Format a Memory Card
Memory cards are used in all kinds of devices these days, and they also work great for transferring files between computers. Before you can use a memory card, though, it must be formatted to work with the systems you want. While most cards come pre-formatted, formatting your card before using it can give you a small performance increase, and is a quick way to clean out old, unused cards. See Step 1 below to learn how to format memory cards on any system.
Contents
Steps
Using the SD Formatter Tool
- Understand the difference between formatting erasing. While formatting a card erases all the data in the process, it is different than simply selecting all the data and deleting it. Formatting a card sets the file type and optimizes it for use in specific devices. Simply deleting the data often leaves fragments behind which can affect the capacity and performance of the card. It is recommended that you format new cards and old cards that you want to use in new devices instead of just deleting the old files.
- Download SD Formatter. This is a free tool provided by the SD Association and is the recommended tool for formatting SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards. The program is available for all versions of Windows and Mac OS X. Using this tool will increase the performance of your SD cards as opposed to formatting them with operating system tools.
- Read and accept the terms and conditions on the SDCard.org website to start the download.
- Only download the SD Formatter tool from SDCard.org.
- Extract the installer. If you are using Windows, the installer comes in a ZIP file that will need to be extracted. Double-click the XIP file and then copy the "Setup" file to your desktop and then double-click it to run it. If you are using a Mac, simply double-click the PKG file.
- You may need to enter the Administrator password in order to proceed with the installation.
- Most users can keep the default installation options.
- Insert your SD card. Insert your SD card into your computer's SD card slot or external SD card reader. The SD card should be automatically recognized by your operating system.
- Ensure that the Write Protection lock is switched off. See Fix-a-Broken-Lock-on-SD-Cards to fix broken locks.
- If you are inserting an SDXC card and a message appears asking you to format it, do NOT accept. If you format the card using the operating system's formatter, the card will no longer be SDXC format.
- You may need to download the SDXC driver for Windows Vista or 7. The links to the driver download can be found on the SDCard.org site in the "About SDXC/microSDXC" section. Not all SD slots can support SDXC, even with driver updates.
- Back up anything you want to save. Formatting your memory card will erase all of the data on it. Make sure that any pictures or other files that are currently stored on the card have been properly backed up to another location if you wish to save them.
- Open SD Formatter. With your card inserted, you can open SD Formatter to begin the formatting process. Select your card from the Drive drop-down menu. If your card is not listed, click the Refresh button.
- Adjust your formatting options. Click the Format Options button to set a few basic formatting options. Most users can leave these at their defaults, but you may want to switch the FORMAT TYPE option to FULL (OVERWRITE) if you don't want someone retrieving your old data.
- In the Mac OS X version, these options are all selectable from the main window and there is no Format Options button.
- Give the card a name. In the Volume Label field, you can enter a name for your SD card that will appear when it is inserted in a computer. This can be useful for organizing data across multiple memory cards, or helping you to remember what that card contains.
- Verify the size. The capacity of the card is displayed in the Size field. The actual capacity of the card is often slightly less than the advertised capacity due to the way storage is calculated and the space that formatting the file system takes up.
- Start the format. Click the Format button to begin the formatting process. Depending on the format options you selected and the capacity of the card, the formatting process may take a while. You can monitor the progress in the window that appears.
- Do not remove the card during the formatting process.
Using the Windows Format Tool
- Back up anything you want to save. Formatting your memory card will erase all of the data on it. Make sure that any pictures or other files that are currently stored on the card have been properly backed up to another location if you wish to save them.
- Insert the card into a card reader. Many laptops have card readers built-in, while most desktops do not. You can purchase USB card readers that simply need to be plugged into an available USB port. Make sure that you are inserting the card into the right slot, as most card readers have different slots for the various types of memory cards.
- Open up your devices. Press ⊞ Win+E to open Windows Explorer. By default, it should take you to My Computer (Windows XP)/Computer (Windows Vista & 7)/This PC (Windows 8), which displays all of the connected drives. If you don't see this screen, use the navigation frame on the left or the address bar at the top of the window to reach it.
