How to Fix SD Card Not Initialized Error

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SD card not initialized is one of the most common errors found. If you are wondering what this SD card error is, don’t worry. We are here to help you fix the SD card not initialized error and also help you with SD card recovery in case you have lost your data using professional SD card recovery software.

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Camera SD Card not Initialized Error

“I have a Lexar 64GB SDXC Memory Card that I use with my Fuji XT4 camera. It started giving me random "card not initialized" error until it just stopped working altogether.”

Source: Reddit

What is SD Card Initializing mean?

SD card Initializing is nothing but just erasing your stored data in your memory card. It forms a new structure in your memory card and makes it a new memory card that can be reusable. It is also referred to as formatting. What is SD not Initialized mean? It is a common error faced by people which means formatted or the memory card has been formatted in a computer or other device. Format the memory card using the Format by right-clicking on your SD card.

Solutions to Fix your SD Card not Initialized

Before proceeding with any fixes, we recommend that you recover SD card data as the first step. Some of these steps may cause complete data loss on your SD card.

To perform SD card recovery you need a professional data recovery tool like Remo Recover, the tool can recognize unrecognized and uninitialized SD cards and recover data from them in a few clicks.

Once recovery is completed, You can start repairing the SD card not initialized error.

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Source: Trustpilot

Right-click on your SD card and Format

 The first and simple step to initialize your SD card is to format the SD card by right-clicking and select the format in which your SD card will be initialized. If you still find the same issue remove your SD card reinsert it and check whether it has the same issue if you are still facing the same issue then try the next method mentioned below.

Note: Always off your camera while inserting your New SD card  

Update SD card Drivers

Updating your drivers will help you in checking errors and problems and also fix broken codes, security issues, etc it also adds new version features to your SD card so updating SD card drivers can help you to Fix the SD cards not initializing.

Follow these steps to Update your Drivers 

  • Go to Taskbar and search for Device manager 
  • The Device Manager screen will appear to click on a Batteries
device manager
  • Right-click on the Microsoftware AC adapter you will get an option to update the driver 
  • Click on Update driver to update your driver. 

How to Initialize your Memory Card on Camera 

Try to Initialize your SD card on your camera this step might help you to solve your SD card not initializing error. follow the given below steps to initialize.

  • First power on your camera and Click on Menu
  • Then choose settings and go to Main settings 
  • Select the Initialize option and select OK
  • Then press the Center Button on the control wheel 

Your SD card will be initialized if there is still an issue then try the other method 

SD card Troubleshooting

Even after updating your driver if you still face the same issue with your SD card then try this method SD card troubleshooting will help you to find issues on your SD card and fix the errors 

Here are the steps on how to troubleshoot your SD card

  • Go to Taskbar and type Control panel 
  • Click on it and search for Troubleshooting 
  • Troubleshooting will appear to Click on it
  • Select Hardware and sound go to Device and printers
  • You can see your SD card Right-click on it 
  • You will get Troubleshoot click on it. 

Initialize SD card by CMD

To Initialize your SD card through diskpart follow the below-given steps 

  • In the taskbar search for the Command Prompt 
  • Open the Command prompt on the left side of the screen
  • Select Run as Administrator a window will appear 
open command prompt as adminstrator
  • Type Diskpart and Click on Enter 
  • After that step Type Diskpart List and click on enter
  • Now select SD card in the list you have to type your disk number 
  • Remember your Disk number to select the SD card 
  • Now type the Command Clean and Click on Enter this will erase everything on the SD card
  • You need to create a new partition on a memory stick. To do this, type in the command, create partition primary and hit Enter
  • After that type, the command format fs=fat32 and hit on the Enter Button. The fs refer to an abbreviation file system and fat32 refers to the allocation table file system, if you want your SD card to store data of more than 4GB you can format it using exFAT.
  • After format, you can assign a drive letter to your SD card so that it will be easy to access.

If you are aware of the causes behind the SD card not initializing error, you can take precautions to keep your data safe at all times. Here are some common causes of this error:

Common Reasons Behind SD Card Not Initialized Error

Incompatible File Format: The SD card's file system and the device's filesystem might be incompatible.

Outdated or Incompatible Drivers: Outdated or incompatible drivers on the device may prevent the system from recognizing and initializing the SD card.

Improper Ejection: Removing the SD card from a device without properly ejecting it can cause data corruption in SD cards and lead to initialization errors while inserting on a device.

Physical Damage or Wear and Tear: A physically damaged SD card, such as a bent connector or scratches, cannot be initialized.

Storage Capacity Limit: The device may not support SD cards with higher storage capacities, causing initialization errors when you connect the SD card.

Conclusion:

we hope this article will help you in initializing your SD card if you have any queries about how to initialize your SD card please feel free to comment below. In case if you have lost your photos or files in this procedure you can make use of Remo Recover 

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Initialize SD card on Mac?

Initialize your Mac SD Card through Disk Utility 
To make your SD Card Initialize on Mac. Follow the below-given steps.
Go to Find and click on the Application folder.
Then go to Utilities select Disk Utility 
Choose your SD card and click on Erase
A dialog box will appear name your SD card and select the Format option
Your SD card will be Initialized once the process is done.

What does it mean to initialize an SD card?

Initializing an SD card means it clears the file allocation table but does not physically erase the stored data, or complete data if you want to completely erase the data you have to fully initialize the SD card.

Do I need to initialize an SD card?

You can initialize an SD card when it is necessary to initialize for example if you have taken a new memory card you can initialize the SD card to start it afresh do not initialize your SD card when there is important data stored in your SD card because you will lose your data by initializing.

About the Author: John Harris

With a decade of experience in data recovery, John Harris, Senior Editor at Remo Software, is your go-to specialist. His focus includes partition management, Windows solutions, and data troubleshooting, delivering insightful content that serves both users and search engines. John's expertise shines through in illuminating blog posts, untangling data loss intricacies across diverse storage platforms.…