question about formatting sd card

[piedrafina]

hi all, i have a question about reformatting my sd card. i used to use the card in question with a blackberry and would like to use it with my android now. when i plug the phone in to my computer, it shows up as two separate drives, one labeled blackberry and the one with the android files on it. so i figure i need to format it. but when i look at the phone storage options, the option to format the card under the sd card section is greyed out, but i can select it under the phone section.

just want to make sure that if i hit format under the phone section i am not going to mess something up.

 

[chanchan05]

You can always format the card from a PC.

 

[dan330]

SDcard vs Phone
stop!!!!!!

you can format it and see what happens.. but I am afraid you going to format the internal memory.. and cause big issues.

just pull out the sdcard.. and use your pc to format it. but since you said there are 2 section.. maybe 2 partitions. you might want to use a program to kill the partitions.. and recreate one partition.. then format.

 

[karandpr]

The Format SD card option is greyed out because the SD card is mounted
In SD card menu
Unmount SD card

Format SD card will light up
Now format it
Done

 

[piedrafina]

formatting with my pc was the second thing i thought of, but i don't have a program to delete the extra partition.

 

[lunatic59]

formatting with my pc was the second thing i thought of, but i don't have a program to delete the extra partition.

Actually you do.

If you are on windows Vista/7 open the start menu, right-click on "computer" and select manage. Find disk management in the tree on the left and click on it. Your sd card, if it's already in your PC should show up as removable storage with two partitions on it. You can delete one and then expand the other to take the whole card. Remember if you reformat to use FAT32.

 

[dan330]

i hear there are free programs on the internet to manage partitions.
just make sure you have an anti-virus!

 

[karandpr]

Seriously .You have just to tap twice to format SD card on an android .Isnt that the easiest way !!

 

[lunatic59]

Seriously .You have just to tap twice to format SD card on an android .Isnt that the easiest way !!

Will it repartition the card, too?

 

[karandpr]

Will it repartition the card, too?

Dual Partition SD cards are Advanced stuff .He never mentioned his phone .

Chances are Blackberry is his SD card and "android files " is his internal storage .


Why I am so sure ?
Because Windows Cant read Dual Partition SD Cards !!!!!
SO the chance of him having a dual partition doesnt exist .
Same stuff with Android OS .It detects only first partition on DP SD card .

Just read the OP again :
Indeed he has Internal Storage and SD card .
The Format under Phone sectionis for internal storage

To un-grey the SD card just tap the unmount button and the Format option will appear

 

[piedrafina]

Dual Partition SD cards are Advanced stuff .He never mentioned his phone .

Chances are Blackberry is his SD card and "android files " is his internal storage .


Why I am so sure ?
Because Windows Cant read Dual Partition SD Cards !!!!!
SO the chance of him having a dual partition doesnt exist .
Same stuff with Android OS .It detects only first partition on DP SD card .

Just read the OP again :
Indeed he has Internal Storage and SD card .
The Format under Phone sectionis for internal storage

To un-grey the SD card just tap the unmount button and the Format option will appear

ok, first things first, i am a she, not a he.

next: by android files i do not mean my internal storage. When i connect the usb cable to the computer, i see two removable drives. One is labelled blackberry and the other just says removable drive. When i look at the files on the non-blackberry drive, i can see they are the android files. Are you saying that those files are my internal storage and not on my SD card? How is it possible that i can browse these files? I have never been able to do that with any phone.

 

[karandpr]

ok, first things first, i am a she, not a he.

next: by android files i do not mean my internal storage. When i connect the usb cable to the computer, i see two removable drives. One is labelled blackberry and the other just says removable drive. When i look at the files on the non-blackberry drive, i can see they are the android files. Are you saying that those files are my internal storage and not on my SD card? How is it possible that i can browse these files? I have never been able to do that with any phone.

Sorry for ummm wrong pronouns
By internal storage I dont mean ROM . By internal storage I mean internal SD card .
I see you have again failed to mention your phone
Nevertheless .Some Phones are equipped with internal SD cards apart from ROM (internal memory ) .So after adding another SD card your phone technically has two SD cards . Blackberry is your external SD card and Removable disk is your internal SD card .
In your SD card and storage settings , Format SD card will allow you to format external SD card and format Phone will Format the internal SD Card .

So your phone has three memories .External SD card supplied by you .Internal SD card on board and ROM memory (which is internal storage which you cant see or edit by ordinary means .)
Phew !!

 

[piedrafina]

ah! Got it now! Thanks for the explanation!

Oh and the phone i have is a Samsung galaxy s