If you do find a memory card slot on your computer, skip the next step.
Memory card adapters can usually support both standard SD cards and microSD cards, though you may need a separate one for larger, non-SD cards.
If your computer has a memory card slot, make sure that the memory card’s label is face-up (gold connector side-down), then push the memory card into your computer angled side first.
If you don’t see anything listed below the “Devices and drives” heading, double-click the heading to expand it.
FAT32 — Formats the memory card for most platforms with a 4 GB file size limit (e. g. , no file on the card can be over 4 GB in size). NTFS — Formats the memory card for Windows only. exFAT — Formats the memory card for most platforms with no file size limit.
If you want to run an in-depth formatting process that deletes and overwrites the entire memory card, uncheck the “Quick Format” box before clicking Start.
The formatting process can take anywhere from a few seconds to several hours depending on the card’s size, your computer’s speed, and whether or not you’re using the “Quick Format” option.
If you do find a memory card slot on your computer, skip the next step.
If your Mac doesn’t have USB 3. 0 ports, you’ll need to buy a USB 3. 0 to USB-C adapter into which you can plug your SD card adapter as well. Memory card adapters can usually support both standard SD cards and microSD cards, though you may need a separate one for larger, non-SD cards.
If you’re using a USB-C adapter, plug it into one of your Mac’s USB-C ports first, then plug the memory card adapter into the USB 3. 0 port on the other end of the USB-C adapter. If your computer has a memory card slot, make sure that the memory card’s label is face-up (gold connector side-down), then push the memory card into your computer angled side first.
MacOS Extended (Journaled) — Formats your memory card for use with macOS only. You’ll see other MacOS Extended options here (e. g. , MacOS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)). These options are also usable on a Mac. MS-DOS (FAT) — Formats your memory card for FAT, which has a 4 GB file size limit but can run on most platforms. ExFAT — Formats your memory card for use with most platforms. You may see additional options in the “Format” menu as well.
You’ll see other MacOS Extended options here (e. g. , MacOS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)). These options are also usable on a Mac.
The formatting process can take anywhere from a few seconds to several hours depending on the card’s size and your computer’s speed.
On a Samsung Galaxy, you’ll tap Device maintenance instead.
On a Samsung Galaxy, tap Storage at the bottom of the page instead.
If you just want to erase the memory card, you can tap Format here instead. On a Samsung Galaxy, you must first tap your SD card’s name. You’ll then tap Format instead of Format as internal. [2] X Research source
On a Samsung Galaxy, tap FORMAT here.
On some cameras, you may have to rotate a dial to open the Playback Mode menu. If you can’t figure out how to open Playback Mode, consult your camera’s manual or online documentation.
Again, consult your camera’s manual or online documentation for explicit instructions on where to find the Format option.
Again, consult your camera’s manual or online documentation for explicit instructions on where to find the Format option.
