Memory Modules

Why does my computer only recognize half the DRAM capacity? 1. Please confirm this computer can support the maximum memory capacity you installed.
2. Another possibility is that  the BIOS on the system cannot interpret the density of the memory chips. We recommend that you update the system's BIOS, to resolve this issue.

Why does my computer not boot up after installing the memory module? 1. Please make sure that the memory module you purchase is compatible with the motherboard of your computer. Use the compatability tool on the Silicon Power website at <a href="   https://www.silicon-power.com/web/vi/compatibility     2. Please make sure the memory modules are installed properly by referring to the official user manual.
3. We recommend that you install the suspected memory module separately to check if the problem is related to the memory module or the compatibility.
4. If possible, please try to install the suspected memory module on another laptop/desktop to check if the problem is related to the motherboard.

Are DDR4 and DDR3 backward compatible with DDR2 and DDR1? No, DDR4 and DDR3 are not backward compatible with DDR2 and DDR1 for the following reasons. Firstly, each module has different pin numbers (DDR4 with 288 pins and DDR3/DDR2 with 240 pins )and different notch positions, so they can be installed in repective socket only. Secondly, the incompatibility also due to different voltages that DDR4, DDR3, DDR2 and DDR1 respectively works at 1.2V, 1.5V (or 1.35V for low-voltage version), 1.8V and 2.5V.

Why does my computer become unstable and keep beeping after installing memory module? 1. Please make sure if the memory modules are installed properly , if not, please try to reinstall.
2. Please make sure contact pins are clean and free from rust and dust.
3. System chipset may not support the memory IC's identity. We suggest that you inquire the manufacturer about the supported memory module specifications and maximum capacity.

What's CAS LATENCY? Column Access Strobe (CAS) latency, or CL, is the time of delay or preparation when data is being read or written. One CL9 module takes 9 clock ticks to prepare to read or write data from when the command is received. In general, a module with a smaller CL value is made with more advanced manufacturing processes, and the price is relatively higher.

What is a dual-channel memory module? Are there any limitations on the use? Dual-channel memory modules are two memory modules with the same specification, capacity and serial number in the same package. Because a dual-channel memory is connected to the memory controller through a series of wires, it requires two sets of memory modules with the same capacity and electrical specification. Transfer speed increases as the memory bus capacity increases from 64 bit to 128 bit. Users must install the two modules in the specific DIMM slots to enable dual channel function to have a stable usage.

May different specification modules be used together if not under the dual channel purpose? It is not recommended to use different specification modules together since the system might go wrong or not boot when BIOS detects different module SPD settings.

Why can't the module perform at the stated frequency? Please check the specifications of your motherboard to see if there is any limitation on memory frequency. Different chipsets support different maximum frequency.

How do I plug the memory module into the memory slot of the motherboard? Please make sure the memory module is correctly oriented that the notch of the module matches the memory slot, and then gently push the module straight down to the slot. Please also be aware that you must turn the computer off before installing or removing the modules.

How do I clean dust or grime on the contact pins? Use an eraser to clean the pins of dust or grime.

Solid State Drives

Why the computer cannot recognize the SSD? Please refer to the possible reason and soultion below:
1. If the SSD is used as OS drive, please double confirm if you install this SSD properly and if the SSD is compatible with your computer OS specification. 2. If you are using the SSD as a data drvie, please access the "Disk Management" to check whether the SSD is properly installed under Win XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 operating systems.

Why does the computer detect a bad sector on the SSD? Is it  damaged? SSDs do not get bad sectors since they have no physical sectors. Therefore, traditional hard drive detection tools are not suitable for SSD examination.

What is TRIM? Similar to Garbage Collection, TRIM is a command that enables operating system (such as Windows 7) to notify the SSD which data is no longer valid and can be safely deleted. Also, the TRIM works when the SSD is idle so that it can maximize the performance and endurance of a SSD.

How can I enhance SSD performance if the operating system does not support TRIM? For operating systems that do not support TRIM command, Silicon Power SSDs utilize an intelligent garbage collection algorithm to help manage data and maintain peak performance.

What are the differences between SSD & HDD? SSD is completely different from Hard Disk Drives (HDD). HDD depends on  the rotating disk to access data, while SSD saves the data into flash memory(NAND Flash) directly. Since SSDs need less access time than HDDs do, they can offer better performance than HDDs. Furthermore, SSDs is superior to HDDs for their feature longer lifespan, lower power consumption and silent operation. As to their applications, SSDs are usually uesed to act as a system disk while HDDs are generally applied for data storage use.

