Format Fail question...

ImageMan

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Hi, I just formatted a new Sandisk Ultra 256Gb Class 10 card for my new B2W cam, on my Windows PC but it doesn't work... Display shows "Card Error" message, and the camera keeps taking pictures during the video recording when powered-up in the house w/5volt USB.... Tried to re-format in camera, but it doesn't help--display still shows "Card Error" message. Used the default exFAT file system and deselected the "quick format" box. Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Use this tool Guiformat to format it as FAT32?
Download this tool here: https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/FAT32format-GUI.shtml
Thank You very much for the replys estore009. I am using the exact card you show for the 256Gb. I successfully downloaded, installed & opened the GUI you suggested, but each time I try to format the card, my screen shows a Error window with the following message: failed to open device GetLastError()=32 The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
I tried restarting my computer after shutting off all anti-virus protection, and checked Task manager--says no apps in use... Nothing helps... Any thoughts?

Thanks again, Chris
 
Thank You very much for the replys estore009. I am using the exact card you show for the 256Gb. I successfully downloaded, installed & opened the GUI you suggested, but each time I try to format the card, my screen shows a Error window with the following message: failed to open device GetLastError()=32 The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
I tried restarting my computer after shutting off all anti-virus protection, and checked Task manager--says no apps in use... Nothing helps... Any thoughts?

Thanks again, Chris
that's a Windows problem with GUIformat, it was never updated post Windows 7 and the developer wasn't interested in updating it, try opening GUIformat so it's running, format the card with the built in Windows formatter, and then try using GUIformat to format FAT32, it's a background process in later versions of Windows that causes this problem
 
I have a few times experienced that a card i have had out to copy files off on the computer would give a card error when inserting it again, in those cases i have just cleaned the card contacts tried again and then it worked.
Not that the card contacts looked dirty or anything, but i have tried it several times on that camera and my "fix" work every time.

This was not the B2W camera which i also did testing on, as i recall it never threw any curve balls at me.
 
My Win8.1 hates all the freeware to convert to fat32 except the "MiniAide" tool which works excellently. Just remember to click "apply" on top after making your drive-work selections ;) Could be a similar issue here.

After messi9ng with a card and getting bad results, always start over with the "SDformatter" tool doing a full overwrite, this both checks the card's integrity and resets it to factory specs. After that, you should be successful re-configuring the file system to fat32. Once you've done this format in-cam and you should be working.

Phil
 
that's a Windows problem with GUIformat, it was never updated post Windows 7 and the developer wasn't interested in updating it, try opening GUIformat so it's running, format the card with the built in Windows formatter, and then try using GUIformat to format FAT32, it's a background process in later versions of Windows that causes this problem
OK, I'll try as you suggest, but it will take awhile--not sure its normal, but it takes about 3 hours to format my 256Gb card when I uncheck the Quick Format box. Is that normal? Also, in the GUIformat window, beside the D:\ it shows my card as 268G --bigger than the advertised 256Gb... Is that normal? Lastly, I did clean the contacts of my card & the SD adapter--as KamKar suggest in next post--no help. Thank you both again. Chris
GUI.JPG
 
you can do a quick format with the Windows formatter, it's just to get the background process in Windows to release so you can then format with GUIformat
 
Well, not trying to get too scattered here or offend anyone... I downloaded the MiniAide tool and formatted my card to FAT32. When I put it in my B2W it still said "card error" & "wrong cluster size". (I left the cluster size selected to 64 in the MiniAide tool). I decided to try to format in the B2W even though the error was there. No help... So then I did the QUICK format with the native Windows tool w/ the FAT32 GUI running in the background. Next I I tried to Format in FAT32 GUI. No errors showed up and its formatting, but it says the remaining time to completion is 5 hours 59 minutes!!!! Is that normal?

GUI2.JPG
 
it says the remaining time to completion is 5 hours 59 minutes!!!! Is that normal?
Probably, when I do a low level format on my 512GB cards I start it in the evening and let it run all night.

What kind of device are you using as a card reader?... native SD slot with adapter?... USB adapter?... etc. The device being used could be having an effect on the time needed as some are faster than others.
 
next time try setting cluster size to 32kb in MiniAide

but it says the remaining time to completion is 5 hours 59 minutes!!!! Is that normal?

yes, you could have used the quick format option instead, would take a few seconds, probably better to let it run now you've started a full format though
 
OK cool! That's what I'll do then... If you don't hear back from me, then my problem was solved. Thank you all very much in advance! I really appreciate the help. Take care. Chris
 
Well I'm back... I tried 3 times to Format with MiniAide. Each time when I put it back into the camera, it boots up with "Cluster size wrong & Card Error"
Each of the 3 formatting attempts, I reduced the cluster size from 64, down to 32, then 16--all fail. And after formatting with MiniAide it shows the volume size as 248Gb...

Thanks again, Chris
 
Well I'm back... I tried 3 times to Format with MiniAide. Each time when I put it back into the camera, it boots up with "Cluster size wrong & Card Error"
Each of the 3 formatting attempts, I reduced the cluster size from 64, down to 32, then 16--all fail. And after formatting with MiniAide it shows the volume size as 248Gb...

Thanks again, Chris
It has a supplied 32Gb card in the camera package. You can test this dash cam with the supplied card!
 
OK, I'm running the h2testw now, but it says time remaining is over 3 hours... There was no memory card supplied w/ my B2W which was new in unopened sealed box(says "memory card not included" on the box). I do have other cards here, but they are already formatted & working good in my drones & other cameras... Really don't want to risk not getting one formatted right again after trying it in my B2W... If the test fails, then problem solved, but if test passes, then I'm back to formatting or I have B2W warranty issue... I'll update you tomorrow.

Thank you all again, Chris
 
There seems to be something screwy with the card if different programs are showing that much variation with reading the card size :(

Large cards take time to test and the slower the computer the longer it takes which is why I do mine overnight. I should have mentioned cluster-size selection with Mini-Aide, sorry. There are simpler and easier to use freeware tools for this purpose but my low-end laptop won't run them; Mini Aide is designed to use minimal RAM which is probably why nothing else works for me.

Phil
 
There seems to be something screwy with the card if different programs are showing that much variation with reading the card size :(

Large cards take time to test and the slower the computer the longer it takes which is why I do mine overnight. I should have mentioned cluster-size selection with Mini-Aide, sorry. There are simpler and easier to use freeware tools for this purpose but my low-end laptop won't run them; Mini Aide is designed to use minimal RAM which is probably why nothing else works for me.

Phil
Thanks Phil, I'm actually using Dell's 2nd best laptop so I guess it just takes time since its a 256Gb card... Program says 2 hrs 30 mins left, but I going to bed now. I'll revisit the results tomorrow night when I get home from work.

Thanks, again, Chris
 
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