Format SD Card

**101RRS** · 7th February 2010, 12:22 AM

I bought a new 16 GB sdhc card for my GPS today (Ozi maps are over 8gb) but I cannot format it.

Tried on my two computers - the card appears in windows explorer but right clicking to format does nothing. The card is not locked and I cannot save or anything but the computers know there is a 16gb card there and allocates a drive - but they do not appear when I open Disk Manager. I have an older multi format card reader (four in one) and a later one that has the card in one end and a USB plug on the other end. I haven't got anything else that can do the formatting - the digital camera is too old (max 2 gb) and the phone only uses micro cards. The TV which also had a USB port and a hard drive does not want to know anything about it.

I downloaded some SDHC card formatting software but it didn't work.

My thoughts are obviously a dud card is possible but there is a chance that as my readers are a few years old they cannot handle a 16gb card.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks

Garry

**kaa45** · 7th February 2010, 12:49 AM

Hi Garry,
Is it an SD card or an SDHC or Ultra card?
Danny

**101RRS** · 7th February 2010, 01:21 AM

It is a SDHC (San Disk).

Cheers

**kaa45** · 7th February 2010, 03:07 AM

get a new card reader. SDHC aren't compatible with alot of older readers
Cheers
Danny

**dmdigital** · 7th February 2010, 07:09 AM

WHat's been sad is my first thought too. SDHC compatibility is a big issue on older card readers.

Did the SD card come with SanDisk RescuePro software (depends on card model)? If so try using this.

Does the GPS have a format option and are you sure that the GPS will take an SDHC card (more than 2G

?

**101RRS** · 7th February 2010, 01:21 PM

Ok - have a SDHC card reader and problem is still there - maybe it is a dodgy card - but then the computers will not now read my normal SD cards on the SDHC reader as well

.

The GPS will read SDHC cards but I cannot format it in it as some of the software needs to be on the SD card..

Garry

**Narangga** · 7th February 2010, 02:07 PM

Are you saying that the card does not appear in Disk Manager as a drive at all?

**101RRS** · 7th February 2010, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by Stuuu

Are you saying that the card does not appear in Disk Manager as a drive at all?

Yes - but did show in windows explorer as a drive with no information attached to it.

HOWEVER - problem solved

.

When I put the first post up I did not realise newer SD cards were different to earlier ones and needed a different reader. Became obvious after Kaa45's post and PM (thanks). Googled a bit more so went and bought a reader from Kmart camera section this morning. However, as mentioned the lot still would not work

.

So I went down to Tricky Dickies to use their nice new laptops. Again would not work even with a good card but when I put my new SDHC card into the laptop reader - all was working and I was able to format the card and save a small file to it. When I put the now formatted card into the reader and into the laptop it would not work

. So it became obvious the Kmart SDHC reader was also dodgy - so I bought one of the Dick Smith ones - tested it in store and all worked.

Currently downloading all my Ozi files to it now - working OK.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

Cheers

Garry

**p38arover** · 7th February 2010, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by garrycol

So it became obvious the Kmart SDHC reader was also dodgy

Oi! I was supposed to buy that!

**Ranga** · 7th February 2010, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by garrycol

Yes - but did show in windows explorer as a drive with no information attached to it.

HOWEVER - problem solved

.

When I put the first post up I did not realise newer SD cards were different to earlier ones and needed a different reader. Became obvious after Kaa45's post and PM (thanks). Googled a bit more so went and bought a reader from Kmart camera section this morning. However, as mentioned the lot still would not work

.

So I went down to Tricky Dickies to use their nice new laptops. Again would not work even with a good card but when I put my new SDHC card into the laptop reader - all was working and I was able to format the card and save a small file to it. When I put the now formatted card into the reader and into the laptop it would not work

. So it became obvious the Kmart SDHC reader was also dodgy - so I bought one of the Dick Smith ones - tested it in store and all worked.

Currently downloading all my Ozi files to it now - working OK.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

Cheers

Garry

Phew - had me worried there until I finished reading the thread!

Thread: Format SD Card

Thread Tools

Format SD Card

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions