You may find that problems with the SD card are a frustrating part of owning a dash cam. If you see an error that says the dash cam doesn’t recognize your SD card, it means that the SD card isn’t properly formatted. You must be able to properly format an SD card to ensure that you are able to use the full breadth of your dash cam’s features.
There are three different ways to format an SD card depending on the type of system you have. Let’s review those methods now.
Format an SD Card on the Dash Cam
This step should be fairly straightforward, although it changes depending on the dash cam you own. In general, this is what the steps might look like:
- Turn on the dash cam.
- Turn off the recording feature. Usually, this involves pushing a button with a red circle.
- Open settings. Usually, this is a button with a gear.
- Look for a button that says “Format.”
- Follow the instructions on the screen.
Your specific dash cam should include instructions on how to format SD cards. Check the manual it came with, or if you need further assistance, reach out to support with the dash cam company.
Format an SD Card on a Windows Computer
This method is a bit more generalized so that you can follow the steps more exactly. Keep in mind that as Windows updates, these steps might change slightly.
- Plug the SD card into your computer’s SD card port.
- Wait for the drive to appear. When it does, right click on the drive.
- Select “Format.”
- Select FAT32 or exFAT as your file system, then select “Perform a quick format.”
- Then click “OK.”
Format an SD Card on a Mac Computer
Formatting an SD card on a Mac computer is a bit trickier because you need a third-party program. You’ll also need an SD card adapter if your computer does not have an SD card slot.
- Plug in the SD card, either to the SD card port or to your adapter.
- You’ll need to download, unzip, and install an SD card formatting program.
- Make sure you select “Overwrite Format” instead of “Quick Format.”
Use Your Dash Cam Footage to Its Fullest Advantage
Dashcam footage is useful in all kinds of ways, and you may not have thought of all of them yet. Let’s break it down.
- Protection in the event of a crash: Dash cams can prove your drivers innocent if a crash happens due to another driver’s negligence or even in cases of attempted insurance fraud.
- Insurance discounts: You can use dash cam footage to prove consistent safe driving habits. Insurance providers love to see this, and may provide a discount!
- Training: Dash cam footage can be used to contextualize training concepts. Bringing real-life examples into the classroom does wonders for lesson retention.
- Coaching: When an unsafe event occurs, you can show your driver the exact incident you’re concerned about, showing what went wrong and what you would like to change.
Azuga’s AI safety cam uses AI to help you obtain the footage and data you need to achieve all of this and more. Learn more about what we can accomplish together by scheduling a demo with us today!
