Problem persists for the past couple of months.

[jdm life]

Are you using a MAC or PC?

Have you tried to format the memory cards using the SDformatter program? If not, try that, then format again in the camera.

Yes ive tried , and when i format it with a third party program and reinstall to the camera, it still constantly says Please Format MicroSD

Are you getting any recordings now that will playback on your computer or in the camera?

What happens after you get the message "Please format microSD card"? Did you format the card in the camera? Did the camera then boot up and start recording (blinking red dot on the LCD screen)? Were files recorded and playable in the camera or on a computer?

Are you getting any corrupt (unplayable) files recorded?

How often do these memory errors occur and when (on power up, randomly, or otherwise)?

Are you having any problems with Date/Time? Are you using GPS for updates?

Im not getting any footage at all, since it always says Format MicroSD.

After i format, it just becomes a camera that doesnt record. And when i unplug and replug the camera, it says format again. Ive tried both computer and camera formatting but no luck. When it boots up, it flashes for a couple seconds then stops . The files were playable wheen i first got my memory card. Now everything just please format microsd and ive only used it for about 2 weeks.

No.

Always on powerup/restarting

Date/Time is fine . no gps

 

[jdm life]

have you reset (recommended) the "Default settings" in the "Menu" after firmware update?

Yes, done multiple times.

 

[borik]

Yes, done multiple times.

try to update the loader, then the (same) latest firmware.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Your first card was a Lexar, what is the other card you tried?

 

[5Cowbells]

After i format, it just becomes a camera that doesnt record.

I stumbled onto something that might help. Looks to me like the problem is caused by the card not being formatted properly before being inserted into the camera. I deliberately formatted a 32GByte Transcend High Endurance microSD card in a Windows 10 PC using the NTSF format and got your symptoms when I inserted it in the camera and powered it up. After boot-up got the message "Please Format the MicroSD Card", as you did, and pressing the Menu button just brought up another same message. In fact, pressing any button other than power did the same thing. Continued to press buttons until camera locked up except for the power button, of course not recording. Like you I could not get to the menu to format the card in the camera. When I powered down and back up, same thing.

I solved this problem by formatting the microSD card FAT32 using default settings in my Windows 10 PC. You can do that for card sizes 32 GBytes and under, but need a special app mentioned in a previous post to format FAT32 for 64GByte and larger cards.

I did this three times to prove it repeatable. On the third time, while randomly pressing buttons after getting the message, the Menu came up. I was able to scroll and subsequently format the card in the camera. This also solved the problem.

Edit: Subsequently have found that repeated double clicks of the Menu button are more likely to bring up the menu.
Edit2: The button that seemed to lock the camera up was a short press of the power button.
Edit3: To find out what the format of your card is in Windows 10 File Explorer app, right click on the appropriate drive name/letter for the microSD card, and then left click on the "Properties" selection at the bottom of the list. Left click on the "General" tab and find the "File System" entry. When the card formatted correctly, it reads "FAT32".
Edit4: Was using A119 Firmware Version 3.91 at the time of the test. Wrong, have been using V4.00 since Sep 2, 2018.
Edit5: Tried same with card formatted EXFAT in PC. Same results. After getting the "Please Format the MicroSD Card" message, repeated double clicking of the menu button will eventually get you into the menu where you can then format the card in the camera. If the camera locks up (hear repeated double beeps) not recording, pull power for 15 seconds and start over. This solves that particular problem most easily and the camera should record.

 

[borik]

something is not right here.
a man posts about his "problems" with A119 and disappears for months. and as of yesterday his camera still "doesn't record".
smells like a fake.

 

[5Cowbells]

something is not right here.
a man posts about his "problems" with A119 and disappears for months. and as of yesterday his camera still "doesn't record".
smells like a fake.

The OP seems sincere, just maybe has other priorities divert his attention away from the dashcam problem, or perhaps has become frustrated not solving it. I do find it frustrating as a responder to not receive positive or negative feedback within hours or a few days, but we all have priorities. The OP has done the right thing that I really like to see and that is to provide feedback to each responder for the most part, albeit not always timely. Some posters just stop posting with no feedback and you may never know if the problem was fixed and what the solution was. These are opportunities for the forum to gain knowledge that might help the next guy who experiences a similar problem. This a major reason for the existence of the forum.

