How do I format my SDHC card - SanDisk 4 GB Standard SDHC Card with Rezo 60 Camera Bag (SD4GBRZO602BN)

SDHC cards have a slide switch along one edge. The position farthest from the metal contacts locks the card, protecting it from writes. The position nearest the contacts unlocks the card.


Also, make sure the device in which you're trying to format the card is SDHC-compatible.

SD cards go up to 2GB in size. SDHC cards go from 4GB to 32GB.

The PV-GS35 works with SD cards, not with SDHC cards. Your 1GB and 2GB cards are SD cards. Your new 16GB card is an SDHC card. While SDHC cards fit into the slot, they are electronically incompatible and will not work in devices not designed for them.

The PowerShot S1 doesn't take SDHC cards, only CF cards. If you're asking about some other camera, not all of the cameras deigned for SD cards take the higher-capacity SDHC cards.

Go tinto the camera's menu and format the SDHC memory card.
If this does not work then insert the SDHC memory card into an USB card reader and plug it into the USB port on your computer and it the computer detects it as an external storage device then format the SDHC memory card.
If the computer cannot detect this SDHC memory card then this memory card is faulty.

You haven't told us what kind of camera it is, but I can guess at the problem. There are two possibilities.

1. Your camera will only read SD cards, not SDHC cards. You've just bought a new memory card, not noticing that it was SDHC. The new cards don't work in your camera, not because they or the camera are broken, but because they're not compatible.

Cards up to 2Gb are generally SD. Cards over 8Gb have to be SDHC. 4Gb cards can be either SD or SDHC, but are almost always SDHC because they're cheaper. (I would avoid the rare, expensive, and problematic 4Gb SD cards.)

Your solution is to go find a 2Gb card, and be extra sure that it doesn't say "SDHC" on it. (If it does, it probably means that they made a 4Gb card, but there were some error locations and so they disabled half of it and packaged it as a cheap-brand 2Gb.)

2. You formatted the card NTFS, whereas the camera needs FAT32. You can format the card using Windows, but there is a complication: Windows defaults to "NTFS" when formatting, but memory cards normally use FAT32. Before you attempted this, you should have connect the card, and checked the 'properties' on the drive that appears. It probably said "FAT32". In this case, you could have gone ahead and formatted the card, but be sure that you chose "FAT32" from the drop-down list. If you format it NTFS, your camera won't be able to read it!

In this case your solution would be to format the card again, but using the FAT32 format.

You might find it useful to check your camera on dpreview (dot) com, and see if the memory card type is shown as just SD or SD/SDHC.

There are no 4GB SD cards. "SD" cards larger than about 2GB are actually SDHC cards. SD and SDHC cards fit the same slots, but they are slightly different electrically. Many cameras won't work with SDHC (high capacity) cards. SDHC is not backwards compatible.

I doubt there is anything wrong with the cards. Cards usually come pre-formatted, but you could try formatting them and see if it makes a difference.

However, I expect that your problem is down to compatibility. Many cameras, especially those that are a couple of years old, won't work with SDHC (high capacity) cards. SD and SDHC cards fit the same slots, but they are slightly different. SDHC is not backwards compatible. Unless your camera's manual specifically mentions that you can use SDHC cards, you probably can't. I believe the largest capacity SD card is 2GB. Anything bigger will be SDHC.

There is a function to format memory cards somewhere in the camera's setup menus, but this might not be the problem. Most cards come pre-formatted. If this card is more than 1GB it will be SDHC instead of SD. SD and SDHC cards fit the same slots, but many cameras won't work with the SDHC (high capacity) cards. SDHC is not backwards compatible.

There is no reason not to try formatting the card, but if it won't format or isn't usable after formatting, then it may be incompatible.

The card may be incompatible.

Memory cards have grown enormously in capacity in the last couple of years, and even relatively new cameras may not be able to cope with the memory size of the newest cards.

SD and SDHC cards fit the same slots, but many cameras won't work with the SDHC (high capacity) cards. SDHC is not backwards compatible.

Took it to Jessops by the process of elimination "Integral reader faulty."
What a waste of many hours !