SanDisk 64gb MicroSd woes

[thenrik]

Hi:

For those of you considering buying a 64gb MicroSD card with your tablet, beware of the latest crop of class10 SanDisk cards, which apparently only work with ex-fat, cannot be formatted to NTSF and only to Fat32 with a third party utility. SanDisk also reports their class 10 64gb MicroSd cards are not compatible with Android 4.0 or above, a known issue.

I can confirm that Class 6, 64gb MicroSd cards, can be easily formatted in a Windows7 computer. They work without a glitch:
Amazon.com: SanDisk 64GB Mobile Ultra MicroSDXC Class 6 Memory Card with SD Adapter - Retail Packaging: Electronics

I can confirm that the following:
SanDisk Ultra 64 GB microSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 Memory Card 30MB/s with Adapter SDSDQUA-064G-U46A:
Amazon.com: SanDisk Ultra 64 GB microSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 Memory Card 30MB/s with Adapter SDSDQUA-064G-U46A: Computers & Accessories

The above card cannot be formatted in a Windows7 computer. It is impossible to format the card to NTSF. SanDisk recommends using the following utility: HPUSBDISK.EXE, free, google it. I downloaded from Softpedia and it's quite the task to find the actual download link amidst all of the adware. I was able to successfully format the card to Fat32 for a friend who wants it for a Sandisk mp3 player, of course not compatible with ex-fat.

The Sandisk tech support guy said that their class 10 cards are not compatible with Android 4.0 or above.

This would seemingly include the following:
SanDisk 64GB Mobile Ultra MicroSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 30MB/s Memory Card with SD Adapter (NEW VERSION) - Retail Packaging with Komputerbay SDXC USB Reader
Amazon.com: SanDisk 64GB Mobile Ultra MicroSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 30MB/s Memory Card with SD Adapter (NEW VERSION) - Retail Packaging with Komputerbay SDXC USB Reader: Computers & Accessories

I ordered two but am returning both, unopened, on the advice of SanDisk and KomputerBay

The Sandisk tech support' party line is that MicroSD cards are only for phones. I don't know what they're thinking: tablets, cameras, mp3 players, mass storage... I can't understand why they would design these cards to be incompatible: ex-fat or the highway.

Buyer beware.

Tom

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[Jeffrey]

Thanks for the update

[AceStar]

Why is this and does this only apply to 64GB+ cards?

I've bought a 32GB version of their class 10, UHS-1 card and it seems to work fine so-far. Am I correct in assuming I have nothing to worry about?

[Frederuco]

Why is this and does this only apply to 64GB+ cards?

I've bought a 32GB version of their class 10, UHS-1 card and it seems to work fine so-far. Am I correct in assuming I have nothing to worry about?

Per the SDHC standard, they format is FAT32. SDXC (64 GB and larger) the spec calls for exFAT. Microsoft has limited the OS to only format larger cards as exFAT and will not allow FAT32. Also, seems they have found a way to also block NTFS. Thus far, very few Android devices can read exFAT because they refuse to pay M$ for licensing of the exFAT file system.

[thenrik]

Hi:

After returning four class 10 64gb MicroSD cards, I received two class 6 64gb MicroSD cards. I have one class 10 card that I successfully formatted to Fat32 with the HP disk utility but it's still a total PIA. It's very sensitive, works in some adapters and not in others. It's a favor for a friend that goes on and on and on. He can't read it with his adapters so it may go back as well.

Update: My friend has two usb card readers and neither could read the Class 10 card nor the adapter that came with the card. I can confirm that the following adapter works for $6.99:
IOGEAR SD/MicroSD/MMC Card Reader/Writer GFR204SD (Green/Gray)
Amazon.com: IOGEAR SD/MicroSD/MMC Card Reader/Writer GFR204SD (Green/Gray): Electronics

It is possible to format the class10 64gb MicroSD card to Fat32 with HPUSBDISK.EXE but impossible to format to NTSF.

The class 6 64gb MicroSD replacement cards took a total of five minutes to extract from the package, insert in the adapter and perform a quick format from exfat to NTSF. Done! I'm already using it.

Those Class 10 cards are unsafe at any speed.

Tom

[iant]

I have the Sandisk class 10 64Gb microsSD card:-
Sandisk Ultra 64GB Class 10 Micro SD Card with SD Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Had it for about 6 weeks now, worked in my TF201 straight out of the packaging...

