Solving SanDisk SD Card Unformattable / Cannot Format Error

SanDisk memory cards are widely used to expand the storage space for saving more photos, videos, music, and other types of files. However, due to various issues, a SanDisk memory card can run into problems, with "SanDisk SD card cannot be formatted" being a notable scenario.

On this page, you will learn:

1. Why can't I format my SanDisk SD card? 2. How do I fix the error of SanDisk format failure?

Follow the provided solutions to resolve the SanDisk formatting issue yourself and successfully format your SanDisk on your device.

Reasons for SanDisk SD Card Unformat Error

Thus, SanDisk SD cards are commonly used in Android smartphones, digital cameras (DSLR), GoPro cameras, and many other electronic devices that support external storage. One day, you may find your phone unable to play music from the micro SD card, your camera fails to take photos and save them to the SDHC card, or your GoPro keeps sending weird errors, asking you to “Format SD card.”

Here is a list explaining why you may get the "Windows was unable to complete the format" issue on your SanDisk SD card and need to format it in another way:

• SD card is not mounting
• SD card was unexpectedly removed
• SD card corruption or formatting issues due to bad sectors
• Unsupported file system on the SD card
• SD card is write-protected or read-only
• SD card infected with viruses or malware
• Windows unable to format SD cards larger than 32 GB as FAT32

If you're also getting the same problem with a SanDisk SD card or some other brand's memory card, continue reading the next two sections. You'll be able to fix the “无法格式化SanDisk SD卡” error and format the SD card to the file system of your choice successfully.

Part 1: Recover Data from Unformattable SanDisk SD Card

Applies to: Recover precious data from a SanDisk SD card that cannot be formatted.

Before you fix the unformatting or formatting issue with your SanDisk SD card, it's highly recommended that you first deal with the precious data saved on the card. As long as your computer can recognize the memory card, the tool Data Recovery Wizard can scan and retrieve data from the inaccessible or unformatted SD card.

Please download and install the software to scan and recover everything from SanDisk SD card right away. It only takes 3 steps to finish the SanDisk recovery:

Step 1: Select the SD card to scan

• Download and install the Data Recovery Wizard tool on your Windows computer.
• Connect your SanDisk/Lexar/Transcend SD card to the computer in the right way.
• Launch the SD card recovery software. On the left, choose "SD Card Recovery." All connected drives will be displayed here. Select your SD card and click "Scan."

Step 2: Review the scan results

Wait for the scan to complete. Select a file type, such as pictures or videos, to display. Click "Preview" to check if they're the files you need.

Step 3. Recover Data from SD Card

• Preview the recovered files, and then click “Recover.” • Save the recovered files to a location other than the original SD card.

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Part 2: How to Fix “SanDisk SD Card Cannot Be Formatted” Error (3+ Ways)

Applies to: Fixes the "SanDisk SD card cannot be formatted" error caused due to file system corruption, bad sectors, write protection, or virus infection.

In the sections below, you will find three methods specifically designed to fix the SD card cannot be formatted issue:

• #1. Run CHKDSK
• #2. Remove Read-Only or Write-Protection
• #3. Remove Viruses

These methods should work with many other brands of memory card or flash drive as well. If you're having trouble formatting a SanDisk on your Android phone or camera, unplug it from the device and connect it to a Windows computer to try these solutions right away.

Method 1: Repair the Corrupted File System and Bad Sectors on SanDisk Using CHKDSK Command

If Windows fails to format SanDisk SD card due to corrupted file system or bad sectors, you can try running the CHKDSK command shown below to fix these two errors:

Please note that the CHKDSK command will permanently delete all saved files while fixing device errors. Thus, make sure to recover all your files first with a reliable tool likeData Recovery Wizard.

Step 1: On your computer, press Windows + R to open the "Run" dialog. Type cmd and press Enter.

Step 2: Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 3: Type chkdsk f: /f /r /x (replace f with the letter assigned to your SanDisk SD card)

Step 4: After the prompt completes the command, type exit to close the window.

If you can access your SD card, skip to Part 3 and use a SD card formatting tool to format it as NTFS or FAT32.

Method 2: Remove Write Protection from SanDisk SD Card

There are two methods to help you remove write protection from your SanDisk SD card: 1. Use the Diskpart Attribute Clear Readonly command; 2. Utilize a write protection removal tool.

Now, let's see how to fix the write protection issue that is causing SanDisk not to format:

Option 1: Use DiskPart to Remove Read-Only Attribute from SanDisk SD Card

Step 1. Type cmd in the Windows search, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.

