Hacking How would you format your 4 Gig SDHC card?

[WeaponXxX]

My 4Gigger should be here any second. What are your recommendations of how to format it?

 

[RaiDesu]

I dunno. I'm pretty sure you'd want a microSDHC instead, but FAT16 is my method.

 

[retiredjerk]

format "x": /fs:FAT /A:64k
With this command. Just replace "x" with your drive number. IF its above 4GB u must do fat32. Also this command only works on vista with 4GB SDHC. I can never get it to work correctly on XP tablet edition.

 

[WeaponXxX]

I dunno. I'm pretty sure you'd want a microSDHC instead, but FAT16 is my method.

I figured I'd take a full size SDHC and cut it up into 4 pieces giving me 4 MicroSDHCs for the price of one! GENIUS!!!!

QUOTE(retiredjerk @ Mar 21 2008, 01:55 PM) format "x": /fs:FAT /A:64k
With this command. Just replace "x" with your drive number. IF its above 4GB u must do fat32. Also this command only works on vista with 4GB SDHC. I can never get it to work correctly on XP tablet edition.

Thats exactly how I do it with my 2 Gig regular MICRO SD Cards but I was curious if any other recommendations were made for larger cards. Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[ojsinnerz.]

I just formatted my 8 gig Micro sdhc just yesterday... I put it in FAT32, then format it. I'm not sure I've done it right, but that's just how I've done it.

 

[DarkUli]

Taking advantage of this topic, I'd like to ask what to format my 2GB MicroSD into? From retiredjerk's sentence, if SDHC is Fat32, should normal ones be Fat16?

Also, I'd like to ask what are the clusters and how to..Do something about them as well

 

[WeaponXxX]

He said above 4gigs should be Fat32 not SDHC. I format my 1 and 2 gig microSD cards just like retiredjerk said...and have been doing so for years without any problems. I'd recommend you doing the same!

*edit the clusters are the

64k

part of the formula.

Basically it works like this. If you have 3 files.
One file is 63k. It would go into Cluster 1. File 2 is 100k so it fills clusters 2 and 3. The remainder of Cluster 3 goes UNUSED as when adding the next file it goes strait to cluster 4.

Smaller clusters mean less of a chance of wasting space. 16k clusters mean more blocks get filled to completion however I believe it slows down read times. Its been a while so I may be wrong but I think thats how it works.

 

[Bri]

So if that command only works on Vista, what is the command for XP?

BTW, I have just used the normal XP formatting (right-click on the drive icon and select "format") and it has always seemed to work with a 2GB microSD card. I don't know what size the clusters are (and I don't think doing it this way allows you to change them).

-Bri

 

[portman0]

Use Panasonic's SD card formatter and turn format size adjust on and full erase on. Panasonic jointly invented the SD and SDHC specs. so their formatter correctly formats the card so it performs optimally.

http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/sd/d..._formatter.html

 

[Thanubis]

 

[DaMummy]

use high cluster, cart works much faster

 

[GH0ST]

The best thing is to leave the card as it is ( anyway some parameters are useless since windows will force them or bypass them depending on the size ... this can also just mess your card structure )

Here is everything... and more ... about formatting SDcard : http://www.hjreggel.net/cardspeed/info-formatting.html

Only format if you need to ... and do it with a compliant device like a camcorder etc ...

From http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/sd/d..._formatter.html you can grab the latest version of SD_formatter ( Ver2.0[2.0.0.0] --> Ver2.0[2.0.0.2] It corresponded to Windows Vista™... the one on sdcard.org is outdated )

By the way this program do nothing good and is not compatible will all cards ( read the tables : SDHC Memory Card RP-SDR04G RP-SDM04G RP-SDV04G) and cardsreaders ( see below... next link ).

Its erase function is not working at all so far : http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/sd/d...nnect_sdft.html

In fact it is useless ( it won't work with an altered card ) ... and do nothing more than your system ( quick format )... it is a real noobs tool ( try advanced features if you dare ) ... the eraser itself is pure cr*p... tested ( lossy sectors ) !

 

[pavel_18]

Use Panasonic's SD card formatter and turn format size adjust on and full erase on. Panasonic jointly invented the SD and SDHC specs. so their formatter correctly formats the card so it performs optimally.

http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/sd/d..._formatter.html

Hey, ok with the special fomatter `cause the file system is different and the others do make the format, but like it was a diskette or hard drvie, or someting.

Do you know of a defrag program special for SDHC? ´Cause some issues about bad perfomance and freezing of the flashcarts are related to fragmented files in the SDHC, specially in +4Gb.
Would there be any problems in using any defrag program? Will that affect the file system estructure or anything?

 

[pavel_18]

The best thing is to leave the card as it is ( anyway some parameters are useless since windows will force them or bypass them depending on the size ... this can also just mess your card structure )

Here is everything... and more ... about formatting SDcard : http://www.hjreggel.net/cardspeed/info-formatting.html

Only format if you need to ... and do it with a compliant device like a camcorder etc ...

From http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/sd/d..._formatter.html you can grab the latest version of SD_formatter ( Ver2.0[2.0.0.0] --> Ver2.0[2.0.0.2] It corresponded to Windows Vista™... the one on sdcard.org is outdated )

By the way this program do nothing good and is not compatible will all cards ( read the tables : SDHC Memory Card RP-SDR04G RP-SDM04G RP-SDV04G) and cardsreaders ( see below... next link ).

Its erase function is not working at all so far : http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/sd/d...nnect_sdft.html

In fact it is useless ( it won't work with an altered card ) ... and do nothing more than your system ( quick format )... it is a real noobs tool ( try advanced features if you dare ) ... the eraser itself is pure cr*p... tested ( lossy sectors ) !

Hey, ok with the special fomatter `cause the file system is different and the others do make the format, but like it was a diskette or hard drvie, or someting.

Do you know of a defrag program special for SDHC? ´Cause some issues about bad perfomance and freezing of the flashcarts are related to fragmented files in the SDHC, specially in +4Gb.
Would there be any problems in using any defrag program? Will that affect the file system estructure or anything?