 

[borik]

The OP seems sincere, just maybe has other priorities divert his attention away from the dashcam problem, or perhaps has become frustrated not solving it. I do find it frustrating as a responder to not receive positive or negative feedback within hours or a few days, but we all have priorities. The OP has done the right thing that I really like to see and that is to provide feedback to each responder for the most part, albeit not always timely. Some posters just stop posting with no feedback and you may never know if the problem was fixed and what the solution was. These are opportunities for the forum to gain knowledge that might help the next guy who experiences a similar problem. This a major reason for the existence of the forum.

below are my impressions after re-reading his posts:
for over at least past 8 months his camera is not recording. since January this is his 3rd forum visit, and the camera still not recording. he didn't replace the camera after his first or second visit, didn't throw it out, but visits the forum again just to remind us that the camera still not recording.
if he got the camera that doesn't work for about 8 months why does he still keep it? does he need the camera at all?
if he doesn't really care if the camera works or not why we need to know about it?
he would solve the problem if he wanted to within a month, but no worries, he will come back in 3-5 months and just keep on saying "the camera still not recording" and asking what to do next.

 

[5Cowbells]

After i format, it just becomes a camera that doesnt record. And when i unplug and replug the camera, it says format again. Ive tried both computer and camera formatting but no luck. When it boots up, it flashes for a couple seconds then stops . The files were playable wheen i first got my memory card. Now everything just please format microsd and ive only used it for about 2 weeks.

Please read the edits in my previous post here about this problem. In a nutshell, I think your microSD card is not formatted correctly. When the "Please Format the MicroSD Card" comes up double click the MENU button one or more times to get the menu to come up. Then scroll to the format command and format the microSD card in the camera. If no other problems, you should be good to go.

 

[borik]

Please read the edits in my previous post here about this problem. In a nutshell, I think your microSD card is not formatted correctly. When the "Please Format the MicroSD Card" comes up double click the MENU button one or more times to get the menu to come up. Then scroll to the format command and format the microSD card in the camera. If no other problems, you should be good to go.

I had similar problems (format sd card) 2 years ago. sometimes the format in a camera helped, sometimes not, the other times resetting to defaults or just re-plugging the power worked. but all those problems gone with the firmware updates. at the same time I got a bunch of different cables, adapters and card readers I don't use today.

I tried hard to solve the problems with the camera.

 

[5Cowbells]

Am I the only one experiencing problems getting to the A119 menu when the "Please Format the MicroSD Card" message comes up on the screen? Even work around procedures such as formatting on a PC using a special application or double clicking the menu button several times to get the camera menu up would be unnecessary if this problem were fixed. This type problem can intimidate and frustrate a casual user trying to use a new card sized greater than 32GByte for the first time. The objective of the message, regardless of what prompted it, is for the user to format the card correctly to FAT32. Why not make it simple and straight forward to format it in the camera?

Suggested A119 improvement for @viofo: Change the message to something like "Please Format the microSD card. Press MENU and select Format", and fix the firmware so that after the message, a single click to the MENU button brings up the menu. This applies to A119 FW version 4.00.

 

[borik]

@5Cowbells and what if it doesn't help and on the next camera start up you get the same message?
you know what I do almost every time I might had touched the contacts on a card? I clean the contacts right away with my shirt.

but... there might be some dirt already in a camera's card reader.

 

[5Cowbells]

@5Cowbells and what if it doesn't help and on the next camera start up you get the same message?
you know what I do almost every time I might had touched the contacts on a card? I clean the contacts right away with my shirt.

but... there might be some dirt already in a camera's card reader.

There may be multiple scenarios unknown to me that will cause this message to appear. The first step is to do what the message says, which can be easily done immediately in the camera now if you know the secret code needed to get into the menu and use the format command. If that doesn't work after three tries, you drop back ten and punt , i.e., consider other alternatives and/or ask for help on DCT.

 

[borik]

There may be multiple scenarios unknown to me that will cause this message to appear.

it's OK for this message to appear if: you got a new card, or you have a reminder set to format the card once in awhile. if you used the same card in a camera yesterday or a couple of days ago you should never get that message, and if you got it something is wrong.

The first step is to do what the message says, which can be easily done immediately in the camera now

I went through these messages 2 years ago and may say for sure - don't you do it, it will not solve the problem if it's the same card you used. I would re-plug the power (1-3 times) for a message to disappear, and if it does (assuming you didn't change the wires/adapters etc.), I would check if there is any new firmware, and if there is I would upgrade it, no new firmware - I would reload the last one, just don't forget to reset to defaults right after. and I prefer to format or check SD cards on a computer.

and/or ask for help on DCT.

for some guys that' a preferred method. it's not possible for a man to know everything but you need to know where you can get some help.