look in the options of your editor, sometimes it wants twice the filesize for memory & you can adjust that to once
- read http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=46628

Thank you for your replies gentlemen.
@Chatty... Yes I have an imagination but I fail too see how it may be of use with this particular question.
@oltp... Thanks, I will look at those options. I dont think I had spotted the post you linked to but any search criteria involving big storage threw up so many results that I got tired of wading through after an hour or two.
Will have another bash soon, but Im still curious if it can be done with less than 128mb, after all it isnt the entire ROM that needs editing.

I'm using the hexeditor from the ftp & when you know what you're doing, you can even specify it to use only 70MB which is sufficient for this purpose.
M

****** Programming opportunity ??? *******

I've spent a good while looking and i cannot find a file recovery/raw disk access program that's available for mobile devices, could be a nice opportunity for someone!!!
I'd do it myself if i'd got the time lol

No offence but form the title it looks almost like your offering a paying job. Maybe something a little less flashy next time?
Any way have you checked out an app called pocket mechanic?
http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=12178&associateid=373
It comes pretty close to what you want.
The problem with file recovery is the fact that these devices use RAM or FLASH memory and not hard disks. If it's RAM (WM2002 / 2003) there is no way to recover the file once it has been deleted.
With flash, from what I understand it still might be possible but a lot trickier than with HD.

ooops
No not quite offering a paid job to someone lol
Hmm as for the recovery option obviously i need to learn a lot more about the management of storage on these devices, i'd assumed they followed the usual method of FAT/NTFS rules regarding storage and deletion ?
So once a file is deleted the system automatically defragements the allocated space to reclaim it?
Could use a lot more input on this, as i assumed it was just going to be a case of dumping the content on the device onto a card or via usb to comp using a basic read from location xxxxx write to location yyyyy
Any others care to comment ?
oh and device in question is an 02 XDA Mini-S !

Re: ooops
wp4054 said:
So once a file is deleted the system automatically defragements the allocated space to reclaim it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, because flash "wears out". M$ have written WM5 to spread out the reading/writing randomly (kind of) across the whole of the memory to minimize "wear" and maximize the life of the flash. Defragmenting would negate this by concentrating read/writes to specific areas and because flash is solid state defraging is not needed anyway.

Right now i'm starting to understand, so i guess my question should be when something is deleted can it be recovered?
How long before the data is 'nuked' ?
The device in question has not been used since the deletion occured but i would still like to try and dump the contents of the internal 'drive' to see what if anything remains, is this feasible?
Thanks for all your assistance guys i'm on a learning curve here!

First, you have to tell us exactly what device it is and what OS it is currently running.
Like I said before, if it is a WM2003 device your data was probably in RAM and is lost forever.

Apologies i did state in my previous post that it an 02 XDA Mini-s or magician as it's known on here running windows mobile 5
Ideally all i want to do is read all the raw data from the machine either onto PC or onto a card so that it can then be analysed using a full screen hex editor/ data recoverer, i suspect the messages/data are still there but just with truncated headers/file markers

Actually, I should be the one to apologize, I missed that line.
Unfortunately, as I stated in previous posts, since your device has the WM 2003 OS and its main memory is RAM if the file was in the main memory, once it was deleted it is gone for good.
I think itsme has some tool for dumping memory (check the WiKi for itsutils or look for his posts) but I doubt they will help you.
Sorry.

Thanks will try using those as a start, i suspect that all may not be lost but i won't know till i can dump the affected memory/storage. The unit has not been powered down or used since and i'm hoping that the information i seek is still lurking there somewhere lol
Made me get me C++ hat back on anyway if nothing else !
Daresay i will be needing a lot more help on this one yet, i suspect the SMS raw data is still about somwehere and i'm gonna try find it lol
Moral of the story?
Don't lend your PDA to a friend that hasn't got a clue what they're doing!! (even if they are desperate!!)

wp4054 - investigate Buzz's grabit program on here. This may not be grabbing the memory you need, but it'll give you a good headstart on how to use the memory read/write functions.
You probably want to be reading other partitions, but the idea should still hold.
Frankly, it's likely to be a lot of work for a very small chance of success.
If the memory works like standard FAT, and they were files, it wouldn't be so bad. But the SMS data is stored in a database that is likely to be shuffled around quite a lot for efficiency, and so unlikely to be highly recoverable.
But let us know how you get on.
V

wp4054 said:
Apologies i did state in my previous post that it an 02 XDA Mini-s or magician as it's known on here running windows mobile 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not a Magician, it's a Wizard.
O2 XDA Mini = Magician - runs WM2003SE
O2 XDA Mini S = Wizard - runs WM5

Cheers Vijay i guess i won't know till i try!
I was just thinking that the memory behaved like a disk in that storage was not reallocated immediatley, will let all know what if anything my findings are, i wouldn't normally be bothererd if it was just the odd message but it was everything that was deleted, read messages which i wanted /needed to keep not just the ones in the deleted folder!
Thanks for the help it's appreciated
Glenn (who just realised he's not put a name to any of his previous posts! , oops)

That's not a Magician, it's a Wizard.
O2 XDA Mini = Magician - runs WM2003SE
O2 XDA Mini S = Wizard - runs WM5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So does that mean i have a better chance of data recovery on this device??

