How to Format an SD Card on Any Device

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"What does 'Format SD Card' mean?"

Typically, formatting an SD card means wiping all existing data from its records, making it impossible for you to find and access any files on the card. Any files that were on the device will be lost. It assigns a new file system to the SD card – FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS – to prepare the device for storing data. Most of the time, when you get a new SD card, it comes pre-formatted, and you can use it right away to store your files.

Part 1: How to Format SD Card on Windows 10

This article focuses on the detailed steps for formatting an SD card on a Windows computer. Before we proceed with the instructions, we highly recommend that you back up your SD card first to avoid losing any data. You can learn how to do this in our guide on backing up an SD card before formatting.

Preparations:

• USB card reader: Insert the SD card into your computer's USB port.
• MicroSD card adapter: Insert the microSD card into your computer's SD card slot.
• USB microSD card reader: Lets you plug the microSD card directly into a USB port.

Method 1: Format the SD Card using Windows Explorer

Step 1. Connect the SD card to your computer using an SD card reader.

Step 2. Open File Explorer by going to This PC, right-click on your SD card, and select Format.

Step 3: Choose a file system, and give your SD card a new label. Click "Start," then "OK" to confirm the format.

Note: SD cards 64 GB and below are formatted in FAT32. Cards above 64 GB are formatted in exFAT.

Method 2: Format the SD Card using Disk Management

Step 1. Insert the SD card into the reader, and then connect the reader to your computer.

Step 2: Right-click "This PC", select "Manage," and enter "Disk Management."

Step 3: Right-click on your SD card and select “Format.”

Click “Yes” to proceed, and give your memory card a new label and file system (exFAT, FAT32, or NTFS). Click “OK” to format your SD card.

Part 2: How to Format an SD Card on a Camera

If your SD card is for a camera, you can format it directly within the camera. We'll use a Canon camera as an example, but the settings will be similar for other brands.

Step 1: Press the Menu button on your camera.

Step 2. Press the Multi-controller and navigate to Camera Set-up 1.

Step 3. With the multi-controller, select the "Format Card" option.

Step 4: Select “OK” to begin formatting.

Part 3: How to Format SD Card on Android

If you're using an SD card on an Android phone, you can actually format it directly from the phone itself. However, make sure your phone has this feature before proceeding. We'll use a Samsung phone for this example.

Step 1: Open the "Settings" app on your phone and look for "Device Manager" or "Device Maintenance."

Step 2. Select "Storage" and click on "Advanced."

Step 3. Choose “SD card” under “Removable storage.”

4. Tap “Format,” then tap “Format SD card” to confirm.

The steps may vary slightly depending on your phone, but you'll generally find the SD card in your phone's “Settings” app.

How to recover formatted SD card and restore data

If you accidentally formatted your SD card and want to recover the data, this section will teach you how to unformat an SD card.

First, you should know that formatting the memory card doesn't actually remove the data from it. The data will remain in the card's sectors unless they're overwritten by new information. Thus, to maximize your chances of recovery, stop using the device immediately and try one of the following methods to retrieve your files.

• Method 1: Run a Formatting Data Recovery Program

Method 1: Run a formatting data recovery software

One effective way is to use a professional data recovery tool like the Data Recovery Wizard Pro to undo the formatting. It will thoroughly scan your formatted device and recover lost files according to your needs.

In addition to formatted drive recovery, Data Recovery Wizard lets you:

• Retrieve files after reinstalling Windows, system crashes, virus attacks, and other severe data loss situations
• Recover deleted files in Windows 10, whether you used Shift+Delete or emptied the Recycle Bin
• Restore lost photos, videos, audio files, Microsoft Office documents, Adobe files, emails, and more (over 200 formats)

Download the software immediately to retrieve files from formatted SD card.

Step 1: Connect the USB drive to your computer. Launch the Universal Data Recovery Wizard. Select the formatted SD card, USB flash drive, or Pen drive from which you want to recover lost files, and click “Scan.”

Step 2: After the scan, all the scanned results will be displayed on the screen. You can use the “Filter” or “File Type” feature to find your target files.

Step 3. Select the files you wish to recover from the formatted external drive and click on “Recover.” A new window will appear, where you need to choose a new location to store the files. Click “OK” to confirm.

Please watch the video tutorial below on how to use the Data Recovery Wizard tool to fix your SD card.

Additional tip: Best practices for SD cards

Aside from knowing the meaning of “format SD card,” how to format an SD card, and how to unformat SD card to recover data, it is also essential to know how to make your SD card perform better.

1. Format instead of deleting

If you want to clear an old SD card and start fresh, you should always format the SD card rather than simply erasing or deleting its contents, as this won't fully remove residual data from the card.

2. Format the new card before use

It's always a good idea to format a new SD card before you use it, so it's set up for your device.

3. Perform regular backups

Regularly back up important data with a reliable file backup software.

With the methods and tricks provided on this page, you should be able to format SD card, unformat it, and get your SD card working normally.