What can I do if the operating system keeps asking me to format the SSD once it is connected? If you're installing a SSD for the first time, it is normal the operating system ask you to format the SSD. But if you keeps receiving such request after the SSD is formatted already, you should confirm whether the SSD was properly installed. If you still can't clarify the problem, please contact our Customer Service for help.

Do I need to install a driver to use an SSD? If you're using an IDE SSD, there's no need to install a driver. But if you are using a SATA SSD, it will depend on your system requirements. Please contact your computer system or motherboard manufacturers if a driver is required when you are installing an OS, .

Why does my SSD require a password before booting up?  As a internal security option within BIOS system, BIOS passwords can be set to require the password before using the SSD or booting up the computer.

What to do when there's an error appear in the middle of updating Firmware? It is suggested to perform firmware updates on the Intel CPU platform (AHCI mode under BIOS).

What to do when I can't copy software by Echo 3 system, and operation software keep asking for the serial number? Echo 3 System Cloning Software is only available for S60/S55 SSD Upgrade kit.  It's not available for other SSDs which are not Upgrade Kit product.

Why is the storage capacity of my SSD shown on the computer less than the volume written on the package? (1) The capacity discrepancy exists for storage devices and the operating system of electronic devices are using different measurements of capacity. Storage device manufacturers measure capacity with the decimal system (base 10) while the operating system uses the binary system (base 2). In binary, 1 GB is calculated as 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024*1024*1024); however, 1 GB is measured as 1 billion bytes in decimal system. Consider 240GB SSD as an example, the capacity is reported using the binary system with 223 GB (240,000,000,000/1,073,741,824≒223GB) when you view the storage space within operating system.
(2) To increase the effectiveness of the SSDs and extend their lifespan, Silicon Power will save partial memory capacity on the Controller IC.

Portable SSDs

How to transfer images or videos from an iPhone to an external storage? 1. Connect your external device to the iPhone   2. Open the [Photo] app and select images or videos you want to transfer     3. Tap [Share] button on the bottom left     4. Tap [Save to Files] in the dropdown menu     5. Navigate to the name of your external device and tap [Save] on the top right, and that’s it!  

How to transfer images or videos from an external storage to an iPhone? 1. Connect your iPhone to an external device   2. Open the [Files] app and select the name of your external device (below locations)     3. Select images or videos you want to transfer     4. Tap [Share] button on the bottom left     5. Tap [Save Image] and enjoy  

Portable Hard Drives

Why can't my computer recognize my external-HDD? Please refer to the possible reasons and soultions specified as below: 1.  Lack of power: The hard disk should be attached to the USB power cable connector into the USB slot on the back of the computer. Make sure your computer supplies enough power for the hard disk to run. Do not use a USB Hub, extension cord, or other USB devices together, because doing so may cause power undersupply, resulting in the external drive being unable to be read. 2. Volume has not been added: If you are using the Win XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 operating system, please access the Disk Management to check whether the hard disk is installed.

Once the  external-HDD is connected, the OS asks me to format it. For the first time installation, system requirement for a format is normal. However, if the external hard drive has data, and the system asks you to format the drive when you connect it to a computer, then the external drive may not be installed correctly. Attach the USB power transmission line to the USB slot behind the computer, and ensure that the computer has sufficient power supply. Do not use a USB hub, extension cord, or other USB devices, as doing so may cause a power shortage and cause your computer to be unable to read the hard drive.

When transferring a large file, I got an error message saying that Please check whether the file you're transferring is bigger than the maximum file size limitation of the file system. If  the device is formatted to FAT16, it can only accept files under 2GB. However, if it is formatted to  FAT32, it can accept larger files with the size limit of 4GB. Different file systems have different file size limitations, therefore  we suggest you reformat your drive to NTFS, exFAT or HSF file system If you want to transfer files larger than 4GB.

Why is the storage capacity of my external-HDD shown on the computer less than the volume written on the package? (1) The capacity discrepancy exists for storage devices and the operating system of electronic devices are using different measurements of capacity. Storage device manufacturers measure capacity with the decimal system (base 10) while the operating system uses the binary system (base 2). In binary, 1 GB is calculated as 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024*1024*1024); however, 1 GB is measured as 1 billion bytes in decimal system. Consider 500GB hard drive as an example, the capacity is reported using the binary system with 465 GB (500,000,000,000/1,073,741,824≒465GB) when you view the storage space within operating system.
(2) To increase the effectiveness of the portable hard drives and extend their lifespan, Silicon Power will save partial memory capacity for firmware, software applications, data storage and maintenance.

