# Formatting micro SD card in the car.



## Abrasha Staszewski

I am in the middle of a support issue with Tesla. This is the issue.

When the ability to format my 64GB SanDisk Ultra micro SD card via the Format USB Device button on the screen became available after a software update I did this regularly when the card became full or close to full. That was so much easier than having to delete videos clips one by one.

After a certain later update, I don't remember which one, this is now no longer possible. The USB Format button is still there, but it is greyed out.

Tesla tells me that I must use one of the only two USB drives they recommend in the user manual (page 166). I am sure many other people use different drives or cards than the ones recommended by Tesla.

My question to the group is: What USB drive or card are you using different from the Tesla's recommended ones, and are you able to format it in the car? It would be helpful to be able to present factual feedback to Tesla. Thanks in advance.


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## lance.bailey

kexin 120G external SSD USB 3.0 from amazon

I either formatted it on my linux box or not at all, can't really remember but next time i'm sitting in the car i'll see if the format button is greyed out.

took a look - format is not greyed out.


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## Ed Woodrick

Assume that your drive went foobar, just get another decent name brand one.


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## bitmanEV

> OP; 64GB SanDisk Ultra micro SD card


 seems a "decent name brand" one to me


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## garsh

Ed Woodrick said:


> Assume that your drive went foobar, just get another decent name brand one.


That could be it, or the card reader may have gone bad - I had a reader go bad.

But before giving up on it, I suggest formatting it on your computer and trying again. See if the card reader still works with your computer too.


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## AutopilotFan

It is possible that the SD card has failed. Take it to your computer and try formatting it. I had a SanDisk microSD card fail on me -- it refused to either store data or erase data that it had -- and they replaced it free of charge.


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## SAronian

Abrasha Staszewski said:


> After a certain later update, I don't remember which one, this is now no longer possible. The USB Format button is still there, but it is greyed out.


Make sure only one storage device is connected. I have a sentry flash drive and a second music flash drive and need to disconnect the music drive before the formatting button becomes active.


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## Abrasha Staszewski

SAronian said:


> Make sure only one storage device is connected. I have a sentry flash drive and a second music flash drive and need to disconnect the music drive before the formatting button becomes active.


Only one device is connected. Thank you for your reply. =However, it does not answer my question.


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## Abrasha Staszewski

I have received several responses to my post. However well intentioned none actually responded to my question in the post. This was my question.

What USB drive or card are you using different from the Tesla's recommended ones, and are you able to format it in the car? It would be helpful to be able to present factual feedback to Tesla. Thanks in advance.

Tesla only recommends two USB drives.
From user manual page 166:
SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive
Samsung MUF-64AB/AM FIT Plus – 200MB/s USB 3.1 Flash Drive


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## lance.bailey

@Abrasha Staszewski please read my response above. I answer both questions.


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## SAronian

Abrasha Staszewski said:


> However, it does not answer my question.


Here you go -

256GB SanDisk® High Endurance microSD™ Card

SanDisk MobileMate USB 3.0 Reader

These two have been the most reliable combination I have tried.


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## AutopilotFan

I'm using a Samsung - T5 500GB External USB Type C Portable Solid State Drive. I partitioned it so as to have a large drive for TeslaCam and a smaller drive for storing music in the car. I formatted it exFAT on my computer before putting it in the car.


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## sduck

Sandisk Extreme portable external ssd, 250gb. I just tried formatting it in the car - it apparently formatted ok, but didn't create the TeslaCam folder, so wasn't recognized by the car. Checked it in the computer, it was formatted exfat, named TESLADRIVE. I added the TeslaCam folder, it works now. That was with 2020.40.3 installed, just got 40.4, I might try it again, see if it works this time.


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## SkagitDoug

Abrasha Staszewski said:


> Tesla tells me that I must use one of the only two USB drives they recommend in the user manual (page 166). I am sure many other people use different drives or cards than the ones recommended by Tesla.
> 
> My question to the group is: What USB drive or card are you using different from the Tesla's recommended ones, and are you able to format it in the car? It would be helpful to be able to present factual feedback to Tesla. Thanks in advance.


