How to Format a SandDisk on My Mac

By C. Taylor

USB memory sticks are formatted like internal hard drives.

Sandisk produces several different types of removable storage devices, including flash drives and memory cards. Flash drivers offer convenient portable storage, while memory cards are frequently used for peripheral devices, such as digital cameras. Although it is recommended to format memory cards using the host device, you can format Sandisk memory cards or flash drivers using your Mac computer.

Step 1

Insert the Sandisk memory card into your card reader and plug the reader into an available USB port. If formatting a USB flash drive, insert the flash drive into an available USB port. The card or flash drive is automatically recognized.

Step 2

Double-click the "Macintosh HD" icon.

Step 3

Click "Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility."

Step 4

Click the Sandisk card or flash drive in the left-hand panel. If you cannot identify the drive by name, look at the listed capacity to help isolate the appropriate drive.

Step 5

Click the "Erase" tab and select "MS-DOS file system" under "Volume Format." Click "Erase" to format the Sandisk device.

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