Develop Bugs

What filesystem should I format my 32GB microsd card to?

So I got a great deal on a class 10 32GB Samsung card, it came pre-formatted to fat32, however I had the wild idea that android supported NTFS based on something I read in the past so I formatted it to NTFS on a windows system and copied some files over (some being over 5GB each)...plugged in my card and turned on my phone and I get a message saying my card is blank or the wrong file format...guess it doesn't support NTFS
I know if I use the phones built in format utility it will format to fat32 which I don't really want because of the filesize limitation, I'd like to be able to copy 8-10GB files every so often so I can use my phone as a little shuttle drive in between places...
But I also want the ability for windows to be able to read my sd card if I change my phone into USB mode so I think that excludes the ext3, ext4 format which I think android will read...
Any ideas?

Won't happen search and you will find threads on this before
You will also find a Q&A section that this belongs in
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

There's an app in the market that will mount any file formatted sdcard in the device I but I haven't used it out remember the name but you can check it and yes this belongs in Q&A but The way you format is fat 32
Touched by an Epic 4G w/Cm9 & Fueled by the NY Giants 2012

Got that Newegg deal as well! Can't wait for it to arrive. Interested in the answer as well as I hope to put some high quality movies there.
Sent from my badass Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

So I found an ntfs app in the market that'll mount ntfs at startup but I gotta root for it work. Guess I now have a reason to root
Oh but it says it was made for the galaxy tab...but it opens fine on my s ii
Sent from my SPH-D710 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

btw where is the Q&A section i should be looking for? xda has gotten so huge i'm lost at least i can find the e4gt forum
maybe i should change the title of my thread to what filesystems can i format my sd card to that my phone will read?

if you use windows, fat32 is the way to go so then you can connect the phone to computer and still can access the files

t0mmyr said:
btw where is the Q&A section i should be looking for? xda has gotten so huge i'm lost at least i can find the e4gt forum
maybe i should change the title of my thread to what filesystems can i format my sd card to that my phone will read?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a Q&A section right under general in the epic touch
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

charles98 said:
if you use windows, fat32 is the way to go so then you can connect the phone to computer and still can access the files
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason the op doesn't want fat32 is because he has single files that exceeds 4 GB that he wants to transfer, so fat32 would not work for him.

im0rtalz said:
The reason the op doesn't want fat32 is because he has single files that exceeds 4 GB that he wants to transfer, so fat32 would not work for him.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe drive mount in market but lots of bad reviews....May work don't know
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

Windows also recognized NTFS by the way.

out of curiosity, does anyone know if any custom roms support ntfs sd cards nativey?

t0mmyr said:
out of curiosity, does anyone know if any custom roms support ntfs sd cards nativey?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None because Android does not.....
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

format it ext3/4 and then install an ftp server app on your phone.

There is an app that works fine
I have exactly the same problem. I want to have the sdcard in NTFS so then I do not have the 4GB limitation of FAT32. The is possible to have .mkv files on your phone or tablet.
In the case of my table the N8010, I have formatted the sd card on Windows with NTFS. Then installed the "paragon" app from market which works very good. It recognized the sd card in NTFS and mount perfectly. But it seems that when your card is overloaded with thounsands of files and some big 6GB file, then comes the problem. Android JB everytime that comes out of sleep, it will check for errors the sd card. Everytime! Then, I get the message "sd card checking for errors" and never gets back. The sd card is not recognized anymore until I reboot the device.
I think that the paragon app is not perfect and might have bugs, but
Is there any way to disable the "sd card check for error" functionality? Have read some threads about it, to delete some file from system, but that method produces inconsistencies with other apps.
By the way, I have tried to format on ExFat, and had the same problem. When the card is almost full it will never end up checking for errors. I finally broke the sd card when I formated it with ExFat and 64k allocation size. It was not regoznized neither by windows and android afterwards
thanks

cla20000 said:
By the way, I have tried to format on ExFat, and had the same problem. When the card is almost full it will never end up checking for errors. I finally broke the sd card when I formated it with ExFat and 64k allocation size. It was not regoznized neither by windows and android afterwards
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you broke it unless you fried the flash chips. You can try using the disk manager in windows and try to see if it sees it. Or just learn how to use Linux command line tools and fix it that way. I recovered 80% of my pictures off of a dead SD card using dd and a file recovery utility. I don't recall which one. That 16GB SD card now works just fine as a 12GB card. I don't trust it for any more than shuttling between systems though.
Also, I've never had good luck with exFAT. I much prefer the EXT filesystems, but they aren't natively supported in windows or most cameras. Maybe try NTFS without journaling (If that's even possible)

