Why is not the micro SD card formatted?

Usual USB-drives and removable cards are so firmly embedded in our lives that many users increasingly prefer to store information exactly with the help of such devices. But sometimes there is a need for their formatting, for example due to damage or program failures. Since SD cards are now among the most common, we will consider why the micro SD card is not formatted and how to fix such a problem. As methods, several basic methods will be presented. But if they do not help, you can say goodbye to the device.

USB flash drive is not formatted: what to do first?

When such situations arise, before deciding in favor of some specific method for correcting them, it is necessary to find out the main cause that led to the failure.

The simplest and most common case is the situation where the micro SD card is not formatted (the device is protected and the system simply does not start the formatting process). Here everything is simple: apparently, on the adapter under the card, the write lock lever is moved to the on position. But this is the simplest thing that can be.

It also happens that the device is busy with some processes, because of what formatting is impossible. In the simplest case, the drive simply needs to be removed from the card reader and inserted again to repeat the operation. Sometimes the use of the "Task Manager", in which you want to display all services, can hide the Microsoft processes and stop all others, and then try again to format it. Perhaps this will work.

It is much worse when it can turn out that the drive has file system or physical problems. Here you will have to use other methods, some of which may seem rather complicated.

What should I do if the standard formatting does not work?

If after using the standard method of calling the procedure from the "Explorer", the micro SD card is not formatted, you can try to start the process using the disk management section .

Access to it can be obtained through the console "Run", where the command diskmgmt.msc is prescribed. In the window of the location of all devices connected at the moment, we find the map (in most cases it will be located at the very bottom of the list), and then through the right click menu we call the format command. Sometimes it helps (but not always).

Using special utilities

Again, the micro SD card is not formatted, and the system displays a message that the procedure can not be completed? Alternatively, you can use programs that allow you to produce low-level formatting.

One of the most popular is the unpretentious free utility SDFormatter. In the start window after starting the program in the drop-down list of devices, select the drive letter, and then click the property button at the bottom right.

In the new window, the format type should be Full (Full Erase), and a little later activate the automatic alignment of sectors (ON value). We return to the previous window and start formatting. In most cases this helps. Again, not always. What can I do if the micro SD card is not formatted and after such measures? It is necessary, that is called, to use "heavy artillery".

Hidden features of Windows-systems

First we call the command line "Run" (Win + R) from the console with the rights of the administrator and register the diskpart there, then we enter the command list disk and find the desired device in the list (you can determine the card by volume). At this stage, you need to remember the device number in the list, otherwise you can destroy the data in other sections.

The next line is select disk Y (Y is the disk number set above). After that, the line for clearing the attributes of reading attributes disk clear readonly. After a successful process, we check the attributes using the attributes disk line. If you specify that only the read attribute is missing, exit the console by issuing the exit command.

How to restore the USB flash drive (micro-SD not formatted)?

In some cases, you can try to restore an inefficient card before formatting. In this case, the recovery will affect not only the information previously contained on it, but also the file system.

Programs for this can be found abound, but the most powerful utility is the R.Saver application. In it, the algorithm of actions is very simple: first you need to select your device, and then click just one button to start the analysis and recovery process. Next, the program will perform all actions without user intervention, however, this process can take up to several hours. It all depends on the degree of damage to the drive and its capacity. When the restore is complete, the formatting can be done without problems.

If nothing helps

If such actions do not work, and the micro SD card is not formatted again, you will have to use the last tool - flashing the controller.

To do this, you need to know the unique identifiers DEV and VEN, which can be done in the "Device Manager" from the properties menu on the information tab, where the device ID is selected from the drop-down list (for the sake of completeness, it is better to use the longest line in the list), or to apply for this program Like UsbFlashInfo.

After that, you will have to visit the resource of the equipment manufacturer and find the latest version of the firmware on the found numbers, and then start the process itself with the downloaded executable file. In principle, the firmware can be found on other sites, but for security reasons it's better to contact the manufacturer's resource. At the end of the process, the formatting should start in normal mode.

Finally, if nothing has helped from the above described, alas, you can say goodbye to the card, because it will not work anymore. But, as practice shows, even with damaged microcontrollers it is possible to reanimate the card, but with the use of flash and R.Saver software - also to restore the data.