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In this Itechguide, Victor teaches you how to format an SD card on Windows 10. The guide covers 2 steps with 2 methods to format SD cards on Windows 10.
Step 1: Insert the Card into Your PC
The first step to format an SD card is to insert it into your PC. There are 2 options to insert an SD card into your PC…
Option 1: Use the SD Card Reader on Your PC
If your PC has an in-built SD card reader, insert the SD card you want to format into the reader.
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Most modern laptops have the SD card reader on the right side of the laptop, usually beside a USB port. The slot will also have “SD” beside it.
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- 【Plug-and-Play】The SD Card Reader for PC does not require driver or software installation, just connect to your device and start transferring files instantly. Compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7, macOS, and most Android devices. Crafted from heat-resistant aluminum materials, this SD Card Reader for PC delivers reliable performance and enhanced durability, even during long working(📌Note: SD Slot does not support CF express Type A/B/C Cards; SIM, XQD, MS Cards and Memory Stick）
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Some desktop or Tower PCs may also come with SD card slots. Look around your PC to see whether you can find a card reader.
Option 2: Purchase an SD Card Reader
If your PC does not have an in-built SD card reader, your option to format your SD card is to purchase a card reader. For an idea of what reader to get, read my review – The 5 Best SD Card Readers.
Oncee your card reader arrives, insert your SD card into the reader. Then, plug the reader into a USB port on your PC. Finally, proceed to the next step in this guide.
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Step 2: Format the Inserted SD Card
Once your SD card is inserted into your PC, use one of the methods below to format it…
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Option 1: Format an SD Card from Disk Management
- Right-click Start menu. Then select Disk Management.
- When Disk Management opens, your SD card will be displayed as a Removable drive.
Data Loss Warning!
Formatting a drive wipes all the data on the drive. It is extremely important to make sure you are formatting the right drive!
Formatting a drive wipes all the data on the drive. It is extremely important to make sure you are formatting the right drive!
- Finally, to format SD card on Windows 10 from Disk Management, right-click the SD card drive and select Format. Disk Management will display a data loss warning pop-up.
- On the data loss warning pop-up, click Yes. You will receive another pop-up window.
- Finally, on the Format pop up window, give the volume a label (optional). Then, select a file system (FAT 32 recommended for SD cards), ensure that Perform a quick format is selected and click OK.
If you receive a “disk is write-protected” error message, use the next method to format the CD card.
Option 2: Format SD Card with DISKPART Command
Sometimes formatting a drive with Disk Management may not work.
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For instance, if your SD card is write-protected, you will NOT be able to format it with Disk Management. This is where the DISKPART Command becomes essential.
- Type Command Prompt in the search bar. Then right-click Commaand Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- If you receive a User Acces Control request, click Yes.
- When command prompt opens, type the command below and press enter.
DISKPART
- The DISKPART command prompt will open.
- On the DISKPART prompt, type this command. Then press enter.
LIST DISK
- The List Disk command will display all disks on your PC. In this example, the highlighted disk is my SD card.
One way to determine your SD card is its size. If you do not know the size of your SD card, it may be a good idea to safely remove the device from your computer, check the size on the body. Then, plug it back and repeat the steps to this point of the guide.
- The next step to format the SD card on Windows 10 with DISKPART is to select the disk. To do this, type the command below. Then press OK.
SELECT DISK 1
Replace 1 with the disk number for your SD card. The command will return Disk # selected.
- Sometimes, the disk may display on Offline status. If the disk is Offline, to bring it Online, type the command below and press enter.
ONLINE DISK
- The next step is to list available volumes (partitions) on the computer. To list available volumes, type the command below. Then press enter.
LIST VOLUME
- The command lists all available partitions on your PC. In the image below, my SD Card is Volume 2. You can easily identify it by its size and Type – it is a Removable disk.
- The next step is to select the volume you want to format. Use the command below.
SELECT VOLUME 2
Replace 2 with the volume number for your SD card.
- The command will return Volume # selected. Where # is the number for your SD card.
If you received “disk is write-protected” error when you tried to format your SD card from Disk Management, it means that the card is marked as “Read-Ony”. Use the next step to determin if the card is write-protected. Then, use the next command to make the SD card read-write.
- To check whether your SD card is Read-Only, type the command below and press enter.
ATTRIBUTES DISK
- If the Current Read-only State is Yes, type the command below this image and press enter. Otherwise, proceed to the command that formats the SD card.
- To make a Read-only drive read-write, type this command and press enter.
ATTRIBUTES DISK CLEAR READONLY
- The command will return a message “Disk attributes cleared successfully”.
- Finally, to format SD card on Windows 10 with DISKPART, use the format command below.
FORMAT QUICK FS=FAT32
- Because you used the QUICK switch, the format should happen very quickly.
- Now, if you open the SD Card on This PC, it will be blank!
As you can see, it is very easy to format SD card on Windows 10! I hope you found this Itechguide helpful. If you found it helpful, click on “Yes” beside the “Was this page helpful” question below.
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