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exfat is proprietary windows and needs licenses. android won't support it.
ntfs is a journaling file system and will impact performance if you can get android to read it.
ext2/3 is the best solution. there are utilities you can install so windows can read it.

calisro said:
exfat is proprietary windows and needs licenses. android won't support it.
ntfs is a journaling file system and will impact performance if you can get android to read it.
ext2/3 is the best solution. there are utilities you can install so windows can read it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ext2Fsd is excellent for Windows 7, I don't know what I'd do without it.
sent from my ET4G on Paranoid Android using XDA Premium HD in hybrid mode

[Q] Wicked V2 exFAT workaround

Since I can't post in the development thread. Does anyone know of a workaround to get exFAT to work on Wicked V2? I have a 64GB card sitting around that I would love to use.

You could try formatting the card in Fat32:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1773735
I believe the ROM you're using will read this format.

ExFAT = Samsung/Microsoft license closed source.
No exFAT ever for anyone other than stock kernels I believe.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

why are people so bent on the exfat format? i mean if it doesnt work, use a different format.
or is there something im missing?

TheAtheistOtaku said:
why are people so bent on the exfat format? i mean if it doesnt work, use a different format.
or is there something im missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The advantages over FAT file systems include:
For the typical user, seamless interoperability between Windows and OS X platforms for files in excess of 4 GiB. NOTE: Windows XP may require Update for Windows XP (KB955704) to manage exFAT formatted drives.
Scalability to large disk sizes: 64 ZiB[nb 2] theoretical max, 512 TiB recommended max, raised from the 32-bit limit (2 TiB for sector size 512) of FAT32 partitions.[10]
File size limit of 16 EiB–1 byte.[nb 1] (limited by volume size), raised from 4 GiB−1 byte in a standard FAT32 filesystem.[2] (The open FAT+[7] specification proposes an extension how to store files up to 256 GB on otherwise backward-compatible FAT32 volumes as well. This extension is available in some versions of DR-DOS.)
Cluster size up to 32 MiB.[2]
Free space allocation and delete performance improved due to introduction of a free space bitmap.
Timestamp granularity of 10 ms (same as in FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 for creation time, but not as fine as NTFS's 100 ns).[1]
Optional support for UTC timestamps (starting with Vista SP2).[11]
Optional support for access control lists (not supported in Windows Vista SP1).[12]
Optional support for TexFAT, a transactional file system standard (optionally WinCE activated function).
Provision for OEM-definable parameters to customize the file system for specific device characteristics.
And in English: None for an average person who has no idea what any of the above means.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

I dont know why people would settle for 30 year old file system on their flagship phone.

TheAtheistOtaku said:
why are people so bent on the exfat format? i mean if it doesnt work, use a different format.
or is there something im missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For one, I want to use a 64 GB SD card which I cannot format to Fat32.
Secondly I want to put MKV files over 4 GB onto my phone.

Ksit001 said:
For one, I want to use a 64 GB SD card which I cannot format to Fat32.
Secondly I want to put MKV files over 4 GB onto my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flamers will never understand. I have the same issue, there are programs you can download to format to fat32 in windows that work fine. I have a samsung 64gb class 10 and had to do the same thing. It works fine.
Besides why are some people so bent on complaining how I use equipment I paid for with my own **** money when I'm not telling them how to use theirs? lol

Ksit001 said:
For one, I want to use a 64 GB SD card which I cannot format to Fat32.
Secondly I want to put MKV files over 4 GB onto my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then use ext4. It should mount and work perfectly on a CM based ROM. That is what my 64gb card is formatted as.

If u searched Wicked's thread for "exfat", you would of found the solution which is to use Matt's kernel for TW roms.
-Sent from my TMO Samsung Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2

I used a program called EaseUs to format to fat32...I use a sandisk 64...Formatted with no problem....

Ksit001 said:
For one, I want to use a 64 GB SD card which I cannot format to Fat32.
Secondly I want to put MKV files over 4 GB onto my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can use a Mac, I believe their version of FAT does NOT limit the 4GB file size.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium

RMXO said:
If u searched Wicked's thread for "exfat", you would of found the solution which is to use Matt's kernel for TW roms.
-Sent from my TMO Samsung Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried that and now my computer does not recognize my phone!! Any help??

