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Roku Ultra 4, can't format new microSD card

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When I insert a brand-new 32GB SDHC microSD card (smallest memory size available at my local computer shop) into the slot on my new Roku 4 Ultra, it recognizes the card, prompts me to format, and then times out at 10%. Then it displays the message "Unable to format your microSD card for use with this Roku player." Card works fine on other device. Any troubleshooting suggestions?

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RokuTannerD
Retired Moderator

Re: Roku Ultra 4, can't format new microSD card

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Have you tried reformatting the card in another device, then reinserting it into your Roku again and seeing if it is able to successfully reformat the card? If that isn't working, I'd recommend trying a card from a different manufacturer. Many options are available online via Amazon, etc. 

If you're in the US, we also offer them on our accessories page here: https://www.roku.com/products/accessories/player


Cheers,
Tanner

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Roku Ultra 4, can't format new microSD card

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Just a comment to everyone. The only thing an SD card does on the Roku players that have the slot is expand the storage space for channel storage. It is not used by the Roku in any way to improve performance. It will only let unused channels load faster, as Roku will offload a little used channel to instead store the more commonly used channels. It makes a small difference in the time it takes to load that channel, but once it's loaded there's no additional benefit to using a card.

Also, regardless of the size of card you use, the Roku will only use about 2GB of space. So installing a 32GB card is just wasting the capacity of the card. 

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

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32 REPLIES 32
RokuTannerD
Retired Moderator

Re: Roku Ultra 4, can't format new microSD card

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Have you tried reformatting the card in another device, then reinserting it into your Roku again and seeing if it is able to successfully reformat the card? If that isn't working, I'd recommend trying a card from a different manufacturer. Many options are available online via Amazon, etc. 

If you're in the US, we also offer them on our accessories page here: https://www.roku.com/products/accessories/player


Cheers,
Tanner
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jeffrok
Roku Guru

Re: Roku Ultra 4, can't format new microSD card

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"SullyStream" wrote:
When I insert a brand-new 32GB SDHC microSD card (smallest memory size available at my local computer shop) into the slot on my new Roku 4 Ultra, it recognizes the card, prompts me to format, and then times out at 10%. Then it displays the message "Unable to format your microSD card for use with this Roku player." Card works fine on other device. Any troubleshooting suggestions?



Roku devices are VERY picky as to which cards work with them.



Btw, are you speaking of a Roku 4, or a Roku Ultra? There's no such device called a Roku 4 Ultra.

Yeah, I got some Rokus.
https://youtu.be/d1CSEeqWl10
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Chicken
Roku Guru

Re: Roku Ultra 4, can't format new microSD card

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Not just Roku in particular but it's common for devices to reject certain SD cards.  Check your documentation for approved and tested cards, I've had good compatibility results with Sandisk SD cards in general but I haven't tested one specifically with a Roku.
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Kturbert
Reel Rookie

Re: Roku Ultra , can't format new microSD card

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I got a microSD card to be recognized by my roku ultra, I formatted it on my windows 10 pc at a slow format took it out put in my roku ultra and it was instantly recognized asked me to format the memory card within 2-3 minutes I was good to go!

Kturbert
Reel Rookie

Re: Roku Ultra , can't format new microSD card

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This is the MicroSD card I used 

Roll over image to zoom in
 
 
SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC UHS-I card with Adapter - 98MB/s U1 A1 - SDSQUAR-032G-GN6MA
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rg28170
Newbie

Re: Roku Ultra , can't format new microSD card

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What formatting beyond slow did you use? I've tried multiple brands and nothing works.  Yet I get reminders from Roku to use an SD card for channels.  

dlfetters48
Channel Surfer

Re: Roku Ultra , can't format new microSD card

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This works; I had the same problem, and then I tried to re-format my microSD card, I unchecked fast format and chose default settings. My Win10 PC formatted the card, slowly but surely, and my Roku Ultra was then able to format my microSD card and then make use of it. 

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Re: Roku Ultra 4, can't format new microSD card

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I had also bought the same microSD card as Kturbert (SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC UHS-I card with Adapter - 98MB/s U1 A1 - SDSQUAR-032G-GN6MA) and when I disconnected power from the Roku Ultra and put in microSD card and then booted up... it did not recognize the memory.

After reading other posts here, I decided to do the slow format option mentioned above, since I had a card reader that could accept the microSD card via its included adapter. I formatted it as FAT32 with "default" allocation size. It took a while (maybe almost an hour?). After it was done, I did the same procedure above and still, the Roku Ultra did not see it when I booted it up.

It then dawned on me to try and put the microSD card in AFTER the Roku Ultra was fully booted up. THEN... it finally did see it and gave me the format screen and was able to complete the format procedure... after it was done, 1.7 GB was already used on it (quite a bit, considering the Roku Ultra supposedly only comes with 2 GB itself).

So, why doesn't it say ANYWHERE in the documentation that you need to put the microSD card in the unit AFTER it is fully booted up? That's a pretty big oversight. I'm used to putting memory cards, like these, into a smartphone/device ONLY after it is powered down. This is the first time I've ever done it when everything is powered up (yes, I inserted it into my computer's card reader when the computer was booted up to format it... but that was putting it into a USB driven connection. I'm more used to putting these in smartphones and you usually do that when they are powered down, so I assumed the Roku Ultra was more similar to that situation).

Again, just really surprised the procedure is not mentioned ANYWHERE of how to do all this. I thought I had a non-compatible microSD card... but that was not true. I just needed to know the right procedure. In the end, I'm not sure I had to do a "slow" format for it to work... maybe it would have worked otherwise... but at least the slow (i.e. not "fast") format and inserting the microSD card into the Roku Ultra after it was fully booted... worked.

It would be really easy to add such instructions in the Roku Ultra manual... like, "If you want to add a microSD card to the device, just make sure the Roku Ultra is fully booted before inserting the microSD card. If you have any problems with the Roku Ultra formatting the microSD card, you may need to remove it and do a slow (i.e. not "fast") format of the card via your computer. In Microsoft Windows, be sure to select FAT32 and select it to use the default allocation size. This formatting process will require a card reader that can either read a microSD card directly or one that can use an adapter to read a microSD card." There... something like that. A few sentences that would have saved me a LOT of frustration.

Also, if the documentation would let us know if there are any lower or upper limits to the size of microSD card it will accept... or any upper or lower speed requirements... or generation/types it would accept... or any other information to let us know what the Roku Ultra will or won't accept as the microSD card. For example, when looking at microSD cards to buy, being presented with cards that were 128 GB or 512 GB left me to wonder if the device would even recognize those or not. Or if the cards had very fast upload and download speeds, if that would potentially help or end up being a problem (e.g. not compatible somehow). Also, some idea of what target size to get would have been nice as well. I didn't want to get something way too big or way too small either. So, some examples of how much memory would be needed for different situations would have been nice too. As for me, the 32 GB card was around $10 and I didn't want to spend more than that for this purpose. So, basically it was the "top of the bell curve" for size vs. price.

ghstahl
Newbie

Re: Roku Ultra 4, can't format new microSD card

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I just bought this on amazon.

Roku 3

[SanDisk Ultra 32GB MicroSDHC UHS-I Card with Adapter - 98MB/s U1 A1 - SDSQUAR-032G-GN6MA]

Slow formatted on Windows 10, fat32 default.

No scenario of how I added the microSD worked for me. Pre bootup, post bootup makes no difference.  It just doesn't get recognized.

Ugh.

Maybe its my roku, because it tends to just randomly reboot when I unplug the hdmi.  For sure it will reboot when I unplug the HDMI and remove the microSD.

My loyalty was strong now it is going to make me look for alternatives when I finally get a 4K tv.

I have 2 Roku 3's, and it doesn't work in either one of them.

It was hard but I did find an old 8 gig class4 and I will see if that one works.