SanDisk® Global Customer Support (US)

NOTE: All SanDisk memory cards and flash drives come pre-formatted and do not need to be formatted out of the box. Memory cards are formatted with the following standards:

Reformatting may clear file system corruption and quickly erase everything on the device. If re-formatting is needed, follow the steps below.

WARNING:  Backup all your data before formatting. Formatting will erase all data on the memory device. 

Formatting your memory device:
1. Double-click My Computer, or Computer (for Vista and Win7) 
2. Right-click the drive letter associated with your memory device, then select Format 
(in the sample image below, we right-clicked on H:).

WARNING:  Make sure you select the correct drive letter. 




3. Select a File system type.
    - FAT 
    - FAT32 
    - exFAT 

4. Ensure "Quick Format" is checked



5. Click Start.

NOTE: exFAT is supported natively in WIN7 and WIN8. You will need to download a patch for Windows XP or VISTA to format a 64GB or larger device.

Reference: Operating Systems that Support the exFAT File System

If you have a problem formatting, you can try to Format using Disk Management.

NOTE: If the above steps do NOT resolve the problem or if the lock switch is missing or broken, please back up your data and request a replacement using our online web form.