Topic: SD Data Transfer

[Spenczar]

So, I received a some new SD cards as Christmas gifts (an 8 gig and 16 gig) and I'd like to use one of them for my 3DS.  But, is there anyway to transfer all my data to a new SD card without re-downloading everything?  I have a good many eShop titles and really don't want to spend 2 hours re-downloading everything.

[JRokujuushi]

I'm in the same situation.  I emailed Nintendo support about it a few days ago but haven't gotten a reply back yet.  I'll let you know their response when I get it.

[NWR_insanolord]

If you have the equipment to connect SD cards to your computer you should be able to just copy everything on your current card to your computer, then plug in your new one and put it all on that. Once you've done that everything should show up when you put the new card in your 3DS.

[Spenczar]

If you have the equipment to connect SD cards to your computer you should be able to just copy everything on your current card to your computer, then plug in your new one and put it all on that. Once you've done that everything should show up when you put the new card in your 3DS.

Unfortunately, that doesn't work.  But I figured I should be able to pick "download later" and do it bulks at a time and nap!

[NWR_insanolord]

That's odd. I was able to do that when I got a bigger SD card on the Wii. Now I'm glad I switched to a bigger card right when I got my 3DS.

[UncleBob]

If you have the equipment to connect SD cards to your computer you should be able to just copy everything on your current card to your computer, then plug in your new one and put it all on that. Once you've done that everything should show up when you put the new card in your 3DS.

Unfortunately, that doesn't work.  But I figured I should be able to pick "download later" and do it bulks at a time and nap!

Page 34 of your 3DS manual walks you through this.  It's supposed to be as simple as copying all of the contents from your old SD card onto a fresh new SD card (i.e.: /nothing/ already on it).

[leahsdad]

It does work.  I changed to a 16gig a month or two after the eshop launched, and it was as simply as copy, paste with my Windows 7 PC.

Though, I have been questioning lately whether a 16 gig card will do you any good in a 3DS, since there MAY be a hard limit on the number of downloads, regardless of file size, that you can have on your 3DS home menu (see thread http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=36488.0)

[leahsdad]

Though, I have been questioning lately whether a 16 gig card will do you any good in a 3DS, since there MAY be a hard limit on the number of downloads, regardless of file size, that you can have on your 3DS home menu (see thread http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=36488.0)

Uncle Bob, it seems, has discovered that there is a hard limit, at 300.   While the 3DS can support a maximum 32 gigs in an SD card, I'm not sure if it can ever actually use that much space.   Maybe not even 16, because that's what I've got in my 3DS right now, I've got about 90 apps/icons right, and I have 106, 362 open blocks.  The largest game I have is Mighty Switch Force, which is 1617 blocks.  But I don't think that'll be the norm for eshop games, because Freaky Forms is less than 300 blocks and Pushmo is less than 200.  The average GB game is 30 odd blocks, GBC is 40 odd, and none of them ambassador games, GBA or NES, are over 80. 

Now according to my good friend Google, 1 gigabyte equals 8000 blocks and change (128 kb equals 1 block).  So let's say you just went to an 8GB SD in your 3DS.   You would have over 65,000 blocks to fill up, which means you can buy at least 40 games that are as big as Might Switch Force, or 1800 GB games, or 1400 GBC games, etc. etc.   Obviously, you will buy a combination of all of these, but unless you're one of those crazy people who worries about running out of icon space on your home menu and starts forum threads about them (i.e. ME), I doubt you will every use up 8gb, much less 16.  And how in the world would you use up 32GB, that is beyond me.

[Kytim89]

I am hoping that Nintendo offers Nintendo 3DS and DS titles as digital downloads in the future because Sony is doing the same with the PSP and PS1/PS2 for the Vita. Nintendo has the advantage of allowing its devices to use standard SD cards because we can always easily upgrade to bigger cards if needed.

[Spenczar]

Well, I'm retarded. Thanks for the help!

[JRokujuushi]

Page 34 of your 3DS manual walks you through this.  It's supposed to be as simple as copying all of the contents from your old SD card onto a fresh new SD card (i.e.: /nothing/ already on it).

Well, this is strange.  The word from Nintendo support is:

I am sorry to say that you will not be able to transfer or copy Nintendo 3DS eShop downloads from one SD card to another, including your saved game data, so you will need to download them again.

I guess I'll have to give it another try when I get back home.

[leahsdad]

Page 34 of your 3DS manual walks you through this.  It's supposed to be as simple as copying all of the contents from your old SD card onto a fresh new SD card (i.e.: /nothing/ already on it).

Well, this is strange.  The word from Nintendo support is:

I am sorry to say that you will not be able to transfer or copy Nintendo 3DS eShop downloads from one SD card to another, including your saved game data, so you will need to download them again.

I guess I'll have to give it another try when I get back home.

That is strange.   Makes what I did impossible, and makes that flowchart in the manual pure gobbledeegoop.

That rep may have been confused, and might have "intended" to say one SD card ON ANOTHER 3DS SYSTEM to another SD card ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT 3DS SYSTEM.    This much is true. 

[JRokujuushi]

Sure enough.  I formatted my 16GB card, copied the files from my 8GB card to my PC then to the 16GB card, and the software all appeared when I put it back in my 3DS.  Definitely made use of the feedback form provided in the email to let them know their error.