Morry Loc: Palm Springs, CA

Sales people tell me when asked that it is not necessary to format the new card. Samsung says it is. What do you think?

cwp3420

I didn't format mine when I installed it in my new Samsung Note 7, and it is working fine. It was new and unused though, and it was a Samsung 256 GB card.

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

I think I would take Samsungs word over the sales people. After all they designed the phone.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

Formatting is simply setting up a memory device, such as an SD card, to accept a particular file system, such as FAT32, for example. SD cards come from the manufacturer formatted for FAT32 and most devices are designed to use that format, as well as exFAT format. (larger capacity cards use exFAT format.) According to a conversation I had with Sandisk, they consider their cards "Plug & Play" in most all cases because almost all devices use the same formats. Just pop it in and start using it. Any necessary files will be added by the device as soon as use of the card begins. Most every manufacturer will tell you to format a card before using it in their device. It's called "covering your butt". They don't know exactly what you will be using. You could be using a card previously used with some obscure format. In truth, if your card is not properly formatted to begin with, your device will either tell you to format it or just won't recognize it.

Edit: Just want to add that formatting a used card from another device is always a good idea. Odds are that it will already be of the proper format, but it could have files on it that would limit the usable space in the new device. Worse case scenario, it could even have a virus that could affect the new device.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Format, don't format it. It probably will make no difference. It will either work or it won't. If it doesn't then format it.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Good advice

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

So, in a nut shell, a brand new card basically has no problems to start with? And a used card more than likely will have no problems, but formatting will prevent any?

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

That's it. In a nutshell. Not all devices use the FAT format. Almost do but some have proprietary formats. In that case, the device either will not recognize the card or will tell you to format it. In the end, a format is a format, whether done at the factory, in a computer, a smartphone, or any other device. Formatting in a device simply adds the necessary folders that the device will store data in. A computer doesn't do that because it doesn't know what folders are needed. Regardless, the device will add the folders as soon as it begins to record to the card. There is an international association of SD card manufacturers. They actually recommend that you only format their cards using their format program, SDFormatter. Unlike a computer or device format, it does not overwrite the security features put on the card by the manufacturers. Doesn't make much difference for the typical user, but in situations where security is a concern it is the way to go.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

And thank you for the all the info. And they said you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

Well, according to my wife.......!