Formatting micro-sd cards...

[Gazea2]

Right, so I plugged in my micro-sd card reader and it broke so I had to use the backup one. I made a backup of my files first as this one requires you to format your card before you can use it. I copied my files off and then hit format. An error came up saying "Windows cannot complete format". I have also tried other various methods including using this program and going into disk management and formatting it manually. I've run out of ideas and it still isn't formatted. Any help? *Looks at Serge*

[HurricaneAndrew]

Doesn't formatting the memory card erase all the data?

I had a jump drive that did this and it kept saying that formatting it would erase everything.

[Gazea2]

I already backed everything up so erasing the data doesn't matter.

[HurricaneAndrew]

Must be a different problem, because it wouldn't let me backup anything. I couldn't even open the jump drive.

[Serge]

TBH, I have no clue. Maybe the card / reader is just dodgy?

[g2geo94]

Ahh, the wonders of the Card Readers and their relationships with Windows...
On most occasions, you're able to just unplug/replug the card in slightly different ways (like not all the way in, for example), and some weird combination of that will somehow fix the need of formatting, however there also is the rare occasion where an actual format into vFAT32 is necessary.
When this happens, your best bet is GParted Live. It's a free utility you download and boot your computer from that allows the formatting/reformatting of any drives in your computer (including SD/microSD cards) I must warn you that this is tricky to do, to say the least. If you've extensively tried the first option, and you know for a fact that it's hopeless, just send me a pm, and I'll help you through with GParted.

[nightcracker]

Format it using this tool: http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/HP-USB-Disk-Storage-Format-Tool.shtml (not sure if you trust this link, just google HP Format Tool and find a source you trust)

And if that's not working bring the real guns with a GParted liveCD.

[Gazea2]

I managed to fix it. It turns out that the micro-sd card reader that I was using works on every micro-sd card... EXCEPT for the one that I have! I've got a new one...