How To Fix Steam Deck Error Formatting SD Card? [4 Solutions]

The Steam Deck is a highly anticipated handheld gaming device that promises to bring the power of a PC to a portable console. It’s designed to let gamers play their favorite PC games on the go. However, some users have reported encountering issues with the Steam Deck error formatting SD card when formatting the SD card on their Steam Deck.

This can be a frustrating problem to deal with, as it prevents users from installing games and storing their data on the device. Fortunately, there are several potential solutions to the Steam Deck error formatting SD card, ranging from simple formatting methods to more advanced troubleshooting techniques.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Steam Deck error formatting SD card and provide some tips and tricks for fixing it, so you can get back to gaming on your device without any issues.

Cause of The Steam Deck Error Formatting SD card

There are several possible causes of an error in formatting an SD card on a Steam Deck. Some of the most common causes include:

1. Physical Damage

When the card gets physically damaged, you may face an error. A card may be damaged physically due to various reasons. It may get hurt because you may have dropped it from a height. It may get damaged physically due to overheating. Due to eating, some sectors of the PCB get permanently damaged.

2. Presence of Dust

If dust is present between the card terminal and the reader then you may face an error. This is because dust restricts the connection between the terminal and the reader. When the connection does not get stabilized, you may face an error; This is a prevalent cause of the error.

3. Write Protection

Write protection can be a possible cause of an error when formatting an SD card on a Steam Deck. If the SD card is write-protected, it cannot be formatted, which can result in an error message.

This can be caused by a physical switch on the SD card or a malfunction within the card itself. Disabling write protection can resolve the issue and allow the SD card to be formatted successfully.

How To Fix Steam Deck error formatting SD card

You can take the following measures to fix the error:

1. Clean The Inside

The proper connection between the card terminal and the reader is necessary. The link may become easier to establish if there is no dust between them. When the connection does not establish, an error may occur.

In this case, cleaning the inside of the card is the best practice to free it from dust or other particles. It is necessary because these dust particles can restrict connection stability. Hence clean the card so that connection can be stabilized. Hence, cleaning the card is necessary to fix the error.

2. Reconnect The Card

If you have faced the error, the other way to fix the Error Code 0x87e50033 is to reconnect. Try to reconnect the card and the reader again. You can remove the card to destabilize the connection and then insert it back. This will help to establish a fresh connection between the card terminal and the reader. I hope the link will be stable after this step, and you will face fewer errors.

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3. Format The Card To FAT32

You can fix the error to format the card to FAT32. To format the card to FAT32, use another PC.NTFS will be the best option if you have a big-size memory card, like 256GB. By doing so, the card will enter the Steam Deck in its initiative format.

This will help the inbuilt formatting tool to work correctly. Boot into steam deck desktop mode if you don’t have another PC and use the KDE Partition Manager on Linux by default to format the card.

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4. Format The Card

You can fix the error by simply formatting the card. You can format the card before inputting it in the Steam deck. You can take the following steps to format the card:

  • Insert the card and enter the desktop mode. At the top right corner of the screen, you can click on the microSD card icon.
  • A bar will appear to find and click on the settings option.
  • Scroll down to find and click on the system tab option. Click the format sd card button option here.
  • Please wait for the format to finish. I hope you will not see the error again after the formatting.

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Conclusion

Encountering an error while formatting the SD card on your Steam Deck can be a frustrating experience, but it’s not something that can’t be fixed. With the tips and techniques provided in this article, you should be able to troubleshoot and solve the Steam Deck error formatting SD card in no time.

Remember to try the basic solutions first, such as trying a different SD card or formatting it on a PC, before moving on to more advanced troubleshooting methods. By doing so, you can ensure that your Steam Deck is functioning properly and you can enjoy all the gaming experiences it has to offer.

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