How to Properly Format SDXC Memory Card in Windows 10/8/7?

What is the difference between SD, SDHC and SDXC cards?

SD (Secure Digital) is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. SD card is the second-generation Secure Digital (SDSC or Secure Digital Standard Capacity) card was developed to improve on the MMC standard, which continues to evolve, but in a different direction.

SDHC, the short of Secure Digital High Capacity, is another format of memory card. It supports cards with capacities up to 32GB. SDHC cards are shopped preformatted with the FAT32 file system. In physically and electrically, SDHC cards are identical to SDSC except the redefinition card.

SDXC, the Secure Digital eXtended Capacity format, breaks the limits of SDHC cards and supports cards up to 2TB. Besides, SDXC card adopts exFAT file system.

Why you need to format SDXC card?

SDXC format is meaningful to users. If you need to use SDXC on a machine that does not support exFAT file system, then, you must format SDXC card to fat32 or NTFS so that it can read and write normally. Or if you meet the problem like the following situations, you need to format the SDXC memory card to solve it.

Format SDXC card for full capacity

In some situations, your SDXC card may not show the correct capacity. Some card readers or host devices are not compatible with larger SDXC cards. If so, the card reader or host device is not compatible with the larger capacity and the card will be re-partitioned to a size that supported. For example, if your card reader or host device is compatible with a SDHC card with a maximum capacity of 32GB, then, when you use this card reader or host device to format a 64GB SDXC card, it will result in the card being re-partitioned to 32GB-27GB usable capacity.

Thus, you need format the SDXC card in FAT32 instead of exFAT to recover the full capacity.

Fixed: “SD card is damaged. Try reformatting it.”

I have a Sandisk 64GB micro SDXC card, and I was trying to format this 64GB micro SDXC from Windows 7 computer to mount the card. After formatting the card with my Windows 7 computer, my phone displayed the message: “SD card is damaged. Try reformatting it.”

That may because of your phone does not support exFAT file system, then, you need to format SDXC card in FAT32 instead of exFAT to solve the problem.

How to format SDXC in different methods?

Actually, Windows built in tools support you to format SDXC card in FAT32 instead of exFAT.

Method1: format SDXC card with Windows Explorer

When you plug your SDXC card into your computer, you can see an added partition with mounted volume. Right click the SD card, select Format.

It will pop up a window for you to set up formatting. Select FAT32 at the File system drop-down. And select Quick format, edit Volume label, click Start to initiate the progress.

Method2: format SDXC card with Windows Disk Management

First, open Windows Disk Management. Right-click My Computer/This PC, select Manage, choose Disk Management. It will show you the basic information of your hard drives.

Then, right click the SDXC card, select Format.

In the pop up window, select FAT32 at the File system drop-down.

Method3: format SDXC card with Windows Diskpart

Windows Diskpart can also format SDXC card with command line. Keep yourself in administrator, press Win+R, type cmd, run the progress as administrator.

Then, type diskpart.

Type list volume. Remember the volume number of your SDXC card.

Type select volume n, n refers the volume number of the SDXC card.

Type format fs=fat32

Wait till the progress reaches 100%.

But in fact, you cannot use those three ways to format SDXC card from exFAT to FAT32 successful every time. For example, if your SDXC card is larger than 32GB, for example, a 64GB Sandisk SDXC, will only show you 27GB - 32GB. Thus, you may need an SD memory card formatter to help you do it easily.

SD memory card formatter

Speaking of SD memory card formatter, the AOMEI Partition Assistant is highly recommended. It should be the best freeware for formatting SD, SDHC, and SDXC card in Windows environment.

Step1. Plug the SDXC card to your Windows computer. Make sure it can be detected.

Step2. Free download AOMEI Partition Assistant, install and launch it.

Step3. In the main interface, right click the SDXC card, select Format Partition.

Step4. Then, it will pop up a window where you can edit the Partition Label, and choose the right format in File System drop-down menu. Here we choose FAT32.

Step5. When you back to the main interface, click Apply to initiate the progress.

AOMEI Partition Assistant is such a great free SD memory card formatter that you can use to format SDXC, SDHC, SD card in a few simple steps. Besides, AOMEI Partition Assistant allows you to create partition on exFAT drive, delete exFAT partition, move exFAT partition in free. AOMEI Partition Assistant is also a great hard drive manager that you can use it to manage your hard drive(s) better. You can also get some advanced features by upgrading to its Professional edition, such as allocate free space, partition alignment, quick partition, etc. Hope you can enjoy it.