- 1). Insert the SD card into your card reader and allow it to be recognized and mounted by Ubuntu.
- 2). Click the "Applications" menu at the top of the screen, then click "Accessories" and "Terminal" to open the command prompt.
- 3). Type "df" and press "Enter." This displays a list of every storage device currently in use by the computer. Locate the device name of your SD card. It will be similar to "/dev/sdb1."
- 4). Type "umount" followed by the device name that you found in Step 1. For example, the completed command might be "umount /dev/sdb1." Press "Enter" after typing the command. This command unmounts the SD card from the system.
- 5). Type "mkdosfs -F 32 -v (device name)" and press "Enter." For example, the completed command might be "mkdosfs -F 32 -v /dev/sdb1." The "-F 32" portion of the command formats the SD card using the FAT32 file system. Leave this part out if you would rather format the card using FAT16. The "-v" portion of the command gives a verbose (full) summary of the operation.
- 6). Remove and reconnect the SD card to remount it when the operation is complete.