Why format a new card?

[Max Spider X]

I have read on the forums that some of you would format the card right after you get it. What is that for?

[urichjones]

I have a 512MB Dane-Elec SD Card that I started using right out of the package and it works great for me! Same goes for my Hitachi 4Gb microdrive.

[Theophilus]

The cards come pre-formatted. But you may choose to reformat them in another file system (FAT32)

[DStutz]

Shortly after I got my 1GB SD card, I had trouble with corrupted files on the card. I reformatted the card to FAT32 filesystem and have not had a problem since. So you can bet that I will format the next one as soon as I take it out of the package even though I have no proof that this really makes any difference. It only takes a few minutes, and it may save some data.

[urichjones]

It only takes a few minutes, and it may save some data.

That makes sense.

[Astounded EEG]

I don't think reformatting does anything unless an error has already occurred.

Reformatting a new card is unnecessary IMO. Besides, FAT32 takes up a few more megabytes than FAT (typical factory format), leaving you with less capacity to work with.

[G M Fude]

Back in the early days of SD cards, I put a 64 MB card in my Palm out of the box (64 was pretty big at the time), and discovered after a few weeks when I added up the files on it that it only had a capacity of about 40 MB.

I formatted it and it then went to 64 (less the usual space for the file allocation tables). I've formatted new cards ever since. It's probably not necessary, but what the hey, once bitten twice shy. I was perhaps very unlucky.