Micro Drive...data transfer problem!!

Hi guys and gals.
I only have 2 more issues with the Ameo at present, then I'm a happy camper.
1) Video playback (will start a new thread after some serious investigations and various setups have been explored).
2) This is a big one, but maybe I'm doing something wrong. I'm having serious problems moving large items of data to the MD via ActiveSync (AS). Not only is it damned slow, but it seems to start and then stop transfers of data if a file is big,...like a 700Mb DVD rip or even a 250Mb movie in any video format.
The only success I have had in that area is to transfer these files to SD card and then move it to MD afterwards...and that is evn slower than through AS!!
It is very frustrating for me as the 8GB is one of the major features for my intended use of the Ameo.
I am now trying to break down amovie into smaller chapters to see if I can transfer it that way, but this is ridiculous and should not be necessary. I've had a Micro Drive WM smartphone before but that was working just like mass storage device and gave no problems.
So I suppose the logical question is...is there any way to get the Athena to be recognized as a mass storage device? I've checked the CD's and there is no such software for it there. I've read the manual and that only states that data is transferred from PC to Micro Drive via useless Active Sync!
Hope someone else has a workaround for this, or maybe it's just my device or PC setup??!!
In any event there is another niggling problem in connection to this;
If moving large photo albums via Active sync, I have to make all files (hidden) to be seen in order to delete any 'database' file relating to the photos, else AS rejects the whole data transfer once it sees these automatically XP generated database files.
Once these files are deleted (do not re-enter the folder was you've deleted the database file else another one is generated!!) the transfer goes ahead smoothly...even if you have hundreds of photos in one folder.
Anybofy else experience this, or is it just me?

mackaby007 said:
Hi guys and gals.
I only have 2 more issues with the Ameo at present, then I'm a happy camper.
1) Video playback (will start a new thread after some serious investigations and various setups have been explored).
2) This is a big one, but maybe I'm doing something wrong. I'm having serious problems moving large items of data to the MD via ActiveSync (AS). Not only is it damned slow, but it seems to start and then stop transfers of data if a file is big,...like a 700Mb DVD rip or even a 250Mb movie in any video format.
The only success I have had in that area is to transfer these files to SD card and then move it to MD afterwards...and that is evn slower than through AS!!
It is very frustrating for me as the 8GB is one of the major features for my intended use of the Ameo.
I am now trying to break down amovie into smaller chapters to see if I can transfer it that way, but this is ridiculous and should not be necessary. I've had a Micro Drive WM smartphone before but that was working just like mass storage device and gave no problems.
So I suppose the logical question is...is there any way to get the Athena to be recognized as a mass storage device? I've checked the CD's and there is no such software for it there. I've read the manual and that only states that data is transferred from PC to Micro Drive via useless Active Sync!
Hope someone else has a workaround for this, or maybe it's just my device or PC setup??!!
In any event there is another niggling problem in connection to this;
If moving large photo albums via Active sync, I have to make all files (hidden) to be seen in order to delete any 'database' file relating to the photos, else AS rejects the whole data transfer once it sees these automatically XP generated database files.
Once these files are deleted (do not re-enter the folder was you've deleted the database file else another one is generated!!) the transfer goes ahead smoothly...even if you have hundreds of photos in one folder.
Anybofy else experience this, or is it just me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the wm2003 environment, I used to have this utility called softick card export, whic allows the active sync to be bypassed and the unit recognised as a usb mass storage device. I used to port over my wikipedia (about 2.5GB in size for one sigle file) over with this.
However, my impression is that the WM5 version is not ready yet. I'm still looking for some equivalent product, or to wait for the WM5 version of softick.

eaglesteve said:
In the wm2003 environment, I used to have this utility called softick card export, whic allows the active sync to be bypassed and the unit recognised as a usb mass storage device. I used to port over my wikipedia (about 2.5GB in size for one sigle file) over with this.
However, my impression is that the WM5 version is not ready yet. I'm still looking for some equivalent product, or to wait for the WM5 version of softick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply eaglesteve, but we got that sorted a few weeks ago by using WM5torage. Not as good as the Softick concept (as it doesn't rely on AS drivers), but it will do for now, as some people have also reported problems with the card export software under WM5 based Athenas.

