Loading Profile...
Twitter,
Facebook, or email.
How do I format or reformat the Micro SD card? - (Video Tutorial)
Promoted
Response
-
Please be certain to save your video files before reformatting the SD card. If you do not, you will lose ALL information once the SD card has been reformatted.
To reformat the Micro SD card on a PC:
1. Insert the SD card in your computer
2. Click the "Start" button and go to "Computer"
3. Find the SD card in the listing for "Computer"
4. Right click on the SD card, and select "Format"
5. Use Fat 32 w/ default allocation and select the "Quick Format" box
To reformat the Micro SD card on a Mac:
1. Find the “Disk Utility” (should be found by going to your “Applications” folder and then your “Utilities” folder)
2. Select the SD card drive and select “Erase”
3. Use MSDOS FAT setting and select “Erase”
4. Click on the “Partition Tab
5. Select the pull-down menu beneath the text “Volume Scheme:” labeled “Current” and select “1 Partition”
6. Click the “Options...” button
7. Select “Master Boot Record” and click “OK”
8. Verify that the format is selected as MS-DOS FAT under “Volume Information”
9. Click the “Apply” button
10. When you get the dialog box, click the “Partition” button
The video tutorial below gives an overview of how to remove the MicroSD card, or load a new MicroSD card into your camera.
Click the Play (>) button to view the video tutorial.
-
Please be certain to save your video files before reformatting the SD card. If you do not, you will lose ALL information once the SD card has been reformatted.
To reformat the Micro SD card on a PC:
1. Insert the SD card in your computer
2. Click the "Start" button and go to "Computer"
3. Find the SD card in the listing for "Computer"
4. Right click on the SD card, and select "Format"
5. Use Fat 32 w/ default allocation and select the "Quick Format" box
To reformat the Micro SD card on a Mac:
1. Find the “Disk Utility” (should be found by going to your “Applications” folder and then your “Utilities” folder)
2. Select the SD card drive and select “Erase”
3. Use MSDOS FAT setting and select “Erase”
4. Click on the “Partition Tab
5. Select the pull-down menu beneath the text “Volume Scheme:” labeled “Current” and select “1 Partition”
6. Click the “Options...” button
7. Select “Master Boot Record” and click “OK”
8. Verify that the format is selected as MS-DOS FAT under “Volume Information”
9. Click the “Apply” button
10. When you get the dialog box, click the “Partition” button
The video tutorial below gives an overview of how to remove the MicroSD card, or load a new MicroSD card into your camera.
Click the Play (>) button to view the video tutorial.
Comment -
-
and If I use direct the camera connected with the USB cable, is the same like to have the step 1. ''Insert the SD card in your computer '' ?
can I also like this format the SD card?
thanks-
Yes you can format your card in the camera when connected with the cable. I hope that helps?
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
I’m
thankful
thanks! already done...-
On my Mac (OS X 10.5.8) the options did not correspond to those indicated in the instructions. Never saw a 'partitions' button. ?
-
-
I too have no partitions button and no matter how much searching I do cannot find one , please help ?
-
-
-
-
-
I’m
impressed with the forum.
2Ken,
I just purchased the Contour GPS and upgraded to the new firmware version.
Everything was fine with the 2 gb sd micro card. I inserted a 16 gb sd micro card and I would get the similar (mentioned elsewhere) solid orange light on the memory status light. The only way I could turn the unit off was to take the battery out.
I used your above procedure to format the new 16 gb card on my Mac. (Snow Lepord SW.) Same problem, solid orange light.
I tried erase / format again with the exception: at step 7, I selected "Apple Partition map" instead of "Master Boot - DOS Window Compatible".
At step 8 , I went with the "Mac OS Extended (Journaled) " in the format type.
Finish as per your instructions.
Ejected the Contour GPS.
Turned the unit on : Got the three beeps with red and yellow sd status lights flashing (as described in the manual) , I then pushed the small format button with a paper clip and camera beeped and light turned to green.
Just did a quick video to check 16 gb card. Downloaded and every thing is good.
I think the difference is that my Mac is not partitioned to run windows software and that's the way I want to keep it.
Thanks for the advice and great camera!
Jack-
This worked for me using Windows Format in Default FAT and then the pinhole format as above.
-
-
-
-
-
What another file system support this cam?
FAT 32 only can write max file size 2Gb
Tnx-
Hi tim1,
With FAT32 it can write 4G files, this is why we stick with that file structure. You can use FAT but that will only produce 2G files. When recording the camera creates 4G files and stitches them together so that it will play as one big multiple G file when you play it back on your computer. I hope that helps you out?
Cheers,
Dave -
-
-
-
-
-
-
I’m
frustrated
Ok Ive reformated my sandisc 8gb class2 micro card just like you said to, my 1080phd still wont recognize it.I got this cam. for christmass, so its NEW the cam. has the new firmwere. the 2gb card works just fine. I down loaded the sd formatt softwear you sudjested. I am running win7. The cam.came from amazon.com and the card came with the cam. in a package deal. so i assume its the right card for the cam.-
Hi blainem,
Just make sure that the 8G card is formatted in FAT32 and it should work. If you use the SD formatter program try a complete format as opposed to the quick option. Once you have done that , insert the card and power on the camera and try again to record something. If you still have no luck then you might have a faulty card on your hands and you ought to go back to Amazon and get a replacement one sent out to you. We only supply the 2G card that comes with the camera so it will be Amazons responsibility to assist you with the replacement 8G card. Let me know how you get on?
