Top 5 SD Card Formatter Free Download | Format SD Card on Windows 10/8/7
Formatting an SD card on Windows 10 is often necessary for various reasons, such as converting the file system to FAT32, removing write-protection, or restoring the card to its original size. A common way to format an SD card is to use a Windows 10 SD card formatter, which can handle SD cards of all capacities and convert them to any desired file system. This can help resolve issues like corrupted SD cards, unknown viruses or malware, and more.
The best SD card formatter for Windows 10/8/7 are a reliable tool that can format the SD card easily and successfully, regardless of the reason. There are five options available, with the first two being third-party tools that need to be downloaded and installed, and the last three being built-in to the Windows operating system. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and users can choose the one that suits their needs.
2021 Top 5 SD Card Formatter for Windows 10/8/7:
Top 1. Qiling Partition Master
Top 2. SD Memory Card Formatter
Top 4. Windows Disk Management
Top 5. Windows Diskpart Command Prompt
1. Qiling Partition Master - Best SD Card Formatter
Qiling Partition Master has been serving in the market for over a decade, earning a long and high reputation in the field of computer disk & partition management. Developed based on Windows Disk Management & Windows Command Prompt, this tool offers more practical and advanced management solutions, including disk formatting, to users.
The free partition manager is a comprehensive hard drive management and troubleshooting solution for Windows-compatible devices. It offers a "Format" option to resolve file system incompatibility or corruption issues on various storage drives, including SD cards, USB flash drives, and hard drives, making it a top choice for formatting an SD card on Windows 10.
- Simple design and user-friendly
- Be able to format SD card over 32GB to FAT32
- To resolve the issue of "Windows was unable to complete the format" on an SD card, try the following steps: 1. Check the SD card for any physical damage or dust, and clean it if necessary.
Pros:
- Format SD card in every way that native tools can
- Format SD card when Windows cannot format due to limitations in FAT32
- Include but not limited to disk formatting, it offers the most disk management functions than many rivals: Migrate OS to HDD/SSD, delete partition (s), resize partition, wipe partition, convert between GPT and MBR/dynamic and basic, convert to NTFS without erasing data...
Cons:
- It doesn't support a Mac version
Guide: How to Format SD Card on Windows 10 with Qiling Free SD Card Formatter
Step 1. Click the external drive or USB you intend to format and choose "Format" in "Disk management" page.
Set the Partition label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4), and Cluster size, then click "Proceed".
2. SD Memory Card Formatter - Windows & macOS SD Formatter
The SD Memory Card Formatter, developed by the SD Association (SDA), is a universally adopted tool for formatting SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. It's a trusted brand that resolves SD card issues by formatting, while maintaining the original performance.
The SD Memory Card Formatter is a dedicated formatting tool that focuses solely on formatting SD cards and USB flash drives, rather than offering auxiliary features like some other programs.
Pros:
- Support to install on Windows OS and macOS
- Easy-to-use but powerful enough to format different types of memory cards
- Offer "Protected Area" for SD card security purposes. It does not format the protected SD card
Cons:
- Serve as an SD formatter tool only
- Lack of regular software optimization
Guide: How to Format SD Card on Windows 10 with SD Memory Card Formatter
Step 1. Run the SD Formatter Application
Step 2. Select the drive letter for the SDHC/SDXC card and then select format.
Step 3. Click yes to confirm format process.
Step 4. Once format is complete the SD card will be properly formatted.
3. Windows File Explorer - Easiest SD Formatter
To quickly evoke the File Explorer window in Windows 10, press Windows + E. This will open the File Explorer, which is a familiar interface for Windows users, allowing them to view and access various computer settings, including photos, downloads, music, and hard disk partitions.
In Windows File Explorer, you can perform various tasks on local disk partitions and removable disks, such as formatting a memory card.
Pros:
- An inbuilt formatting tool for SD card in all Windows PCs and laptops
- Incredibly easy to access and simple to use
- Allow users to perform a quick format SD card to exFAT, FAT32 or NTFS
- Perform a quick format by default
Cons:
- Too basic to deal with some sophisticated formatting issues
- Windows cannot complete the format on SD card very frequently
Guide: How to Format SD Card on Windows 10 with Windows File Explorer
Step 1. Right-click on the connected SD card and select "Format".
Step 2. On the format window, select a proper file system among NTFS, FAT32 or exFAT.
Step 3. Click "Start".
4. Windows Disk Management - Windows Built-in Formatter
Windows Disk Management is a native Windows program that allows users to manage their disks, undertaking various tasks such as creating, formatting, and assigning drive letters to disks, as well as converting between basic and dynamic disks.
When a RAW SD card is not showing up in File Explorer, formatting it can be done through Disk Management, which offers the option to format the card. This process can resolve the issue of the card not being visible.
Pros:
- Very useful when SD card is not showing up in File Explorer
- Include but not limited to format SD card, and users can extend/shrink/delete a volume as well
- Change a drive letter and paths
Cons:
- Comparatively sophisticated to operate than other programs
- It can hardly format SD card that is corrupted or damaged
Guide: How to Format SD Card on Windows 10 with Disk Management
Step 1. Right-click on This PC and navigate to Manage > Disk Management.
Step 2. Right-click on the SD card, and choose "Format".
Step 3. On the format window, check the box of "Perform a quick format" and choose a file system and allocation unit size.
Step 4. Click "OK" to start formatting the SD card.
5. Windows Diskpart Command Prompt - Admin SD Formatter
Among the five options, only the Windows Command Prompt is suggested for an administrator with solid computer skills.
Windows Command Prompt is a built-in tool that can troubleshoot various computer problems using commands. It can be used to format internal or external hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, and more, making it a higher-level but widely used method for tackling tricky issues.
Pros:
- Each command aims to fix a specific hard drive problem
- The diskpart command is a powerful tool that can check and format SD cards that are corrupted or damaged, making it a pro-level option for users who need to recover or repair their storage devices.
Cons:
- Using complex commands can be risky for average users, as they may inadvertently affect their computer's data or performance.
Guide: How to Format SD Card on Windows 10 with Diskpart Command
Step 1. To access the Command Prompt in Windows 10, type "cmd" in the search box, and then right-click on the Command Prompt result and select "Run as administrator".
Step 2. In the command prompt, type diskpart and press "Enter".
Step 3. Type list disk to list all the available drives and press "Enter".
Step 4. To select the SD card you want to format, type "select disk + disk number" (for example, "select disk 2") and press Enter.
Step 5. Type list volume and press "Enter".
Step 6. Type select volume + volume number (or example, select volume 10) and press "Enter".
Step 7. Type format fs=ntfs (or format fs=exfat) and press "Enter" to format the drive with NTFS or exFAT.
Conclusion
Formatting an SD card on Windows 10 can be done using various tools, including five recommended SD card formatters: two third-party tools and three local Windows programs. These formatters can help remove viruses or restore full capacity to the SD card, and are useful for formatting the card in case of failure. Each tool can serve as a complementary solution to resolve formatting issues.
To convert a file system between FAT32 and NTFS, or troubleshoot a RAW, corrupted, and inaccessible SD card, Qiling Partition Master Free is a reliable tool to use.
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