My Tech 2 (I've had since 2005) seems to have a problem with reading the PCMCIA card - it says it's not installed. I pulled the unit out for a friend to use and they got the message on boot up that the card wasn't installed, I tried and same thing. Reseated the card and same thing. It passes the intial checks but never displays the 'Tech 2' logo on screen after that check just says the card isn't installed. I pulled the card and put it on my laptop card reader which shows the card as PCMCIA but I don't have a driver so won't let me look to see if there are files there or if it's readable. It worked fine the last time I used it a couple years ago and it's stored in a Tech 2 case in the garage. The terminals on the card and Tech 2 look fine, no evidence of corrosion. Any thoughts on what the problem might be or how to get it fixed or read the card contents to make sure the friend didn't accidently wipe the card?
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Tech 2 Problem
- Thread starter srode
- Start date
I don't have anything that uses a PCMCIA card, but I have had a similar problem with SD flash cards in my digital camera. The camera kept telling me that there was no card installed when there was. All the terminals looked just fine. I tried pushing the card hard in one direction with my finger (when it was installed) and turned the camera on again and it still didn't work, so I tried putting sideways force on the card in the other direction and after turning the camera on it began to work as long as I maintained pressure. I figured out that one or more of the terminals didn't have enough of a connection for the camera to realize the card was there. I ended up putting 2 layers of masking tape on the top of the SD card to provide a little constant sideways pressure when installed and it always worked fine after that.
I realize that your card uses male/female pin connections instead, but you still might want to try forcing the card to sit a little crooked in each direction and then turn it on and see if it works. You might even want to measure the length of the male pins and then pull the card out half of that distance and try it again to see if you get a better connection. If anything works then you know there is a minor pin alignment/connection issue going on.
I realize that your card uses male/female pin connections instead, but you still might want to try forcing the card to sit a little crooked in each direction and then turn it on and see if it works. You might even want to measure the length of the male pins and then pull the card out half of that distance and try it again to see if you get a better connection. If anything works then you know there is a minor pin alignment/connection issue going on.
1949 caddyman
Well-known member
As I remember there are 2 slots for the card. Try the other slot?
1949 caddyman
Well-known member
Back when they still had real training at school we were told that an updated card could be put in one of the slots to update the other card. This made it faster to update tech2.
Yep tried the other slot but I think that's 'reserved for future use' which never materialized.
The second card slot can be used to toggle between different car makes cards, the shop tech 2 has GM in one Saab in the other.
As for your problem your card is bad you need a replacement
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Thanks, I was thinking it was the card. A message came up the last time I used it that it was out of date and needed updated. I ignored it but the person I lent it to might have let it try to update then wiped the card maybe? If I find someone with a good card can it be copied to mine if it got erased using a Tech 2 and the 2 slots? Or can it be programmed from the TIS 2000 discs?
Thanks, I was thinking it was the card. A message came up the last time I used it that it was out of date and needed updated. I ignored it but the person I lent it to might have let it try to update then wiped the card maybe? If I find someone with a good card can it be copied to mine if it got erased using a Tech 2 and the 2 slots? Or can it be programmed from the TIS 2000 discs?
I do not know, I have only updated with TISweb, never tried coping a card, sorry I can't be more help on that
A lot of times if you don't shut down properly or pull a card out before shutting down you can damage the cards directory. The files are still there but the road map to them is corrupted. The simplest thing is to copy another card to it somehow (I'm not familiar with Tech 2).