Should I reformat my newly-purchased hard drive before use? Which format is better? New hard drives need to be formatted in order for the system to read and write data. The NTFS file system is recommended in Windows, HFS+ file system is recommended in Mac.

The USB 3.0 hard drive can only work on USB 3.0 OS but not USB 2.0, is it because of the consistency?  USB 3.0 external hard drives may require more current than a similar USB 2.0 device. So it is possible that the USB 2.0 connection will not deliver the required amount of power.
If such situation happens, we suggest you connect the hard drive with a USB-Y cable or directly plug into the USB port of the computer case to ensure adequate power supply for the USB 3.0 device.

How to partition a hard drive? Please make sure that you have backed up your data before proceeding to the following steps.
1.  Right click on “My Computer,” and select “Manage.”
2. Select “Disk Management,” and then you’ll see a “Healthy’” disk. Right click on it, and select “Delete Partition.”  You'll see an "Unallocated" disk.
3. Right click on the "Unallocated" disk, and press “Create Partition.”
4.  Follow the default settings, and press “Next” until “Specify Partition Size” appears. Set up the size for the first disk, and then press “Next.”
5. Follow the default settings, and press "Next" until "Format Partition" appears. Choose "Format this partition as the following settings," and press “Next.”
6.  After completing "Create partition," the unconfigured disk will become a “Healthy” disk.
7.  Follow the steps above to repartition other disks.

Why can't my multimedia player, TV or DVD player detect my external-HDD? 1. Please make sure that your multimedia player, TV or DVD player provides sufficient power supply (DC 5V/1A is recommended).
2. If not, you may need to connect the external power supply for hard drive.
3. Please also make sure that the file system (FAT32 or NTFS) of the hard drive is supported by your media device.

Can I install OS in the external-HDD, and use it as a bootable device? Hard drive is mainly designed to be a removable storage device. If you would like to boot from hard drive, please check if your computer supports bootable USB functions, and if the hard drive can be detected upon booting. Also, please make sure that the software installed can support booting from USB devices. If the hard drive cannot be detected upon booting, then your computer does not support booting from hard drive.

Does my  external-HDD support both Windows and Mac OS? FAT32, NTFS, HFS and exFAT are four common file formats. Mac and Win XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 can only support FAT32 and exFAT. We propose you formatting your hard drive to FAT32 or exFAT in order to work on Windows and Mac OS. The following is the brief introduction of FAT32, exFAT,NTFS  and HFS.
-FAT32: has the best compatibility with the most systems including the general multimedia players, but it is limited to transferring a single file under 4GB.
-exFAT: is not constrained to a single file under 4GB, but it is not supported by many older systems. (Only support WinXP/ Vista/ Win8/ Win7/ Mac 10/6/5 or later)
-NTFS: the standard file system for Windows.
-HFS: the primary file system for Mac.

USB Flash Drives

What is USB 3.2 Gen 1? According to the USB Association, USB 3.1 has been renamed “USB 3.2 Gen 1”. The USB 3.2 Gen 1 specification encompasses the USB 3.1 Gen 1 and  USB 3.0 specification and retains a theoretical transfer rate of 5.0 Gbps, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0. 
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.1 Gen 1 & USB3.0) is backward compatible with USB 2.0 but the transfer rate will be limited by the USB 2.0 interface.

Why the USB flash drive can not be read or detected? In order to ensure stable power supply to the USB port, we recommend that you update to the latest Windows and UEFI/BIOS version:  1. Try to solve the problem according to the following steps:
      1). Start in safe mode. (Boot press F8)
      2) Go to the Device Manager. (Control Panel → System → Hardware → Device Manager).
      3) Check whether there are other devices with yellow question mark. If there is any, please remove it.
      4) Open the universal serial bus (USB) controller.
      5) Remove all USB devices inside. (Right click -> Uninstall)
      6) Reboot. 2. Please use the USB port which is directly connected to the computer's motherboard and avoid using USB hubs or USB cables. 3.  Check if there is any conflict between USB devices that you might have connected to the computer. If so, please remove other connected USB devices (such as card readers, printers, etc) and then reconnect the USB flash drive to the computer.