Ksit001 said:
I tried that and now my computer does not recognize my phone!! Any help??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did u turn on USB debugging in dev options?
-Sent from my TMO Samsung Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2

SBERG117 said:
I used a program called EaseUs to format to fat32...I use a sandisk 64...Formatted with no problem....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the same thing. Did the trick for me. But I have a Samsung 64.

[Q] I just bought a 64GB MicroSD Card but it the S4 won't recognize it?

I just installed:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2305214
Does MicroSD mounting not work? I format it as NTFS. When I go to storage > mount SD card it just says preparing to mount ...

re: 64gb card
ragingazn628 said:
I just installed:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2305214
Does MicroSD mounting not work? I format it as NTFS. When I go to storage > mount SD card it just says preparing to mount ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remove the card and plug it into the converter and plug that into your computer or card
reader then re-format using FAT32 ONLY then put it back in your phone and then your 64gb
sdcard shall work!

Misterjunky said:
Remove the card and plug it into the converter and plug that into your computer or card
reader then re-format using FAT32 ONLY then put it back in your phone and then your 64gb
sdcard shall work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it only gives me exFAT and NTFS

ragingazn628 said:
it only gives me exFAT and NTFS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use the Windows drive manager to delete the partition on the MicroSD, do not reformat it with windows, plug it into the phone, and attempt to mount, it should do so but with 0 space now. Format it with the phone. Or look for the tool "fat32format" on the internet (Google is your friend) in order to force a format in FAT32.

ragingazn628 said:
it only gives me exFAT and NTFS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exFAT

Maybe this will help: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2041679

ragingazn628 said:
it only gives me exFAT and NTFS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then try exFAT but if you have a windows computer, the default is FAT32.
If that don't work you will need to find a friend or relative who has
a windows computer which you can use to format the card using FAT32.

thanks for the help guys, got it to work now. Can I install apps on the microsd?

re: install to external sd
ragingazn628 said:
thanks for the help guys, got it to work now. Can I install apps on the microsd?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope, you cannot install apps on external sd on the s4 yet.
even the apps2sd is not compatible with the S4.

Misterjunky said:
nope, you cannot install apps on external sd on the s4 yet.
even the apps2sd is not compatible with the S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I put MP3s on external SD?

ragingazn628 said:
Can I put MP3s on external SD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anything but the applications installed themselves. You can store whatever you want on your SD, no limits, just no APPS2SD yet.

re: external sd
ragingazn628 said:
Can I put MP3s on external SD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can have all your mp3's, videos, movies, pictures and documents plus backups of the rom and new roms or other
stuff but you just cannot use it to install apps until one of the devs finds a way to create a compatible app which will allow
for app installation on external sd.
Something similar to the apps2sd app which is not compatible with the S4.
Perhaps the developer of that app will upgrade it making it compatible with our phones.

Misterjunky said:
Then try exFAT but if you have a windows computer, the default is FAT32.
If that don't work you will need to find a friend or relative who has
a windows computer which you can use to format the card using FAT32.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't actually true after a certain version of windows i think since vista(May be wrong) exFat is the only option you get.

re: exFAT
mike105217 said:
This isn't actually true after a certain version of windows i think since vista(May be wrong) exFat is the only option you get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google it and look it up,
Ever since windows xp fat32 was always the default when formatting usb flash drives(memory sticks) and sdcards.
Right now I am running windows 8 but I ran all the other prior versions of windows including windows xp.
When formatting hard drives, even external usb hard drives then windows (all versions) default to NTFS.
I never seen any versions of windows operating systems defaulting to exFAT.

Misterjunky said:
Google it and look it up,
Ever since windows xp fat32 was always the default when formatting usb flash drives(memory sticks) and sdcards.
Right now I am running windows 8 but I ran all the other prior versions of windows including windows xp.
When formatting hard drives, even external usb hard drives then windows (all versions) default to NTFS.
I never seen any versions of windows operating systems defaulting to exFAT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your right actually I got confused its actually partition space anything over 32Gb is out of a normal fat range for windows.

1) Make a LiveUSB stick of Ubuntu.
2) Boot into the USB stick.
3) Use GParted to format to Fat32.

blackknightavalon said:
1) Make a LiveUSB stick of Ubuntu.
2) Boot into the USB stick.
3) Use GParted to format to Fat32.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or you could search for 1 of the thousand formatting utilities that will do it and not have to download a 2gb file.