Use Ext2 instead of FAT32 on my SD-card?

Is it possible to use Ext2 on my SD-card instead of the useless FAT32?
Once again the FAT32 filesystem failed.. And I cannot access my SD-card anymore. I think its the third time the crappy useless piece of **** stoped working now. And yes, I didnt do anything wrong. I just mounted it and about 2 seconds later it disapered. dmesg gives me a lots of I/O errors.
Were living in the year 2010, not the 70s.. With all my heart, I f*****g hate Bill Gates for ever released the crappy filesystem. I didnt switch to Linux just to run som old crappy Microsoft filesystem.
I'm sorry for my language, but Im really mad at the piece of **** atm.

Well,
I've had my Hero for 5 months, and only once did my SD Card become "de-formatted". And this was only when i ran the original 1.5 ROM.
What ROM do you currently use, or have you used only the official ROMs?
Or could it be a hardware problem?

Im using VanillaEclair 5.0.
Seemse like its a hardware problem after all, the SD-card adapter that came with the SD-card (?). I found a way to mount the SD-card in recovery mode and it works just fine now. Doing a new fresh backup as we speak.
But I'm still intrested in using Ext2. Feels kinda stupid to use some old filesystem.

FAT32 is kinda old and crappy, yeah.
But you can use on almost every OS and all that?
Ext2/ext3/ext4 and so on. Can't be read by windows if i'm not mistaken?
But, yeah. A newer file system would be awesome.

sublue said:
FAT32 is kinda old and crappy, yeah.
But you can use on almost every OS and all that?
Ext2/ext3/ext4 and so on. Can't be read by windows if i'm not mistaken?
But, yeah. A newer file system would be awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theres 3rd party drivers for Ext2/3 filssystems on Windows. It worked pretty good when I tested it about 3 years ago.
Im only using GNU/Linux on my computers.

Oh, nice.
Well, i use Windows.
Tried to make Ubuntu my "main" OS, but really i got bored.
There's too much to do, and not everything works as you would want it to..
So, i went back to Windows because everything is simpler and mostly everything works..
Anyways! My point was that Android must be using Fat32 because of compatibility for most of today's OS's.
And we have ext2/3/4 data system for the ext partition.

From wikipedia - ext2 1993, fat32 1998.
What do you actually want/need the file system on removable card on a phone to do? Does it actually matter as long as it works?
Oh and I use both Linux and Windows - so no religion for me.

malarcy said:
From wikipedia - ext2 1993, fat32 1998.
What do you actually want/need the file system on removable card on a phone to do? Does it actually matter as long as it works?
Oh and I use both Linux and Windows - so no religion for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To work properly.

Not sure what soft format would make up for faulty hardware but I guess blind faith is a good a hope as any.
My questions were genuine, I was interested in what features you wanted from the ext2 filesystem that you didn't have in fat32, from your response (and actually from your initial post) it seems you just want to lash out in your frustration at your hardware.
Sorry to have shown (a passing) interest in your posts - not a mistake I will repeat.

Its not FAT32. I dont like the license and the patents by Microsoft.
At first I thought it was FAT32 that was the bad guy, but it was the SD-card adapter. But in general FAT32 isnt know to be the most stable fs and I had problems with in the past.
Kinda funny though, just cuz I dont like FAT32 and use GNU/Linux I must be some kinda stupid fanatic user with Linux as my religion.
I was really angry at the time. I have lost all my data atleast once before cuz of the FAT32 and I thought I was going to loose it all again, since my last backup was a few weeks old and I've been doing a lot of stuff with my Hero the last few days.
So, now I hate both my SD-card adapter and the FAT32 filesystem. If that meets the criteria to be clasified as some fanatic Linux user so be it. I dont care.

Jolly good.

Use EXT2/3/4 format in External SD Card in Android
Hund said:
Is it possible to use Ext2 on my SD-card instead of the useless FAT32?
Once again the FAT32 filesystem failed.. And I cannot access my SD-card anymore. I think its the third time the crappy useless piece of **** stoped working now. And yes, I didnt do anything wrong. I just mounted it and about 2 seconds later it disapered. dmesg gives me a lots of I/O errors.
Were living in the year 2010, not the 70s.. With all my heart, I f*****g hate Bill Gates for ever released the crappy filesystem. I didnt switch to Linux just to run som old crappy Microsoft filesystem.
I'm sorry for my language, but Im really mad at the piece of **** atm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just found pretty guide few minutes ago. I haven't tried it yet. But I'll definately going to try it. Because I want get rid of FAT's 4GB file size limitation.
If you want to try here is the link.
After typing reply I realized that thread is too old but still posting the reply hoping that it would help someone else. (I think you might have made your way to use ext2/3/4)