Formatting an SD card/Windows: Difference between revisions

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This is an add-on section for formatting an SD card to FAT32.

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

Choose your SD card size

What You Need

The latest version of SD Memory Card Formatter
The latest version of guiformat

Instructions

Insert your SD card into your computer
If the SD card has any files and folders on it, copy everything to a folder on your computer
Run SD Card Formatter Setup (the .exe file) in the downloaded .zip file with Administrator privileges, then install the program
Run SD Card Formatter from the Start Menu
Select your SD card’s drive letter for "Select card"

Make sure you choose the correct drive letter, otherwise you might accidentally erase the wrong drive!
Ensure that "Quick Format" is selected
Click "Format"
Click "OK"
Wait for the format to finish
Click "OK"

You're not done yet! Your SD card will be formatted to exFAT at this point. The following steps will format it to FAT32.

Close SD Card Formatter
Run guiformat.exe
Select your SD card’s drive letter for "Drive"

Make sure you choose the correct drive letter, otherwise you might accidentally erase the wrong drive!
Select a size for "Allocation unit size"
- If the SD card is 64GB, choose 32768
- If the SD card is larger than 64GB, choose 65536
Ensure that "Quick Format" is selected
Click "Start"
Click "OK"
Wait for the format to finish
Click "Close"
If the SD card had any files and folders on it before the format, copy everything back from your computer

Common errors with guiformat

Failed to open device: GetLastError()=32

Close everything that may be using the SD card, such as any File Explorer windows. If it does not resolve the issue, try formatting the card to NTFS, then run GUIFormat again.

GetLastError()=1117

Your SD card write-protection switch may be enabled. The lock must be flipped upwards to allow writing to the SD card (including formatting).

What You Need

The latest version of SD Memory Card Formatter

Instructions

Insert your SD card into your computer
If the SD card has any files and folders on it, copy everything to a folder on your computer
Run SD Card Formatter Setup (the .exe file) in the downloaded .zip file with Administrator privileges, then install the program
Run SD Card Formatter from the Start Menu
Select your SD card’s drive letter for "Select card"

Make sure you choose the correct drive letter, otherwise you might accidentally erase the wrong drive!
Ensure that "Quick Format" is selected
Click "Format"
Click "OK"
Wait for the format to finish
Click "OK"
Close SD Card Formatter
If the SD card had any files and folders on it before the format, copy everything back from your computer

SD Card not formatting or has some other issue.

Refer to the SD Clean guide.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 <translate>
 <!--T:1-->
-This is an add-on section for formatting an SD card to work with the 3DS.
+This is an add-on section for formatting an SD card to FAT32.
-<!--T:2-->
-If the 3DS already recognizes the SD card, this guide is not required.
 <!--T:3-->
@@ Line 11: / Line 8: @@
 </translate>
-== What You Need ==
+== Choose your SD card size ==
-*<translate><!--T:4--> '''For SD cards 32GB or smaller''': the latest version of <tvar name="sdformatter">[https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/sd-memory-card-formatter-for-windows-download/ SD Formatter]</tvar></translate>
+<tabber>
-*<translate><!--T:5--> '''For SD cards 64GB or larger''': The latest version of <tvar name="guiformat">[http://ridgecrop.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm guiformat]</tvar></translate>
+|-|<translate><!--T:40--> 64GB or larger</translate>=
+=== What You Need ===
+*<translate><!--T:4--> The latest version of <tvar name="sdformatter">[https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/sd-memory-card-formatter-for-windows-download/ SD Memory Card Formatter]</tvar></translate>
+*<translate><!--T:5--> The latest version of <tvar name="guiformat">[http://ridgecrop.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm guiformat]</tvar></translate>
 <translate>
-== Instructions == <!--T:39-->
+=== Instructions === <!--T:39-->
 </translate>
-<tabber>
-|-|<translate><!--T:40--> 64GB or larger</translate>=
 <ol>
 <li><translate><!--T:22--> Insert your SD card into your computer</translate></li>
 <li><translate><!--T:23--> If the SD card has any files and folders on it, copy everything to a folder on your computer</translate></li>
+<li><translate><!--T:43--> Run <code>SD Card Formatter Setup</code> (the <code>.exe</code> file) in the downloaded .zip file with Administrator privileges, then install the program</translate></li>
+<li><translate><!--T:44--> Run <code>SD Card Formatter</code> from the Start Menu</translate></li>
+<li><translate><!--T:45--> Select your SD card’s drive letter for "Select card"</translate>{{warning|<translate nowrap><!--T:46--> Make sure you choose the correct drive letter, otherwise you might accidentally erase the wrong drive!</translate>}}</li>
+<li><translate><!--T:47--> Ensure that "Quick Format" is selected</translate></li>
+<li><translate><!--T:48--> Click "Format"</translate></li>
+<li><translate><!--T:49--> Click "OK"</translate></li>
+<li><translate><!--T:50--> Wait for the format to finish</translate></li>
+<li><translate><!--T:51--> Click "OK"</translate></li>{{info|<translate nowrap><!--T:52--> '''You're not done yet!''' Your SD card will be formatted to exFAT at this point. The following steps will format it to FAT32.</translate>}}
+<li><translate><!--T:53--> Close SD Card Formatter</translate></li>
 <li><translate><!--T:24--> Run <code>guiformat.exe</code></translate></li>
 <li><translate><!--T:25--> Select your SD card’s drive letter for "Drive"</translate>{{warning|<translate nowrap><!--T:26--> Make sure you choose the correct drive letter, otherwise you might accidentally erase the wrong drive!</translate>}}</li>
@@ Line 32: / Line 39: @@
 <li><translate><!--T:29--> If the SD card is larger than 64GB, choose 65536</translate></li>
 </ul></li>
-<li><translate><!--T:30--> Enter anything for "Volume label"</translate></li>
 <li><translate><!--T:31--> Ensure that "Quick Format" is selected</translate></li>
 <li><translate><!--T:32--> Click "Start"</translate></li>
@@ Line 46: / Line 52: @@
 <translate>
 <!--T:38-->
-Close everything that may be using the SD card, such as any File Explorer windows.
+Close everything that may be using the SD card, such as any File Explorer windows. If it does not resolve the issue, try formatting the card to NTFS, then run GUIFormat again.
 </translate>
@@ Line 56: / Line 62: @@
 |-|<translate><!--T:42--> 32GB or smaller</translate>=
+=== What You Need ===
+*<translate><!--T:56--> The latest version of <tvar name="sdformatter">[https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/sd-memory-card-formatter-for-windows-download/ SD Memory Card Formatter]</tvar></translate>
+<translate>
+=== Instructions === <!--T:55-->
+</translate>
 <ol>
@@ Line 63: / Line 76: @@
 <li><translate><!--T:10--> Run <code>SD Card Formatter</code> from the Start Menu</translate></li>
 <li><translate><!--T:11--> Select your SD card’s drive letter for "Select card"</translate>{{warning|<translate nowrap><!--T:12--> Make sure you choose the correct drive letter, otherwise you might accidentally erase the wrong drive!</translate>}}</li>
-<li><translate><!--T:13--> Enter anything for "Volume label"</translate></li>
 <li><translate><!--T:14--> Ensure that "Quick Format" is selected</translate></li>
 <li><translate><!--T:15--> Click "Format"</translate></li>
@@ Line 73: / Line 85: @@
 </ol>
 </tabber>
+==SD Card not formatting or has some other issue.==
+Refer to the [[SD Clean/Windows|SD Clean]] guide.
 {{hg imported|Guide_3DS}}
 [[Category:General guides]]