Reformatting the SD card maintains the card for optimal speed and storage capacity. It can also repair any damages in the card's memory. Modern operating systems come with tools for reformatting, but we highly recommend using the official software provided by the SD Association. Reformatting using built-in tools from your operating system may introduce incompatibilties for using the SD card with . Note: Reformatting the SD card erases all data on the card. If you have any photos, scans, or other files on the card that you wish to save, import them into SD Card Formatter or copy them off of the card before reformatting.