1. Place the SD card into the SD card slot in the device
For devices that connect to the computer in MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) mode, a separate memory card reader must be used. An MTP device will show an orange computer connection icon on the screen while it is plugged into a computer.
2. Connect your device to the computer with a USB cable
If your device is not recognized by the computer, see the FAQ Automotive Device Not Detected by Garmin Express on a Windows Computer.
3. Press the Windows key + E
4. If using Windows 10 or newer, click This PC
5. Locate the drive representing the SD card
To determine which drive is the SD card, remove the SD card from the device and observe which drive disappears from the list. Insert the SD card again to continue.
If the SD card is not recognized here, see the FAQ SD Card Not Detected or Recognized by Garmin Express.
With Card Inserted
Without Card Inserted
6. Right-click on the SD card drive. The drive letter pictured is an example; the memory card may be assigned a different drive letter.
7. Select Format
8. Verify File System is FAT or FAT32
Format the microSD/SD card to the FAT or FAT32 format. A 2 GB or less card can be formatted in FAT or FAT32. Cards larger than 2 GB should be formatted in FAT32.
If an option is not given to format the card in FAT32, it is recommended to switch to another SD card no larger than 32 GB. Cards larger than 32 GB (for video recording) are typically formatted in exFAT.
9. Change Allocation unit size to Default allocation size
10. Ensure Quick Format is checked
11. Select Start
If at any point during the format process an error is received or formatting the SD card fails to resolve the issue, try a different SD card. These steps will format the microSD/SD card to be readable by the Garmin device.
search icon in the upper right corner of the screen, or by ⌘ CMD + SPACE on the keyboard