Cheers,
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
Ok how long does it take to format a 8gb sd card? it has been like 17hours and it still isnt done yet am I doing something wrong?I have win7 I unselected Quick format. I selected FAT32(Default) for file system I selected Restore device defaults which gave me 4096bytes for Allocation unit size. should it realy take this long?
-
Hhhmm that shouts problem card to me! It should take around a couple of minutes, depending on your computer, but 17 hours is far to long. As a compare for you , my 8G card has just taken 3 minutes to do a full format with the SD formatter.
Cheers,
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
Is it possible to format my card (16Go) in NTFS to use with my Contour 1080p?
Thanks
Serge-
Do not format it to NTFS, I just did so and the card is now unrecognizable and the camera will not operate with it installed.
-
-
I just experienced this by accident. Somehow, while wiping my card, I formatted it with NTFS. Took me about 45 minutes worth of troubleshooting to figure it out.
Symptoms:
1. Press power button to turn on
2. Front LED flashes red once
3. 2 short beeps
4. Front LED green once
5. Nothing works...
Formatted the card with FAT32 and now it works great. -
-
-
-
-
There seems to be 3 ways to format the SD card
1) SD formatter program from www.sdcard.org
2) Using the Card Format Button on the back of the ContourGPS
3) Using Mac or PC's format utility
Do they all do the exact same thing? Is one better then the other?-
Hi Scott216,
For the GPS camera format in the camera with the button, as this is the method prefered by the camera. The http://www.sdcard.org/consumers/forma... is best used with a windows machine and especially if you have any suspicion that any issues you are having are card related. Using the disk utilities on Mac and Windows are ok for cameras other than the GPS. The SD formatter is by and far the most thorough formatting program, its just a shame its not Mac compatible.
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
Hi Ken
Could you tell me what MAC operating system your basing your instructions on.
I have a 2011 MBPro with Snow Leopard.
I am got has far as stage 3 in reformating IE MSDOS FAT and Erase.
But after that none of your instructions appear and wondering where I
go from here as I have now deleted my card.-
Hi GrantWay,
I answered on the other thread, but to double make sure . All you need to do after that process is eject the camera/card from the desktop by right clicking on the icon and then clicking on eject. The card will be formatted now and ready to use. I hope that helps.
Cheers,
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
I’m
Frustrated
I have tried to format with the above instructions for both Mac and windows and i'm still having issues. /wrist...
-
Hi Will61,
Can you tell me what the problems you are facing so I can get an idea of the next step for you to take.What cards are you using and what are the symptoms displayed? Also what camera are you using?
Cheers,
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
Hello,
Why can't I just delete the .mov files from the SD card to free up space? Even after deleting the videos directly from the card it still shows as having very little memory left.
I just followed the above steps to reformat the SD card and now it shows the full memory is available for recording. It just seems a little much to have to reformat the card each time you save your movies and want to free up space rather than simply deleting the files in the movie folder.
Using the Contour HD with a 2 GB card for now. (I'll be picking up a larger memory card soon but would still be much easier to simply move files to trash rather than reformat to free up memory).
Thanks.-
Hi Nalim,
If you are using a windows based computer then you can just delete the files off of the card, However if you are using a Mac , then you will need to put the files in the trash and empty the trash before ejecting the camera other wise the files will not be deleted properly, this is a little quirk of the Mac operating system. I hope that helps.
Cheers,
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
Ah, great thank you Dave. Yes I'm on a Mac. Will try just emptying the trash can next time.
-
-
Hi!
A small question : does an SD card "right out of the box unpacked" need to be formatted before using, or can I just place it in my Contour HD1080 and start filming?
Thanx in advance!-
Hi Cédric MAZURIER,
It is always best to do so to avoid disappointment. Some cards will work fine some won't , so format it any ways and you will be ok.
Cheers,
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
Hi i am having some issues formatting my sd card in the contour gps model. Im running a mac operating system. I have followed the steps to format it using my disk utility and have tried just pressing the format button on the camera itself. But when i power the camera up the led lights keep flashing red and yellow and i am unable to record. I bought a new sd card and it worked fine throughout the day. But then after importing the files to my computer i formatted the card and the same thing happened.
Advice??-
Hi ss ,
Try using this program http://www.sdcard.org/consumers/forma... as they now have a Mac compatible version. I have used it and it works very well.
Cheers,
Dave. -
-
-
-
-
Hi i have a problem, bougtht brand new "san disk" memori card 16gb. i have Contour +, Contour GPS , Countour roum. First i used it in Contour Roum, everything was perfect, after i copied video from it, i wanit to use on Countour +. and Contour GPS and its not working, its not detecting the sim card, i tried to format it on pc, on my other cam Canon 60d. Nothing. When i'm cnnecting contour cameras with that this card to my mac it's not dettecting it so i cant format it. I tried everything. And with other 2gb sd card witch came with camera it works perfect.
Could u please help me with it?- view 3 more comments
-
-
-
-
Ahh, for #$%&'s sake, I have Sandisk Mobile Ultra! Thanks for letting me know. The info is there, I just didnt see it. No fault of Contour, and thanks for helping. Time to get some $300 worth of new micro SD cards!
-
-
Hi Pete,
Thanks for letting me know that this was the cause of your woes.
Cheers,
Dave. -
-
-
