(Aspire Switch 10) MicroSD slot started smoking; MicroSD card got extremely hot after reinsertion

Robadee
Robadee Member Posts: 2 New User

Hello, everyone.

 

I will provide a brief rundown of what happened prior to the MicroSD card slot smoking: I attempted to open the device, although it suggested it was corrupt. Yesterday, I had run dskchk on the device, and the device was said to be fixed; some folders being converted to files as they were corrupted, which was fine. I had previously switched the drive letter/path from D: to B: - this had not caused any problems either. This did not seem to create any problems until today, when I was unable to open the device.

 

Backtracking a little more, I have utilised the MicroSD card perhaps more than intended: it had been used by Steam as a download directory, and attempted to download a large file onto it, although this never completed as a result of a disk error. It has been used mostly as extra storage, however. The MicroSD itself was purchased from Wish.com for a cheap price, so I am under the impression there was something wrong with the card in the first place.

 

Returning to what happened very recently, about 20 minutes ago, because the MicroSD card was not working I decided to take it out then put it back inside. It didn't appear to like this, for in a few seconds smoke started to appear from the slot and the card got extremely hot. I turned off my computer, removed the card, and now the slot is a little mishapen, and I have yet to test it again. The computer is working fine, but this was clearly a little concerning for me, having typically enjoyed my computing experiences without the addition of smoke.

 

My questions are the following:

  1. Have I been utilising the MicroSD card more than I should have (or overworked my tablet)?
  2. Shall I still utilise (if it works) the MicroSD card slot in the future - or, is this a problem MicroSD's may encounter on these tablet devices, and if so, should just be avoided in general?
  3. Should I have my tablet checked out by someone? It seems fine right now, with no performance issues or directory issues, however.
  4. Should I contact Acer regarding this?

 

Thanks!

Answers

  • padgett
    padgett ACE Posts: 4,532 Pathfinder

    I'd just try a known good but disposable SD card. If the socket has distorted it could be shorted or short when a card is inserted but if there is damage you have probably already done it.

     

    OTOH USB adqapters exist for SD cards.

  • Robadee
    Robadee Member Posts: 2 New User

    I'll definitely look into another SD card, and thank you for the advice regarding the USB adapters. I wasn't aware so many existed, so I'll definitely take a look at them - thank you!

  • Jose-Acer
    Jose-Acer Administrator Posts: 1,355 Community Administrator

    Hi Robadee,

     

    Sorry to hear you are having problems with the SD card slot on your Acer product. Since you did see smoke and the slot itself is misshapen since then, we would highly recommend the system be checked by an Acer authorized repair center. In any case where there is smoke or other indications of high heat (melted plastics, etc) we do recommend you stop using the system until it's been checked out. If you could send me a private message with the Serial Number of the unit and we will see what we can do to assist you.