Help formatting microSD card fat32?

[bigdogdan2]

I just picked up a 32GB card from the verizon deal. How should the card be formatted? FAT? FAT32?
From what I heard is there a size limitation on either? I heard 2GB but I was hoping I could store a larger file (HD videos)

 

[whatsitsname]

Fat 32
2 GB size limit is for the evo. Fat 32 file size limit is 4 GB.
If you want to watch a video over 2 gb, you're gonna have to split the video.

 

[Cobravision]

Can Android handle anything other than fat 32?

 

[EarlyMon]

Can Android handle anything other than fat 32?

How much work you wanna do?

According to the link embedded in the article below - yes...

Is FAT32 the only option? - Android Help

 

[bigdogdan2]

Thanks, kinda sucks the evo limits you to 2GB. Any idea why when fat32 supports larger?

Another question,
The 32GB sandisk card is a class 2.
I think means its read speed is 2MB/s

So if I have a video encoded at a bitrate of 2500 kbps. Does that mean the SD card is too slow to watch the movie off the memory card?

 

[kamikazekyle]

Class speed is guaranteed write speed, not read speed. For what it's worth, my Verizon-ordered (Sandisk) 32GB Class 2 card wrote at an average of 4MB/s not the minimum listed 2MB/s. This was using robocopy to copy directly from the phone to the 32GB card in a reader.

Read speed isn't classed, but a heck of a lot faster than write speed. So your 2500 kpbs file should play fine.

The file size is a maximum size *per file*. FAT 16 (16 bit) is 2GB/file. FAT 32 (32 bit) is 4GB/file. Now, sometimes you can get a 4GB file on FAT 16, though it depends on the implimentation. Oh, I should mention that I dunno if the Evo limits the file sizes to 2 GB regardless of the filesystem type like whatitsname mentioned. I havent' dealt with files that big yet

So, basically, format your card to FAT32, don't worry too much over the Class speed, and you'll be fine for most of things out there.

 

[EarlyMon]

Thanks, kinda sucks the evo limits you to 2GB. Any idea why when fat32 supports larger?

Just guessing here - but the original spec only recognized SD cards up to 2 GB.

Also - the ever-popular 32-bit integer: unsigned, it can express values from 0 to 4 GB, but signed, it can only go +/- 2 GB.

I expect this is just another one of those legacy things that needs some fixing.

 

[dereileak]

Do fat 32 using the windows format system, and choose 64 kb sectors, then you will reach maximum write speeds, although this wastes the most space, if you are storing songs its not an issue, if you are doing word documents, then you will waste a lot of space, but it will make it fastest for your phone, I have the same card, got it for 50 dollars

 

[coastal_carolina]

I just noticed that if you format the SD card from the phone it formats it as FAT. I have always used FAT32 on my HTC Incredible before.

I'm curious why when you format the SD card from the phone's "format sd card" option is doesn't use FAT32? You would think they would want a more efficient file system than FAT. Is this for backwards compatibility?