[thenrik]

Hi:

@iant Glad to hear your card is working for you.

For me, I wouldn't want to buy a card that only works in ex-fat. Sandisk tech support told me that they were having issues with their class 10 cards and Android 4.0 and above. Personally, I have successfully returned all of the class 10 64gb MicroSD cards and replaced them with class 6 ones. They work flawlessly for me.

Tom

[BMcC]

Hi:

For those of you considering buying a 64gb MicroSD card with your tablet, beware of the latest crop of class10 SanDisk cards, which apparently only work with ex-fat, cannot be formatted to NTSF and only to Fat32 with a third party utility. SanDisk also reports their class 10 64gb MicroSd cards are not compatible with Android 4.0 or above, a known issue.

I can confirm that Class 6, 64gb MicroSd cards, can be easily formatted in a Windows7 computer. They work without a glitch:
Amazon.com: SanDisk 64GB Mobile Ultra MicroSDXC Class 6 Memory Card with SD Adapter - Retail Packaging: Electronics

I can confirm that the following:
SanDisk Ultra 64 GB microSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 Memory Card 30MB/s with Adapter SDSDQUA-064G-U46A:
Amazon.com: SanDisk Ultra 64 GB microSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 Memory Card 30MB/s with Adapter SDSDQUA-064G-U46A: Computers & Accessories

The above card cannot be formatted in a Windows7 computer. It is impossible to format the card to NTSF. SanDisk recommends using the following utility: HPUSBDISK.EXE, free, google it. I downloaded from Softpedia and it's quite the task to find the actual download link amidst all of the adware. I was able to successfully format the card to Fat32 for a friend who wants it for a Sandisk mp3 player, of course not compatible with ex-fat.

The Sandisk tech support guy said that their class 10 cards are not compatible with Android 4.0 or above.

This would seemingly include the following:
SanDisk 64GB Mobile Ultra MicroSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 30MB/s Memory Card with SD Adapter (NEW VERSION) - Retail Packaging with Komputerbay SDXC USB Reader
Amazon.com: SanDisk 64GB Mobile Ultra MicroSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 30MB/s Memory Card with SD Adapter (NEW VERSION) - Retail Packaging with Komputerbay SDXC USB Reader: Computers & Accessories

I ordered two but am returning both, unopened, on the advice of SanDisk and KomputerBay

The Sandisk tech support' party line is that MicroSD cards are only for phones. I don't know what they're thinking: tablets, cameras, mp3 players, mass storage... I can't understand why they would design these cards to be incompatible: ex-fat or the highway.

Buyer beware.

Tom

I have the SanDisk Ultra 64 GB microSDXC Class 10 and Windows 7 and every HPUSBDISK.EXE equivalent programme I have tried won't open on my computer - keeps asking for admin rights. Is there ANY way of formatting this to Fat32 on my windows 7 PC so I can use it in my Galaxy S2?? Or anyone that knows any other way of getting it formatted? Any help GREATLY appreciated.

[thenrik]

Hi:

SanDisk tech support offered an exchange/refund. I'd try that and get the class 6 card instead.

Tom

[ranger67]

Wow, this is amazing to me. Yes, there is a default file system for SD cards, but it is just a recommended/default. I have a 64GB Sandisk UHS1 formatted to fat32 with no problems. I have also placed ext3 and reiserfs file systems on SD cards. The card is just a storage medium. For those that are complaining about this you should be mad as heck with Microsoft for trying to force their new filesystem down your throats. As Frederuco stated, the manufacturers of devices don't want to pay the licensing fee's for the new file system and those devices "officially" only support up to 32gb. If Microsoft had just created a follow on filesystem to succeed fat32 and correct some of it's limitations without trying to charge everyone for it we'd all be fine. I know this sounds crazy, but there's literally dozens of filesystems available for no cost which can support this quantity of storage and above. Microsoft is only trying to take advantage at this point.

Now, how to work with the cards. Some devices (cameras, phones, tablets) will already work with the cards in that you can just slap the card in and instigate their formatting routine. If not, you can format the cards, but you may need to avoid your Microsoft environment to do so as they are placing software blocks into their utils and operating system. To work around this, you may want to download and burn one of the linux live cd ports such as FedoraLiveCD - FedoraProject. Once created, you can just place your live cd into your system boot up and format your card. Remember it's Microsoft that's making life tough, not android or any of the flash storage vendors, they're being pressured too.