Formatting Micro SD Cards in Dash Cams
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Most Dash Cams are very low maintenance and once initially set up, you pretty much don’t need to touch them unless you want to review the footage. The only regular maintenance required with a Dash Cam is formatting the Micro SD Card. Most problems encountered with Dash Cams are Micro SD card related and not the Dash Cam itself.
Common signs and symptoms of problematic Micro SD cards are freezing, restarting, not recording, or gaps in recordings. 9 out of 10 times a simple format of the Micro SD card will rectify these issues. If not, you could be due for a new Micro SD card or try some other troubleshooting methods like reinstalling the firmware.
What is Micro SD card formatting and why do you need to do it?
Formatting a Micro SD card clears any file corruption and essentially resets the card. All files are deleted from the card and it is reset back to the default, factory format. Micro SD Cards used in Dash Cams are under intense stress and wear and tear because they are constantly recording and looping while driving. The Micro SD cards used in Dash Cams are exposed to pretty harsh conditions like varying temperatures and humidity, vibrations, interruptions when turning the Dash Cam on and off and hours of continuous writing and re-writing.
Ensure your Micro SD Card is approved for use by the Dash Cam manufacturer. Some manufactures only recommend use of their own branded Micro SD cards while some offer 3rd party card recommendations. If the Dash Cam manufacturer allows use of 3rd party cards we have always seen reliable performance from Samsung EVO PLUS or Samsung PRO ENDURANCE cards purchased from us or other reputable Australian retailers. Avoid buying your Micro SD card from marketplace platforms – they can be flooded with fake/rebranded/refurbished SD cards that cause both functional and physical Dash Cam issues.
In Dash Cams, all Micro SD cards are consumable products which will eventually degrade and fail. They have a certain number of re-write cycles they can perform. The lifespan of a Micro SD card depends on the card brand, age, amount of recording it does and environmental conditions. Regular formatting can extend its life but it wont last forever and will need eventually need replacing.
How often should I format my Micro SD card?
For optimal performance of your Dash Cam and the Micro SD card, it is recommended to format your Micro SD card monthly. It is also important to format your Micro SD card at first use via the Dash Cam menu or format button. If you can remember to format your card at the start of each month, that is a great habit to get into.
How do you format the Micro SD card?
The easiest, fastest and RECOMMENDED method is formatting via the Dash Cam itself. Most Dash Cams have an inbuilt format function which can be found in the Dash Cam menu/settings. Some Dash Cams have a physical format button which you need to press for a short time to format the card. Formatting the card in the Dash Cam only takes around 10 seconds.
*Formatting within the Dash Cam itself will ensure the correct format is used (which is generally FAT32 format for most Dash Cams.). If your Dash Cam has frozen or won’t start up, then obviously you can’t access the menu to format the card. In this case, your Micro SD card will then need to be formatted on your computer via the instructions below – either Apple or Windows.
** The required format for most Dash Cams is FAT32. The instructions below will ensure your SD card is FAT32 formatted. Using a format not supported by your Dash Cam will cause functional problems and will not work in your Dash Cam **
APPLE/MAC INSTRUCTIONS
- Insert your Micro SD card into a Micro SD card adaptor.
- Insert the Micro SD card adaptor into your computer.
- Open up DISK UTILITY. You can find Disk Utility in the search function at the top right of your Apple screen. This is what Disk Utility looks like once open:
4. Highlight your Micro SD card from the devices list on the left. Micro SD cards are generally named “no name” or “untitled” if you haven’t already given it a name.
5. Once highlighted, click “ERASE” button and the following pop-up will appear:
**The default format is ExFAT, which WILL NEED TO BE CHANGED TO MS-DOS (FAT) by clicking the drop down menu:
6. Once MS-DOS (FAT) has been selected simply click “Erase” and if successful you should see this pop-up:
Well done, you can now insert your formatted Micro SD card back into the Dash Cam (always eject it safely from your computer).
WINDOWS/PC INSTRUCTIONS
Some Windows operated computers have a similar inbuilt format function like the Apple Disk Utility. Try the following method first (Method 1) and if not successful you will need to download a FAT32 format program (Method 2).
(METHOD 1)
- Insert your Micro SD card into a SD card adaptor.
- Insert the SD card adaptor into your computer.
- Open up the My Documents Folder
- On the left of the folder you will see a list of all drives
- Right click on the SD card drive (normally titled “no name” or “untitled”) and click “Format”
- A pop-up will open. Ensure you change the file system from exFat to FAT32. Some computers won’t have the FAT32 option. If not use (Method 2) below.
- Tick the Quick Format box, click start and you are done.
(METHOD 2)
Use this Method if your Windows default formatter doesn’t have FAT32 the format option
- Download a free FAT32 formatter program. There are hundreds when you search online but choose a trusted one with good reviews.
- Once installed, open up the formatter
- Insert your Micro SD card into a SD card adaptor
- Insert the SD card adaptor into your computer
- In the formatter, select your SD card drive from the drop down menu (here is an example of a 3rd party formatter):
6. Once selected, click start and when finished you will see the following:
In all cases, once your Micro SD card is formatted, always click the eject button before pulling the Micro SD card out of your computer. If you have any further enquiries or would like more assistance please do not hesitate to contact us on (03) 9350 2605 or info@dashcamsaustralia.com.au or on our Live Chat tab on the site. We are more than happy to answer any questions or assist you with a Dash Cam recommendation.