 Yesterday a Tesla service writer told me the only approved USB drives are Tesla-branded drives. I'm having issues with no Sentry Mode or Dashcam videos being accessible, even when an alert shows on the display.

The service writer told me the only external drives approved were Tesla-branded drives.

I'm now using a 500Gb Samsung T7 external drive, and it was functional until a couple months ago. Now, the absolute only thing I can do from the car is format that drive; nothing else...

My car was built in December 2018, and the service writer told me Tesla didn't market flash drives under their name until 2021 or 2022. Does that mean, if it's true we can only use Tesla-branded flash drives, that limit would be the effect of a software update?

Thanks to anyone and everyone who can enlighten me on my having no access to Sentry Mode and Dashcam video clips.


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## Klaus-rf

The software didn't need to destroy any/all USB drives until after Tesla released their own "branded" USB stick. Now that it does destroy non-Tesla USB sticks, Tesla sells more USB sticks.

Seems like I've read this book before. Interesting business model for sure.


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## SkagitDoug

Klaus-rf said:


> The software didn't need to destroy any/all USB drives until after Tesla released their own "branded" USB stick. Now that it does destroy non-Tesla USB sticks, Tesla sells more USB sticks.
> 
> Seems like I've read this book before. Interesting business model for sure.


Klaus-rf,

When you refer to Tesla destroying USB sticks, I'm guessing you and others are aware of external SSDs being destroyed, too, right?

What are people doing if they care to maintain the ability to have their cars record events, buy a Tesla-braned drive and be happy?

Thanks!


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## Klaus-rf

Not sure I can asnwer your question. No idea if the Tesla USB stick does not have these issues, but I wouldn;t be surprised if their later code was written to ONLY work with a Tesla-branded (firmware) memory device. 

I have been using the same memory card for Snetry and manuakl recording for several years and have ONY had non-descript issues the past two months or so - also when my phone stopped opening/unlocking the car. While it ALWAYS works to start the car once I get in, ALWAYS activated Lock on walk away, but NEVER unlocks he car when I approach. While it worked just fine (before the latest update) for the previous 3.5 years. Is Tesla bringing out a Tesla-branded cell phone?

Personally I've found Sentry to be such an energy suck that it's not worth using. 8 hours of sentry uses 60-80 miles of battery, in my experience.


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## garsh

SkagitDoug said:


> I'm now using a 500Gb Samsung T7 external drive, and it was functional until a couple months ago. Now, the absolute only thing I can do from the car is format that drive; nothing else...


There's a known bug in the 2022.12.* versions of software that causes all USB drives used for dashcam to malfunction sporadically. That in turn can sometimes result in Autopilot not being available, for unknown reasons.


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## SkagitDoug

I think Tesla has won!!!

Formatting the Samsung T7 drive on a PC, _sometimes _works to make the drive recognizable to the car. And, even after having formatted the drive, ancient videos I saved are still there. (Is there a way to get rid of these? Or, are they "securely" stored in the car's memory?)

Now for the fun part - proving the car's neural capabilities - when leave the car and return, the drive is again, inaccessible.

You win, Elon, you win!!!!


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## Klaus-rf

SkagitDoug said:


> Formatting the Samsung T7 drive on a PC, _sometimes _works to make the drive recognizable to the car. And, even after having formatted the drive, ancient videos I saved are still there. (Is there a way to get rid of these? Or, are they "securely" stored in the car's memory?)


 Formatting DOES NOT delete any data - it only overwrites the linked list that says where the data is located.

TO delete the data you will need a disk scrubber - something that writes zeros (0) or random characters to every writable space on the disk or SSD. NOTE SSDs remap writable and readable data space to sections of the memory card that may not be accessible to programs that access by cyl/head/track - it's magic how SSDs work. 

In any case it's impossible to securely erase an SSD. You can overwrite most data, but not all of it.


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