[HOW TO / GUIDE] Format Micro SD FAT32 (Windows) - VERIZON

Excelsius said:

I don't get why we can't format into FAT32 right from the phone. I have to get a microSD adapter now, but what if my laptop/PC didn't have an SD slot? This is crazy.

Another thing: with all those great features, I don't understand why Titanium Backup can't do a simple ROM backup. Yes, backing up the applications is nice, but just like Windows, I'd like to be able to reimage my entire phone every year to ensure best performance. Titanium Backup obviously can't do it. So we're stuck either with CWM nandroid backup, which has a bad interface and doesn't support exFAT, or have to pay for yet some other app to do this. Unless I'm missing something.

By the way, does "Backup Current ROM" from inside CWM interface work or do we have to boot to recovery to make a proper nandroid backup?

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TiBu was build to be a dynamic and versatile tool... which it is... I believe the nandroid option was already around when TiBu was first made, so why make an app that does the same thing as one thats hugely popular thats already out there? They did what they did and are obviously very popular for it.

And I'm not 100% sure what youre referring to with the "backup current rom" but more than likely it just automatically boots you into recovery and starts the backup process for you(so you don't have to use the "bad interface"

thanks, the shift & rightclick method didn't show cmd command for the folder but it is easy without.
i did it like that:

put folder with .exe on desktop
press windows + r
cmd
cd C:\Users\Yourname\Desktop\fat32format
fat32format x:

Just used the "EASY PEASY" method (method #2) and it worked fine at first, but then when I rebooted the phone, the SD card became "damaged" again and the phone would not mount it. Any suggestions??

I don't have a S3, but I used this method to format my Sandisk 64GB UHS1/Class 10 microSDXC card to FAT32. Basically what I did was use diskpart to clean the disk, create partition, format quick ntfs, assign, exit, fire up guiformat.exe and let it quickformat FAT32. It works fine now. Thank you very much.

If you don't partition your 64 gig drive and you format to fat32 you will format it to 32gigs which is pointless. So partion it first then format the partions all can be done through cmd prompts.

lelandholton said:

If you don't partition your 64 gig drive and you format to fat32 you will format it to 32gigs which is pointless. So partion it first then format the partions all can be done through cmd prompts.

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This is incorrect information. I formatted my 64gb SD card to fat32 and it still has 64gb of space without partitioning

Excuse my newb-ness. I just want to see if I have this correct. The 64gb card comes formatted ex-fat but we need to format to FAT32 in order to use it for flashing roms because ex-fat is not recognized by your recovery.*The downsize to FAT32*is you can only transfer a file up to 4gb at a time. Vs Exfat you can have any size file but you cant use it to flash roms? If we do not care about that because someone like me likes to transfer files larger than 4gb can we just insert the card and ready to go keeping it ex-fat? Or does it still need to be formatted? I think I read somewhere the card my only show up as 32gb?*Thanks.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

DieselNY said:

Excuse my newb-ness. I just want to see if I have this correct. The 64gb card comes formatted ex-fat but we need to format to FAT32 in order to use it for flashing roms because ex-fat is not recognized by your recovery.*The downsize to FAT32*is you can only transfer a file up to 4gb at a time. Vs Exfat you can have any size file but you cant use it to flash roms? If we do not care about that because someone like me likes to transfer files larger than 4gb can we just insert the card and ready to go keeping it ex-fat? Or does it still need to be formatted? I think I read somewhere the card my only show up as 32gb?*Thanks.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

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From my own experience, the SG3 will not even recognize the SD card when it is in ex-fat formatting. I had to format to fat32 in order to get the phone to even recognize the SD card (otherwise it just says "Broken SD card"). You're right in that fat32 cannot transfer files larger than 4gb, which is a drag because all my movies are about 8gb =(

Is there a way around it so I can have 8gb movies on my SD card?? That's my question...

skim7x said:

From my own experience, the SG3 will not even recognize the SD card when it is in ex-fat formatting. I had to format to fat32 in order to get the phone to even recognize the SD card (otherwise it just says "Broken SD card"). You're right in that fat32 cannot transfer files larger than 4gb, which is a drag because all my movies are about 8gb =(

Is there a way around it so I can have 8gb movies on my SD card?? That's my question...

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Yeah I definitely want to be able transfer files way larger than 4gb.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

DieselNY said:

Excuse my newb-ness. I just want to see if I have this correct. The 64gb card comes formatted ex-fat but we need to format to FAT32 in order to use it for flashing roms because ex-fat is not recognized by your recovery.*The downsize to FAT32*is you can only transfer a file up to 4gb at a time. Vs Exfat you can have any size file but you cant use it to flash roms? If we do not care about that because someone like me likes to transfer files larger than 4gb can we just insert the card and ready to go keeping it ex-fat? Or does it still need to be formatted? I think I read somewhere the card my only show up as 32gb?*Thanks.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

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Does anyone have an answer for the above? I got a 64gb card for Christmas and want to know how I can use it properly.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

DieselNY said:

Does anyone have an answer for the above? I got a 64gb card for Christmas and want to know how I can use it properly.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

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It should work fine on stock or rooted Verizon official TW. You mention you don't want to put roms on the external sd card, so does this mean you will not be flashing roms/kernels/etc. at all? Reason being is that if you still do plan on using roms but refuse to format the sd card, you'll likely receive errors in the notification bar similar to this: "sd card is safe to remove." Basically, you should be fine on stock, rooted/unlocked TW but once you move away from that then any sd issues you have will be a direct result of exFat.

