SD card won't format to the correc size

[DarkMalfunction]

Hi,

I have an 8gb SanDisk SD card that I want to use in a raspberry pi that I'd previously used with an older version of the Raspbian OS, and I wanted to reformat it so I could put the latest version on.

However, Windows 8 will only let me format some random 56mb partition, and I cant make it larger or smaller. "This is weird," thought I, so I went into disk management and took a look.

Currently, there's a 56mb partition that I cannot shrink, extend or delete, and a 7-and-a-bit GB of unallocated space that I cannot format.

No matter what I do to the 56mb partition, whether it's partitioning with NTFS, FAT or exFAT, nothing is working.

Am I being an idiot, or is something wrong here?

Many thanks to anyone who replies

 

[rgd1101]

try this
https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/

 

[adamdbz]

use the win32diskimager-binary

the other partition that you can't use is in Linux format.

 

[dom123]

SD Formatter 3.1 and 4 both failed. So did DiskPart. and I'm not touching that russian software (not because it's russian but I don't speak a'yor language so mistakes are bound to happen).

There is part blame on Microsoft for this inability to format anything other than FAT and NTFS. I also can't understand why the Raspberry Pi team for don't realise this as an issue that not everyone has the abaility to solve.
It is very frustrating.

 

[adamdbz]

this is 3 moths old and i told the op what to do (it worked for me after raspbmc)

 

[Mike Gutkin]

this is 3 moths old and i told the op what to do (it worked for me after raspbmc)

well then tell me because i cant figure it out.

 

[adamdbz]

Ok first try this
download the raspbmc installer
open it , select your SD card and press restore for format and then format it using SDFormatter

if that does not work
download EASEUS Partition Master it has a trail
delete the partitions on the SD card and then press crate and format the SD card.

good lock

-Adam Ericson

 

[adamdbz]

Did you mange to fix your problem?

 

[MannMadeMedia]

Did you mange to fix your problem?

I have had the EXACT same problem.

Ok first try this
download the raspbmc installer
open it , select your SD card and press restore for format and then format it using SDFormatter

- That didn't work for me. Although, interestingly, the card has now jumped from 56MB to 70MB!?

 

[MannMadeMedia]

if that does not work
download EASEUS Partition Master it has a trail
delete the partitions on the SD card and then press crate and format the SD card.

I have just downloaded EaseUS Partition Master 9.2.2 FREE edition.
After some wrangling I eventually *touch wood* appear to have a 14.8GB SD card now.

- I'll let you know if the SD card works in my camera/Raspberry Pi!

 

[adamdbz]

Wow its been a while.. but good luck

 

[MannMadeMedia]

Wow its been a while.. but good luck

I only came across this thread on the 5th of July.
- But I managed to flash Raspian Wheezy (I am a totally Pi Newbie) onto the aforementioned SD card, and it seems to be working fine.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[adamdbz]

your welcome.

 

[Jason Walker]

I found this (link below) about how to use windows tool DiskPart from a command prompt to re-partition and re-format my sd card: http://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/1446/how-can-i-reformat-my-sd-card-to-use-it-normally-again

 

[xnutter]

I had he same issue, 125MB available. I popped my card in my digital camera and formatted the card nearly 8Gb available now.

 

[Daniel P]

Hi,

I have an 8gb SanDisk SD card that I want to use in a raspberry pi that I'd previously used with an older version of the Raspbian OS, and I wanted to reformat it so I could put the latest version on.

However, Windows 8 will only let me format some random 56mb partition, and I cant make it larger or smaller.

 

[Hadmad]

try this
https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU SAVED MY LIFE

CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH !!