SD Memory Card Formatter formats SD memory cards, SDHC memory cards, and SDXC memory cards with either a quick format or an overwrite format to make the data unrecoverable.

SD Memory Card Formatter requires installation, and no portable version is available. The interface is as uncluttered and simple to use as the Windows format, so it is accessible even for a novice user. One advantage that we will cover more in a bit is that it detects your memory card, eliminating the possibility of formatting the wrong drive. There are File and Help menus at the top, but not much. A user manual is available online under "Help, User manual."

Once you insert a card, it should be auto-detected. However, we couldn't get it to detect a card already plugged in when we started the app. We used an old Geek Squad 15GB thumb drive for our tests, and it detected it as soon as we plugged it in. If you insert a card and it's not detected, you can find a refresh button. If your memory card is undetected, it most likely isn't supported. It gives you a few information bits that include the type, capacity, formatting options, and volume label. You can choose from a quick format or overwrite format, and you can rename the drive under Volume Label.

We tested the overwrite format first, which deletes file and directory entries by initializing file system parameters and overwrites your data entirely, making it unrecoverable. There's a progress bar, but nothing that shows elapsed time. You can cancel, but typically, forget that idea once you begin a format. Of course, secure deleting takes time, and on the first try, it took us exactly 20 minutes. If you have a larger drive, plan on going to lunch.

The quick format will be much faster. Again, testing with a 15GB card took three seconds to format.

Once completed, you are given a summary that includes the file system, capacity, free space, cluster size, and volume label. You can see this in the last screenshot below. Essentially, it's confirmation that everything is formatted as you wanted.

SD Memory Card Formatter is an excellent choice for someone who wants to format their memory cards but is afraid of erasing the wrong drive. That said, both novice and advanced users will appreciate the ability to make all files and folders unrecoverable, something that requires a third-party app.

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