How to Fix the Problem of Cannot Format SanDisk SD Card  

How to Fix the Problem of Cannot Format SanDisk SD Card

Updated on Nov 11, 2023 | by Jeremy

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You have landed at the right place if you cannot format SanDisk SD card for some reason. The prominent factor is file system corruption due to excessive use of the card on several devices. Figure out how you can solve the issue with the solutions described in this article.

Part 1. Possible Reasons for SanDisk SD Card Not Formatting

You cannot format SanDisk micro SD card, which you often use in your Android, digital cameras, and other devices due to file system corruption. Even though a card serves as storing data, its purpose may change according to your need. For instance, you can choose to use it for storing photos on your digital camera.

When you find that your card is not responding or functioning as it did yesterday, you will feel frustrated because you did not take a backup of the contents. You will see the message "SD card not formatted" error pop-up each time you try to access the card's contents. The following are additional reasons why such error display occurs:

Part 2. Five Possible Solutions to Cannot Format SanDisk SD Card Error

Method 1: Formatting the SD Card Using Windows Disk Management

Using the Windows Disk Management utility will help you fix the SanDisk micro SD format error in a few simple steps.

Method 2: Using Diskpart to Clean SD Card to Format

You can use the Diskpart feature in the Windows operating system to attend to the SanDisk card not formatting error. You can clean the SD card and then try to format the same. The following are the steps to follow:

Method 3: Change Letter and Path to Allow Windows to Identify the SD Card

SanDisk not formatted error shows up at times because the system is unable to identify the letter or the designated path. You can proceed with the steps below to change the drive letter and path to make Windows recognize the SD card:

Method 4: Disable Write Protection for Not Formatted SD Card

Once you activate the write protection for an SD card, you cannot continue to write or format any longer, as you did previously. Write protection is one of the primary causes of cannot format SanDisk SD card. You can continue to use the SanDisk SD card once you remove the protection. There is a physical switch that you can turn-off to disable the feature. For protection caused due to software, follow the steps:

The process will remove the writing attributes and protection of the SD card.

Method 5: Check for Bad Sectors and Repair the Same

You cannot format SanDisk micro SD card if there are any bad sectors. They are not visible, and you must use the command prompt to clear them. You will first check the number of bad sectors present on the disk and then proceed for repairing the same. After removing the segments, you can easily format the card and re-use it for any purpose.

Note: Ensure to replace the letter E with the SD card drive letter.

As you can see, any of the options that you choose from the above will erase the contents. If you do not have a backup of the contents, you will lose the data present on the SD card. Therefore, it is essential to recover the files present on the card before choosing any option to overcome the SanDisk micro SD format error.

Part 3. How to Retrieve Files from SanDisk SD Card That Cann't Be Formatted

The recovery tool you will use for the recovery is Deep Data Recovery. The software possesses advanced technologies that help in the retrieval of content from storage devices, including SanDisk SD cards. The robust algorithm, along with a plethora of options provided, makes it simple to recover lost or stolen data from hard drives, SSDs, SD cards, digital cameras, and other digital devices in a few simple steps.

Your Safe & Effective SanDisk SD Card Recovery Tool

You can also click this download link to get SanDisk SD Card Recovery Tool

Guide for Restore Data from SanDisk SD Card After Formatted

The SanDisk SD card recovery software is available for trial. You can download the standalone program by clicking the DOWNLOAD button and install it on the computer. Ensure that you established a connection between the computer and the SD card. Proceed with the following steps to get back the files on the card with ease:

Step 1. Select File Type

Click the icon of the program on the desktop to launch the iDiskhome recovery tool. The launch screen will show all the file types it can retrieve with ease. You can choose the important format or select all the formats. Click "Next" to proceed with location selection.

Step 2. Select the SanDisk SD card

The next window will show the different partitions of the hard drive and externally connected storage devices. Here, you must choose the SanDisk SD card. Click the "Scan" button to allow the software to begin scanning the SanDisk SD card.

Step 3. Preview and Recover Formatted SanDisk Card

The time to complete the scan depends on the file format selected and the size on the SanDisk SD card. Once the scan is complete, iDiskhome recovery tool will show the recoverable files in a new screen. It arranges the records according to the file type in order. You can choose a file to preview the content. Use this feature to mark important files and click "Recover" to save them on the computer.

You can try the "Deep Scan" feature in the result window as well. It will find more files from the SanDisk SD card for you.

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