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19 February 2024  Ashley S. Miller  Specialist of Customer Service Dept.
 

Summary
Discover the benefits of formatting an SD card to effectively erase data, free up storage space, and resolve typical issues. Dive in to master the intricacies of formatting and restoring SD cards with ease.



Table of contents

table iconI. How to format SD card?
table iconII. How to cancel SD card formatting operation on Windows?
unformat sd card

I. How to format SD card?

Formatting an SD card is a reset process that deletes all data, such as pictures, videos, and documents, and assigns a new file system like FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS.
Formatting the SD card will result in the deletion of all existing data and files on the card, as well as the potential repair of any issues present. This process can restore the SD card to working order.
There are two common ways to format the SD card, you only need to choose a convenient way to operate. Let’s learn about it separately.

1. Format the SD card with Disk Management

Step 1: Connect the SD card to the computer through a card reader, and then press the (Windows+X) keys on the keyboard at the same time. Then in the pop-up list, select the (Disk Management) option.
windows disk management right click start
Step 2: Next, find the SD card that needs to be formatted, right-click on it and select the (Format) option.
format sd
Step 3: Select the required file system, FAT32 for 2-32GB SD cards or exFAT for SD cards larger than 32GB. Execute quick format, click OK, and follow the instructions to complete the formatting process. Repair SD card failure after completion.
quick Format

2. Format the SD card through Windows Explorer

In addition to the above methods, you can also format the SD card through Windows Explorer, the specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the SD card to the computer using a card reader, open the file explorer, right-click on the SD card, and select the Format option.
format SD card
Step 2: Select the desired file system in “File system” – FAT32 for 2-32GB SD cards or exFAT for SD cards larger than 32GB, then click "Start" to format.
Also check: Features and differences of FAT32, NTFS, exFAT .
perform formatting
If the SD card cannot be formatted by the above two methods, you can also Use the diskpart command Format the SD card, clear all data in the SD card, rebuild partitions, allocate file systems, etc. by entering specific commands.

II. How to cancel SD card formatting operation on Windows?

1. Can I cancel the operation of formatting the SD card?

Once formatted, it cannot be undone. If you have formatted due to improper operation, be sure to disable SD card immediately and use professional data recovery software to retrieve the data.

2. Use Renee Undeleter to recover lost data

Renee Undeleter is a software specifically designed for restoring system data files. It can recover lost files due to accidental deletion, emptying the recycle bin, or formatting SD cards/disks/external storage. The software includes four functional modules: file recovery, format recovery, partition recovery, and image creation, making it a comprehensive solution for various data loss issues that may arise during system use.
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Supported devices SD card, SDHC, SDXC, USB flash drive, hard disk and computer.

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Recovering lost data with Renee Undeleter is very simple, the specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the SD card to the computer through a card reader, download, install and run Renee Undeleter, and select the (Whole Partition Scan) option in the main interface.
use sd card reader to connect to the computer
Note: Do not install Renee Undeleter in the disk where data is lost to avoid data overwriting.
select whole partition scan in renee undeleter to recover deleted video from sd card
Data recovery function introduction:

Fast Partition Scan – Quickly retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.

Whole Partition Scan – Quickly recover files lost due to inaccessible or formatted partitions.

Whole Disk Scan – Analyze and get partition information and perform a full scan of the entire partition.

Image Creation – You can create a mirror image for a partition to back up the current partition state.

Step 2: Next, select the SD card partition and click on (Next). Then enter the file scanning process, please wait patiently. The scan time is determined by the partition size.
Renee Undeleter Whole Partition Scan
Step 3: After the scan is over, select the files to be recovered and click the (Recover) button.
Select a different disk or partition for saving recovered files to prevent data overwriting on the original disk where the loss occurred.
preview before recovery
undeleter preview docx