Step 2: Type diskpart, and then press Enter.

Step 3. Enter each of the following lines in order, pressing Enter after each:

• List Disks
• Select Disk *
• Clear Read-Only Attribute for Disk
Here, the asterisk (*) is a placeholder that represents the specific disk number you need to replace with.

Step 4: Type exit to close the window.

After that, you should be able to format the SanDisk SD card with the file system of your choice.

Option 2: Use the “Write Protection Removal Tool” utility

If you don't consider yourself computer-savvy or comfortable with the command line, don't worry. There are graphical solutions that can help you unprotect your hard drive, USB drive, or even an SD card.

CleanGenius is one of those tools that can help you fix such issues on your disk without having to understand the command line.

This is a simple, easy-to-follow guide on how to use this tool to address your concerns:

Step 1: Download and install CleanGenius (free) on your computer.

Step 2: Run CleanGenius on your computer, choose Optimize, and select Write Protection mode.

Step 3: Select the write-protected device and click on “Disable” to remove the protection.

Option 3: Use Diskpart to clean the SD card and create a new partition

Step 1: On your computer, press the Windows key + R to open the "Run" dialog box. Type cmd, then press Enter.

Step 2: Type diskpart to launch the Disk Partition utility.

Step 3: Type list disk, and press Enter.

Step 4: Type select disk 2 and press Enter. (Replace the number 2 with the drive number of your SD card.)

Step 5: Type clean, and then press Enter.

Step 6: Type create partition primary and press Enter.

Step 7: Type either format fs=ntfs or format fs=fat32, and press "Enter."

Step 8: Once you've done this, type exit to close the session.

Method 3: Remove Virus to Fix SanDisk SD Card Not Formatting Issue

Sometimes, virus infections or malware might prevent you from formatting the SD card. In such a case, running an antivirus is highly essential to get rid of the virus or malware causing the “SanDisk SD card not formatting” issue.

Step 1: Download and install an antivirus software, such as Avast or Avira.

Step 2: Scan and remove viruses from the SanDisk SD card or computer.

Step 3: Exit the antivirus program after the scan is complete.

Note that if you are familiar with Windows Defender, you can also use it to remove and delete viruses without having an antivirus tool – see how to do that in this article: How to Remove a Virus Without Antivirus.

Part 3: Format SanDisk SD Card after Fixing 'Cannot Format' Error

Applies To: Formatting SanDisk SD card after fixing the unable to format issue.

Here, you will see three easiest ways to format SanDisk SD card to fix the unable to format issue:

• #1. Use the SD Formatter Tool
• #2. Format with Windows File Explorer
• #3. Format the SD Card with Disk Management

You can use any tool to format your SanDisk to the file system you need.

#1. Tool Used: SD Card Formatter - Highly Recommended

If you cannot format SanDisk card to FAT32 because it's larger than 32GB, Partition Master is your best choice. It also allows you to format an SD card with unsupported file system to a normal one.

Download it now and use it to format your SanDisk SD card:

Step 1: Right-click on the partition of your SD card that you wish to format and select “Format.”

Step 2: Set a new label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and cluster size for the selected partition, and click "OK".

Step 3: Click "Yes" in the dialog box to continue.

4. Click the “Run 1 Task” button in the toolbar, then click “Apply” to begin formatting your SD card.

#2. Format SanDisk SD Card using Windows File Explorer

Step 1: Connect the SanDisk SD card to the computer. Right-click on the SD card and choose "Format."

Step 2. In the Format window, choose a file system from NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT.

Step 3: Click "Start."

#3. Format SanDisk SD Card using Disk Management

You can return your SanDisk SD card to a usable state through Windows Disk Management. Connect the SanDisk SD card to your computer and format it:

Step 1. Right-click on "My Computer" or "This PC," select Manage, and then choose Disk Management under Storage.

Step 2: Right-click the partition on your SD card and select "Format."

Step 3. In the Format window, check the box for Quick format. Also, choose a file system and allocation unit size.

Step 4. Click “OK.”

Conclusion

This page explains why you can't format a SanDisk SD card and offers several practical solutions to help you resolve the issue.

Note: If this card contains important data, recover the saved data using data recovery software or another data recovery tool before proceeding.

Then, you can apply the fixes listed on the page to resolve the issue and format the SanDisk SD card to its normal state. These fixes and methods also apply if you encounter the same problem with other brands of SD storage cards or USBs.