- The Windows formatting tool is available on all versions of Windows.
- Right-click on your card. You should see your memory card listed with the rest of your attached drives. When a memory card is inserted, it acts like any other removable storage device such as a USB drive or portable hard drive.
- Make sure you are right-clicking on the correct card, or you may format the wrong drive and lose all the data it contained.
- Select "Format". This will open the "Format Removable Disk" window. Here you can choose your formatting options before you start the format process.
- File system - This is the structure of the memory card's file system. If you are using a 32GB card or smaller, you can use the FAT32 file system to ensure that it works on both Windows and Mac. If the card is 64GB or larger, you will need to format it as exFAT. Windows Vista and XP do not natively support exFAT, but it will work if your system is up to date.
- Volume label - This is the name that will appear when the card is inserted. Use this to help you identify what is on the card.
- Quick format - Check this box to speed up the formatting process. Almost all users will be able to choose this option without consequences.
- Start the format. Click the Start button to begin the formatting. Depending on the size of the card, the formatting process may take several moments. Once it is complete, your card is ready to be used to store and transfer files.
Using the Mac Disk Utilities Tool
- Back up anything you want to save. Formatting your memory card will erase all of the data on it. Make sure that any pictures or other files that are currently stored on the card have been properly backed up to another location if you wish to save them.
- Insert the card into a card reader. Many laptops have card readers built-in, while most desktops do not. You can purchase USB or Firewire card readers that simply need to be plugged into an available USB port. Make sure that you are inserting the card into the right slot, as most card readers have different slots for the various types of memory cards.
- Open your Utilities folder. You can find this in your Applications folder. If your Applications folder is not visible, click the Go menu and select "Applications". Your Utilities folder will be located inside.
- Launch Disk Utilities. This is located in the utilities folder. Double-click the icon to launch the application.
- Select your card. All of your connected storage media and drives will be listed on the left side of the Disk Utility window. select your memory card from the list. Make sure you select the right card, as formatting will erase all of the contents.
- Click the "Erase" tab. This screen will allow you to choose your formatting options before you begin the format process.
- Volume Format - This is the file system that the memory card will be formatted with. If you want to use the card on both Windows and Mac computers, select one of the FAT formats. if you intend to only use the card on Mac computers, select "Mac OS X Extended".
- Name - This is the name of the memory card. Use this to label the card so you can quickly know what it contains.
- Start the format. Click the Erase... button to begin the formatting process. The memory card will start being formatted. The time the process will take depends on the size of the card. Once the process is complete, the card is ready to be used to store and transfer files.
Using Your Camera
- Back up anything you want to save. Formatting your memory card will erase all of the data on it. Make sure that any pictures or other files that are currently stored on the card have been properly backed up to another location if you wish to save them.
- Insert the card into your camera. If you are using your memory card for a digital camera, it is always recommended that you format it in the camera itself instead of on your computer. This ensures that you get the most storage possible out of the card, as different cameras use slightly different formatting methods.
- Your camera's documentation will have the exact steps you need to take to format your card, but these steps will generally work with most cameras.
- You should format the card in the camera even if the card came pre-formatted.
- Switch to Playback mode. Use the dial or menu system on your phone to switch it to Playback mode. This is usually designated by the universal "Play" triangle.
- Open the menu and find the memory card management section. The structure of the menu will vary from camera to camera, but you are looking for a "Format" option. Refer to your documentation for detailed instructions.
- Format the card. The formatting process will take a few moments, and all existing data on the card will be erased. Afterwards, the card will be ready to use with the camera.
Tips
- Older cameras and devices may not work if the memory card is formatted as "FAT32," in this case, reformat the card as "FAT," or use your camera or device to format the card.
- For use in a camera device, occasional reformatting of the memory card is recommended for optimal use.
- It is recommended that if you are using a memory card for a camera device, that you format the card in the camera instead of using a computer.
Warnings
- Formatting a memory card will erase all of the data stored on the device. Remember to backup all of your data before formatting.
- Formatting is irreversible, so be sure it is what you want to do before beginning the steps above.
- Be sure that you are formatting the drive associated with the memory card device.
