Formatting an SD card/Mac

This is an add-on section for formatting an SD card to work with the 3DS.

If the 3DS already recognizes the SD card, this guide is not required.

This page is for Mac users only. If you are not on Mac, check out the Windows or Linux pages.

Instructions

OS X El Capitan (10.11) and later

1. Insert your SD card into your computer
2. If the SD card has any files and folders on it, copy everything to a folder on your computer
3. Run the Disk Utility app
4. In the top-left "View" menu, choose "Show All Devices"
5. Select your SD card in the left panel
   

Make sure you choose the correct device, otherwise you might accidentally erase the wrong drive!

1. Click "Erase" at the top
2. Enter anything for "Name"
3. Ensure that "Format" is set to "MS-DOS (FAT)"
4. Ensure that "Scheme" is set to "Master Boot Record"
   • If "Scheme" does not appear, click "Cancel" and make sure to choose the device instead of a volume
5. Click "Erase"
6. Wait for the format to finish
7. Click "Close"
8. If the SD card had any files and folders on it before the format, copy everything back from your computer

OS X Yosemite (10.10) and earlier

1. Insert your SD card into your computer
2. If the SD card has any files and folders on it, copy everything to a folder on your computer
3. Run the Disk Utility app
4. Select your SD card in the left panel
   

Make sure you choose the correct device, otherwise you might accidentally erase the wrong drive!

1. Click "Partition" at the top
   • If "Partition" does not appear, make sure to choose the device instead of a volume
2. Ensure that "Partition Layout" is set to "1 Partition"
3. Enter anything for "Name"
4. Ensure that "Format" is set to "MS-DOS (FAT)"
5. Click "Options" below the partition table
6. Choose "Master Boot Record"
7. Click "OK"
8. Click "Apply"
9. Click "Partition"
10. Wait for the format to finish
11. Close Disk Utility
12. If the SD card had any files and folders on it before the format, copy everything back from your computer