I use a 32 gb sd card so I am not speaking from experience, I only use Fat32.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

SlimSnoopOS said:

It should work fine on stock or rooted Verizon official TW. You mention you don't want to put roms on the external sd card, so does this mean you will not be flashing roms/kernels/etc. at all? Reason being is that if you still do plan on using roms but refuse to format the sd card, you'll likely receive errors in the notification bar similar to this: "sd card is safe to remove." Basically, you should be fine on stock, rooted/unlocked TW but once you move away from that then any sd issues you have will be a direct result of exFat.

I use a 32 gb sd card so I am not speaking from experience, I only use Fat32.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

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I am unlocked and rooted and do flash roms, (I am on Synergy right now which is a TW rom) and plan to continue to do so. I save all my roms and nandroids etc to my internal sd card and not external. I would like to be able to keep it ex-fat so I can transfer files, movies etc well over 4gb which from what I understand you can't do that on FAT32...but if keeping it ex-fat will cause issues then I guess I will have to suck it up and do FAT32 and keep files under 4gb.*Let me know if I am making sense, thanks!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

DieselNY said:

I am unlocked and rooted and do flash roms, (I am on Synergy right now which is a TW rom) and plan to continue to do so. I save all my roms and nandroids etc to my internal sd card and not external. I would like to be able to keep it ex-fat so I can transfer files, movies etc well over 4gb which from what I understand you can't do that on FAT32...but if keeping it ex-fat will cause issues then I guess I will have to suck it up and do FAT32 and keep files under 4gb.*Let me know if I am making sense, thanks!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

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I believe the kernel included in Synergy rom, built by Ziggy, supports exFat to some degree either with 16, 32, or 64 sd cards. Again, not speaking from experience just trying to put pieces together. My suggestion is to use Synergy with your 64 gb and see how or if any sd card issues arise. I think with that specific rom, you may be fine but no guarantees.

For the long term, Fat32 is the preferred format for us rooted folks. What you're saying makes perfect sense, this shouldn't even be an issue but that's just the luck of the draw.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

Guys,

The only problem is with CM10.1 (Android 4.2)
In 4.x (not 4.2) use the "modified sdcard binary".

I formatted my external sdcard to ext4 and everything works OK. I have a 10GB file there, no problems

Cheers

Synergy rom most recent release works with exfat. Just insert the 64gb card and it works without having to do anything else.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

DieselNY said:

Synergy rom most recent release works with exfat. Just insert the 64gb card and it works without having to do anything else.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

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Nope, Not that. I'm talking about supporting >4GB file.
exFAT doesn't do that.

Cheers

I thought it was the other way around. Fat32 doesnt let you transfer files over 4gb.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

lelandholton said:

If you don't partition your 64 gig drive and you format to fat32 you will format it to 32gigs which is pointless. So partion it first then format the partions all can be done through cmd prompts.

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I bought a 64 GB Sandisk card which was exFat format. When I tried to format using many of the programs suggested it is now only 32 GB. Is there any way to go back and make it its 64 GB size. I have looked many threads and googled it and there are similar cases as mine. However no particular solution.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. I have spent many hours trying to fix this.

Custom Recovery and 64g Sandisk Micro SDXC Class 10

First off I have used many different Roms and I am not sure if this applies specifically to this ROM or not as far as this method only working but I honestly think that it should not make a difference what ROM you are running. However the recovery and Kernel that you are using could make a considerable difference.

Currently Working on the following ROM, Kernel, and Recovery

Galaxy MOD RLS 14.1 Using the newest version of TWRP and FAUX kernel.

Not sure about the kernel or Rom but from what I understand only certain recoverys can read this type of card and prior to me updating to the new TWRP I could not get this to work so make sure that you are using 2.3.3.0 and if you are using clockwork Mod, I suggest throwing it in the crapper because TWRP is a million times faster and more efficient.




The best solution that I have found is to go and download http://www.easeus.com/ the home edition becasue it has a free trial. This app will allow you to format it to Fat32 on your computer. Once you have it installed place the SD card in and select the card in the menu. I went ahead and wiped mine completely first as I had some trouble getting it to work for quite some time even after trying some of the other various ways listed. Once you have it wiped and deleted select a name for the new partition. I used the letter "F:" In some of the other posts and forums that I have read in most suggested to not format it using this program but I had already tried everything else and decided to give it a try. It is kind of confusing but select to format the sd card to FAT32 once you have selected this you will have to go to the toolbar at the top and actually select apply before any formatting will actually take place. Once that is complete make sure that you properly eject the card by un-mounting it first before you remove it from your pc. Then put it in your phone and it should recognize it, as mine did after the first try. I also took an extra step that I believe was unnecessary and went into the settings on my phone in the storage option and then formatted it again by wiping any data on it just to make sure it was properly aligned with the phone. Other than that you should not have any problems and believe me I have spent countless hours trying to figure this out and after I got this working felt obligated to share to save people the time and effort I put in to get this working. I attached a screen shot as proof to show that this is an actual fix. Feel free to hit the thanks button because I do not ever post and am trying to get to where I can actually post in forums and I am not a noob, I just do not have time to get on here all the time. Thanks Chase

I might add that I am also using the custom binary settings as well which come with but not installed on Galaxy Mod. I would suggest installing the settings as I hae found if very beneficial to the function of the phone. Better battery life, no lag, and blazing fast.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app