Why does If the drive icon can still be recognized and you have other computers with Windows OS, we would still suggest you may try the following methods to restore the drive:
USB Flash Drive Recovery is an advanced recovery tool specifically developed for Silicon Power USB flash drive. If your flash drive is not working properly, in most cases it can be repaired instantly   https://www.silicon-power.com/web/vi/download-USBrecovery   *Please kindly be noted that this action will erase data.

Does the Flash Drive support boot-up function ? The SP USB flash drive series is mainly designed for "portable storage" purpose. Therefore, it does not support boot-up function.

Why is the Flash Drives only recognized by some PCs but not by other devices? If the drive can work normally on some platforms, but not on yours, then the problem probably lies on your computer system. You may want to try the following steps to solve this problem: (1) Start your computer in "Safe Mode" and access to the "Device Manager"  (Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus Controllers) to check whether there is any device appearing with a yellow question mark. If there is any, please remove it. Then restart  your computer in Normal Mode and reconnect the USB flash drive to your computer.  (2) If the above steps cannot solve your problem, please upgrade the BIOS settings, and make sure that the USB setting is enabled. Please follow the procedures: enter BIOS > Load Optimized Defaults [Y] > Integrated Peripherals > USB Legacy support [Enable] > Save & Exit Setup [Y].
 (3) Reinstall the USB driver on your computer.
 (4) Update the BIOS for your motherboard.

How to fix the Flash Drive when a file or directory is corrupted or unreadable? 1. This may happen if you save files and remove the Flash Drive from your device before the operation is complete.
2. Please use the "Eject" option to safely remove the Flash Drive from your device.
3. We suggest that you  back up your files and then format the Flash Drive.  If this does not solve your problem, please contact the Silicon Power Service Center.

Why is the actual storage capacity of the product slightly less than the volume written on the product specification? (1) The capacity discrepancy exists for storage devices and the operating system of electronic devices are using different measurements of capacity. Storage device manufacturers measure capacity with the decimal system (base 10) while the operating system uses the binary system (base 2). In binary, 1 GB is calculated as 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024*1024*1024); however, 1 GB is measured as 1 billion bytes in decimal system. Consider 4GB USB flash drive as an example, the capacity is reported using the binary system with 3.72 GB (4,000,000,000÷1,024÷1,024÷1,024≒3.72GB) when you view the storage space within operating system.
(2) To increase the effectiveness of the USB flash drives and extend their lifespan, there has been some capacity retained in advance for formatting and other purposes.

What to do when getting USB safe removal message, "...cannot be stopped because a program is still accessing it." Please right click on "My Computer" icon in the desktop and click on Properties. Click on Device Manager under the Hardware tab and look for the USB devices under the section "USB Serial Bus Controllers".
Right click on USB device and select uninstall to remove the devices.
After a while, you can safely remove the USB flash drive.

The OTG USB can't be recognized on phone device. 1. Please confirm the specification of the dual USB drive is compatible with your mobile device
*Please refer to the compatibility list from the link:   https://www.silicon-power.com/web/vi/compatibility   2. If your device supports it but still cannot detect the Dual USB drives, please try to download the "SP File Explorer"  App and use the application to find the Dual USB drives and transfer files.   https://www.silicon-power.com/web/vi/download-FileExplorer

How to fix the "file path too long" error? This error is cuased by the file system used by  your device (FAT or NTFS). If the file path exceeds the filename limit of 255 characters, a "file path too long" warning will pop up. To solve the problem, please follow the instructions below:
1. Check the folder path, and shorten some of the folder names in between thereby reducing the file path length. Or right click the drive, select "content"→"Tool"→"Check local disk", choose "Automatically fix file system errors". 2. If it is a cluster error, we suggest that you  back up your files and then format the Flash Drive.  If this does not solve your problem, please contact the Silicon Power Service Center.

Transfer speeds fluctuated or dropped when I copied/moved files to USB drive on a Windows 10 system. The speed we specify is of the average speed instead of the instantaneous speed, the results you see may be affected how the Windows 10 OS transfers data.Please refer to below solutions:
1. Please reformat USB drive to NTFS, please be sure to back up your file before formatting.
2. Please confirm if it is necessary to update USB driver.
3.Please connect the USB drive to different USB ports.

If the same problem still can’t be solved, please refer to Crystal Disk Mark software to test the performance and provide us the testing result by issuing customer support request to verify the root cause .

