Select your product to confirm this information applies to you
Formatting a Micro/SD Card for a Marine Device
A micro/SD card may need to be formatted before it can be used with a Garmin® marine device.
NOTES:
• Chartplotters and fishfinders will not connect to a computer. When formatting from a computer the microSD / SD card must be removed from the chartplotter and inserted into a separate card reader.
• The use of a new micro/SD memory card is recommended. Formatting a micro/SD memory card that has existing files on it, such as user data or preprogrammed charts, will permanently erase that data.
Formatting a micro/SD Card on a Windows Computer
- Insert the SD card into the appropriate port on a computer, or use an SD card reader.
- Press the Windows key + E.
- On Windows 10, select This PC.
- Locate the drive representing the SD card.
With card inserted:
Without card inserted:
- Right-click the SD card drive. The drive letter pictured is an example; the SD card may be assigned a different drive letter.
- Select Format.
- Verify File System is FAT, FAT32, or exFAT.
- Select the FAT, FAT32, or exFAT format. A 2 GB or less card can be formatted in FAT or FAT32. Cards larger than 2 GB should be formatted in FAT32. Cards larger than 32GB should be formatted in exFAT.
- Select the FAT, FAT32, or exFAT format. A 2 GB or less card can be formatted in FAT or FAT32. Cards larger than 2 GB should be formatted in FAT32. Cards larger than 32GB should be formatted in exFAT.
- Change Allocation unit size to Default allocation size.
- Check that Quick Format is selected.
- 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.
Formatting a micro/SD Card on a Mac OS X Computer
- Insert the SD card into the appropriate port on a computer, or use an SD card reader.
- Open Spotlight by selecting the
search icon in the upper right corner of the screen, or by ⌘ CMD + SPACE on the keyboard. - Select Spotlight Search and type "disk utility" without the quotation marks.
- Press Enter or Return on the keyboard.
- In Disk Utility, select the parent icon for the SD card in the sidebar on the left. The parent icon is the one that is not indented.
- Note: This step is not necessary on macOS 10.12 and newer versions.
- Select Erase on the right.
- In the Format drop-down menu, select MS-DOS (FAT).
- Select Erase.
The SD card will now be formatted and readable by a Garmin device. 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.
Re-Formatting an ActiveCaptain® app Card From a Chartplotter
Formatting an ActiveCaptain® app card deletes all files on the card. Chartplotters at software version 36.00 or after have added support for formatting an ActiveCaptain® app card from the within the settings of the ActiveCaptain® app screen on the chartplotter. To format an ActiveCaptain® app card with the ActiveCaptain® app card already existing in the unit:
Select Home or 
/ > Vessel > 
> … options or Menu > Format Card
The message, “Rebooting the system to format the ActiveCaptain card” will appear and the unit(s) will power down and back up. All files on the card are deleted.
For systems with chartplotters running older software versions networked to charplotters with a compatible software version the steps can only be performed if the ActiveCaptain card is in the chartplotter, or USB card reader connected to the chartplotter, with the compatible software version.
If there is no option to Format Card from the ActiveCaptain screen of the Garmin device then the micro / SD card will need to be formatted from the computer.
How to Check Compatibility of a Chartplotter
1. Access the software version from the chartplotter to see if the chartplotter is running software version 36.00 or beyond
- Select Home > Settings > System > System Information > Software Information
2. Compare to the listed available software versions on our website: Garmin Marine Software Versions select Download Updates Manually and See All Devices In This Bundle to compare
Some devices, like ECHOMAP™ chartplotters, only have a single microSD card slot. For those devices, the preloaded map card can be used as the ActiveCaptain® Card but should not be formatted when the ActiveCaptain® card is created.
Creating a Preloaded Map Card as the ActiveCaptain® app Card
When using a preloaded map card as the ActiveCaptain Card do not select the format option. For the best user experience, this preloaded map can be re-downloaded to a bigger SD Card to provide more space for content transferred from the ActiveCaptain® mobile app.
- It is recommended to use a micro/SD card at least 32GB in size New exFAT Support on Garmin Marine Chartplotters and a class 10 card or faster null
- Register the preloaded map card through either ActiveCaptain® mobile app or Garmin Express™ computer application : Registering Garmin Marine Devices and Charts and Activating the Subscription on a New Garmin Navionics+ Card, Garmin Navionics Vision+ Card or Garmin Navionics+™ built-in Subscription Chart
- Re-download the preloaded map to the larger sized micro/SD Card : Downloading Marine Charts to a Chartplotter with Garmin Express™
Insert the larger-sized micro/SD Card into the chartplotter and follow the steps to set it as the ActiveCaptain Card; Creating an ActiveCaptain Card. IMPORTANT: Do not select the format card option when creating the ActiveCaptain card
If an error message occurs during the formatting process or formatting the SD card fails to resolve the issue, try another SD card.