SanDisk 64GB MicroSD Card Not Formatting...

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sonyxperiageek

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#230451 24-Feb-2018 13:28

So I tried to format my microsd card but it won't format. In Windows, it just says: Windows was unable to complete this format. If I delete stuff, it deletes everything, but then 5 seconds later, every file comes back up like nothing happened. I can still view the files in there too! I've tried downloading a third party software too but again to no avail.

Has anybody has this issue and was there a fix? Or do I just have a dud microSD card. I haven't used this card a lot of times either.

Sony

Andib

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#1963415 24-Feb-2018 13:35

Try using diskpart to wipe it.

Launch Command Prompt, Type "Diskpart" press enter

Type "List Disk", Take note of which disk is your SD Card (typically your internal hard drive will be Disk 0).

Type "Sel Disk 1: (Change to # which is your SD Card)

Type "Clean"

Type "Exit"

Still in CMD type "diskmgmt.msc"

Scroll down to your SD card, Right Click & select 'New Partition', Press next to go through the prompts and your SD card will be formatted & usable again

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richms

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#1963484 24-Feb-2018 14:54

Failing to write is usually what happens when the card is dead.

Try the sd card formatting tool from panasonic and see if that will do anything with it, but otherwise they do die, and its usually either no more writes or else just freezes up when its put in anything.

Of all media, I find micro SDs have been the worst. Even old floppies didnt have the death rate that microSDs do.

Richard rich.ms

Stu

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#1963521 24-Feb-2018 15:42

Pretty sure that's exactly what was happening with a SanDisk card I had. Going back a couple or three years now. Replaced under warranty direct from SanDisk.

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Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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1eStar

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#1963570 24-Feb-2018 17:29

I had a 64GB Sandisk recently that got so hot every time I plugged it in to anything...

sonyxperiageek

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#1963645 24-Feb-2018 21:48

Andib:
Try using diskpart to wipe it.

Launch Command Prompt, Type "Diskpart" press enter

Type "List Disk", Take note of which disk is your SD Card (typically your internal hard drive will be Disk 0).

Type "Sel Disk 1: (Change to # which is your SD Card)

Type "Clean"

Type "Exit"

Still in CMD type "diskmgmt.msc"

Scroll down to your SD card, Right Click & select 'New Partition', Press next to go through the prompts and your SD card will be formatted & usable again

Yup, I had done that before too but the files were still on the disk lol. So weird.

Sony

sonyxperiageek

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#1963646 24-Feb-2018 21:49

Thanks for the replies guys. I haven't even used it for a long time, and it is probably out of warranty. I also bought it on Amazon.

Guess I have a dead microSD card! :-(

Sony

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Stu

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#1963661 24-Feb-2018 22:43

Check the warranty with SanDisk direct. Never know your luck.

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kiwiharry

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#1963665 24-Feb-2018 23:05

I had the same issue too last year with my SanDisk micro SD card. Unable to write to it or format it, but can read files from it.

Purchased mine in 2016 whilst working in Muscat. Didn't attempt any warranty claim.

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smalltrader

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#1963728 25-Feb-2018 09:31

kiwiharry:

I had the same issue too last year with my SanDisk micro SD card. Unable to write to it or format it, but can read files from it.

Purchased mine in 2016 whilst working in Muscat. Didn't attempt any warranty claim.

A lof of the Sandisk memory card products have life time warranty (or 10 years in the EU). You should be able to contact Sandisk directly to get a replacement. If you bought it in NZ then your retailer should be the first port of call.

Stu

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#1963730 25-Feb-2018 09:45

I had no trouble getting a warranty replacement on a second hand MicroSD card, so it's certainly worth going down that path. The only thing to consider is the cost of shipping the faulty card to SanDisk. If it's a cheap card, possibly not worth it.

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sonyxperiageek

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#1963890 25-Feb-2018 14:36

Can someone please link me to which page they got an RMA direct from Sandisk on? I tried this link, but New Zealand isn't on the list of countries in the drop down box.

I have emailed the seller on Amazon who sold it to me in 2012, but I doubt they will do anything considering it's almost 6 years since I bought it.

Sony

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MadEngineer

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#1963948 25-Feb-2018 17:14

Did you try a proper sd card format tool? Apparently you're not supposed to format sd cards with the standard windows format tool.

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kiwiharry

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#1963949 25-Feb-2018 17:19

MadEngineer: Did you try a proper sd card format tool? Apparently you're not supposed to format sd cards with the standard windows format tool.

Yes I used the one from SD Association https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/

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kiwiharry

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#1968643 6-Mar-2018 07:31

Stu:

I had no trouble getting a warranty replacement on a second hand MicroSD card, so it's certainly worth going down that path. The only thing to consider is the cost of shipping the faulty card to SanDisk. If it's a cheap card, possibly not worth it.

SanDisk have given me a RMA number, but need to ship the faulty card to Hong Kong preferably with a tracking number, which looks like it would cost about $50. My card is a 32GB card so not worth it.

Shipping via a non-tracked method is around $13.50, so may take the punt and send back via that method.

If you can't laugh at yourself then you probably shouldn't laugh at others.