Flash Cards

How to confirm whether the Memory Card is compatible with the device? 1. Please make sure the specification of the Memory Card is compatible with your device.
   -SDXC Memory Card can only be used on a device that supports SDXC.
   -SDHC Memory Card can be used on a device that supports SDHC and SDXC.
   -SD Memory Card can be used on a device that supports SD, SDHC and SDXC. 2. Please use our compatibility chart to confirm Memory Card compatibility with your device:
    https://www.silicon-power.com/web/vi/compatibility  

What does the Speed rating symbol (or "Mark") on the card mean? Each Memory card has a "Mark" on it describing the speed class. There are two types 1)UHS Speed class or 2) Speed Class.
The “Mark” (i.e. write speed) of the Memory Card for your device should be chosen based upon which application it is going to be used for.
Please refer to the table below:

Why can't the Memory Card be read by the device (e.g. digital camera,  mobile phone, card reader, laptop, tablet, PC)? 1. Please make sure your host device and Memory Card specification are compatible (see A1 above).
2. In order to ensure the Memory Card is formatted correctly we suggest you read the Memory Card, via a card reader, onto to a computer. Use the following (SD formatter: https://www.sdcard.org/cht/downloads/formatter_4) to format the card. After formatting, please put the card back into the device to make sure it is working.

Why can't my device utilise the full capacity of the Memory Card? 1. Please make sure your host device is compatible with the memory card to reach the apacity limit. (Please refer to A1)
2. The capacity discrepancy exists for storage devices and the operating system of electronic devices are using different measurements of capacity. Storage device manufacturers measure capacity with the decimal system (base 10) while the operating system uses the binary system (base 2). In binary, 1 GB is calculated as 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024*1024*1024); however, 1 GB is measured as 1 billion bytes in decimal system. Consider 4GB memory card as an example, the capacity is reported using the binary system with 3.72 GB (4,000,000,000÷1,024÷1,024÷1,024≒3.72GB) when you view the storage space within operating system.
3. To increase the effectiveness of the memory cards and extend their lifespan, there has been some capacity retained in advance for formatting and other purposes.
4. Some card readers or host devices are not compatible with the larger SDHC and SDXC cards. If the reader or host is not compatible with the larger capacity the card will be re partitioned to a size that is supported. For example, if your card reader or camera is compatible with a SDHC card with a maximum capacity of 32GB using this reader or camera to format a 64GB SDXC card will result in the card being re partitioned to 32GB (~27GB usable capacity). If you experience this issue you will need to use a reader or host that supports the full capacity of the card and use the SD formatter to recover the full capacity. (SD formatter: https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/)

Why can't  the Memory Card be formatted? 1. Please ensure the Lock switch of Memory Card is set to the "Writeable" position.
2. In order to ensure the Memory Card is formatted correctly we suggest you read the Memory Card, via a card reader, onto to a computer. Use the following (SD formatter: https://www.sdcard.org/cht/downloads/formatter_4) to format the card. After formatting, please put the card back into the device to make sure it is working.  If a "not format error" occurs, the card is confirmed to be damaged.

What does The "X" speed rating gives users a performance indicator on how fast the card can transfer images.  The X-speed rating can also be translated into another common measurement of performance - MegaBytes (MB) per second of read speed. 1X = 150 KB/sec. Therefore, the  transfer rate (Read speed) of 400X memory card is about 60MB/s, and so on
Note: The speed rate may vary due to host and device configuration.

The Memory Card data cannot be deleted or the Memory Card cannot be formatted. 1. Please ensure the Lock switch of Memory Card is set to the "Writeable" position. 2. If it does not solve the problem, please contact Silicon Power Service Center for more information and support.

When requested to perform the format function, what should I do if there are important files saved in the memory card?  If the memory card can be recognized when connected to the computer, you can try using a data recovery program to get your data recovered in case you lost it after performimg the format function. We suggest you using "Recuva File Recovery" software which can be downloaded from the link : https://www.silicon-power.com/web/vi/download-Recuva   After you backed up your data, you can simply format your card to using it in your device again.

How many photos, videos or MP3 can be stored in the memory card? Please refer to the chart below to see the approximat numbers of several data types that can be stored in the memory card.

Why the USH-1 memory card cannot reach the transfer speed reported on the package? Please make sure your devices (PCs or card reader) support UHS-1 specifications. If your device does not support USB 3.0 and UHS-1, the transfer speed would not reach the stated performance.