Do you know if due to the size of the memory card the phone takes a lot more time to load stuff??? I do not want to buy a 64gb if it will slow my phone a lot. If that's the case i may have to buy a 32gb card. Please tell me your input on this.

tones160 said:
Do you know if due to the size of the memory card the phone takes a lot more time to load stuff??? I do not want to buy a 64gb if it will slow my phone a lot. If that's the case i may have to buy a 32gb card. Please tell me your input on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What slowdown? My phone boots and loads VERY fast.

blackknightavalon said:
What slowdown? My phone boots and loads VERY fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well not in that sense but let's say if you would like to play a video or a song you have saved in your 64GB card. Does it still play it right away or have you experienced any slow downs? Someone who i know that works closely with phones informed me that it slows down the phone when loading files such as mp3 files or video files. Thanks dude.

Sdcard formated on ntsf dont work

Hello,
There is anyone with sdcard with 32GB classe 10 formated on ntsf working?
Thanks
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Or any sdcard on ntfs filesystems working?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Has to be fat32 android doesn't use NTFS format as far as I'm aware.
Sent from my Htc Hd2 using XDA Premium HD app

Ok. Thanks
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Yes and No -- NTFS
Yep, I'm having the same trouble with my 64GB NTFS sd card with this G-Pad. On the other hand, I can assure you that NTFS formatted cards will work with Android. I've been using my 64-GB NTFS sdCard in my Sasmung Tab 3 8" for the last 4 months with no problem (CM11 4.4.2 the entire time). The card became corrupted a couple months back and I chose to reformat in NTFS and it hasn't had a single problem until I just bought his G Pad. I can reformat it - I just need to find out which way is the best.

b3aucb said:
Yep, I'm having the same trouble with my 64GB NTFS sd card with this G-Pad. On the other hand, I can assure you that NTFS formatted cards will work with Android. I've been using my 64-GB NTFS sdCard in my Sasmung Tab 3 8" for the last 4 months with no problem (CM11 4.4.2 the entire time). The card became corrupted a couple months back and I chose to reformat in NTFS and it hasn't had a single problem until I just bought his G Pad. I can reformat it - I just need to find out which way is the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like you said, you used CM, which has root and drivers to read NTFS cards. In G Pad, you have three options: install CM, root G Pad or format in exfat.

NTFS - exFAT
I have the same problem NTFS or exFAT do not work: (I have slimkat Rom 4.4.2 but unfortunately, one form of which we are going sou Fat16 Fat32: (
Edit : helped change the kernal?

NTFS is not enabled in the kernel for the GPad gpe, and so probably not in the other versions either. There is limited support by default in the kernels for NTFS, allowing only read, and not write access, and limited file sizes as well. Therefore no point in enabled it for our device without adding code to the kernel.
The 64 gig Sandisk card has issues with exfat. Google to find out why, or search in these threads to learn more. Fat32 works fine on every card and should be your go-to default partition type.
There are kernels associated with different Roms or devices which support NTFS.

Ditched NTFS for exFAT
boy_pt said:
Like you said, you used CM, which has root and drivers to read NTFS cards. In G Pad, you have three options: install CM, root G Pad or format in exfat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh. I gotcha. I temporarily dumped 40GB of SD contents onto my PC, reformatted the card as exFAT, and the stock G Pad picked up my 64GB Samsung SD perfectly. Thanks.

Paragon exFAT, NTFS & HFS+

Has anyone tried Paragon exFAT, NTFS & HFS+ on a stock (but rooted) V500 ?
I'm trying to get it to work in order to store a numer of 5 Gb files on the SD card.
Paragon says the HFS+ card is mounted but the size is not correct.
I can store small files but it the 32Gb card seems to have only ±200 Mb in ES file explorer.
Formatting it again in paragon in either HFS or NTSF seems to make no difference.

Not sure why you need this. You should be able to format the card with exFat directly in Windows and use on the G Pad. I have a few cards, all in exFat format with several large movies on them (5GB+). All working fine with no need for 3rd party app.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

cbb77 said:
You should be able to format the card with exFat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that worked fine :good:
I wasn't aware of exfat solving the file size issue; I normally use a mac so exfat wasn't first thing on my mind.

Correction, 'that enables to display a different screen at one device.

Lucien2 said:
Correction, 'that enables to display a different screen at one device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What?

not need busybox?
My ROM does not support NTFS or exFAT about .... slimkat ROM android 4.4.2 ...: (
running her Paragon exFAT NTFS & HFS + (.... not need busybox?