Memory Card Needs Formatting
Garmin Dash Cam
Severity: MinorWhat it means
Garmin showing 'The memory card needs to be formatted' (or 'Format the memory card?') means it found a card but the filesystem on it isn't one it recognises.
Usually that's a brand-new card straight out of the packet, a card formatted on a computer with the wrong settings, or one that's come back from a phone or another camera.
Confirm the format and you're recording again — but everything already on the card gets wiped.
Affected Models
- Garmin Dash Cam 47 / 57 / 67W
- Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2
- Garmin Dash Cam Tandem
- Garmin Dash Cam Live and X-series
Common Causes
- Brand-new card that's never been formatted
- Card formatted as exFAT or NTFS on a PC when the camera wanted FAT32 for that capacity
- Card used in a phone or another device that wrote different filesystem metadata
- Filesystem damaged by pulling the card out while it was recording, or by a power cut mid-write
How to Fix It
-
Save anything you need first.
Once you confirm the format, the card is wiped.
If there are recordings on it you want — an incident clip, saved footage — copy them to a computer before you go any further. -
Let the camera format it.
Choose Yes when prompted, or do it manually under Settings > Camera > Format Card.
Formatting in the camera lays down exactly the filesystem the camera expects — it's the safest way to do it. -
If you must format on a PC, pick the right type.
FAT32 for cards 32 GB and smaller, exFAT for 64 GB and larger.
Even then, put the card back in the camera and let it format once more — that way the folder structure matches what the camera looks for. -
If the prompt keeps returning, replace the card.
If the format-required message comes up every time you power on, the card has bad sectors right where the filesystem lives.
Swap it for a high-endurance microSD that matches your model's supported capacity.