Formatting a 64gb Sandisk memory stick

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bjbyorkshire
bjbyorkshire Posts: 521 Forumite
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in Techie Stuff
Hello, I’ve bought a sandisk memory stick to put my downloaded cd’s onto. If I only want to use it in our car or in a MacBook Air do I still need to format it and how do I do this please. I won’t want to use it in a windows laptop.

I’ve looked online but was a bit confused with fat 32 and other mysterious terms. Can anyone explain in non techie terms please.

Many thanks

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  • lammy82
    lammy82 Posts: 594 Forumite
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    I assume you're referring to a USB memory stick.

    The USB stick may be supplied already formatted. If so, just copy a few songs onto it and test it in your car to make sure it can read it OK.

    If not, you can find instructions for formatting the USB drive here. You should select FAT32 as the format type to maximise the chance of your car being able to read the stick.

    Again, I suggest you only copy a handful of songs on to begin with, until you are sure that the car is going to read it. (When you format the stick, you lose all data).

    You may also find that the car doesn't cope with more than a certain number of songs in total, or needs them arranging into folders etc.
  • bjbyorkshire
    bjbyorkshire Posts: 521 Forumite
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    Thanks for the speedy reply. Yes that’s the one. It does say needs formatting for Mac OS on the back of the package.

    I have used itunes to save all the music to the Mac so if I open itunes what do I look for in order to move just a few tracks onto the usb stick please. I have saved them to an I pod so know how the sync bit works but that sends the lot each time. Sorry if I’m sounding a bit clueless, bear with me.

    Thanks. No hurry I will be trying it tomorrow,
  • Netherspark
    Netherspark Posts: 53 Forumite
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    It might be easier to just locate the files on your hard drive and do a simple copy/paste onto the USB stick.
  • bjbyorkshire
    bjbyorkshire Posts: 521 Forumite
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    Will try these suggestions today and let you know how I get on.
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
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    Exporting as mp3 from iTunes
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7487060

    Personally, I would just download mp3 ripping software, and re-rip your CDs to give you an mp3 library outwith iTunes. You can keep this as a 'portable' library, and back it up easily. You can copy/paste from here to the USB

    From past experience, changing computers and maintaining an iTunes library, and/or losing an iTunes library with hard-disk failure have led me to this method.

    Keep the music as mp3s, in folders on the PC/Mac. Keep backups of them. Add the music to iTunes with the "Add File to Library" or "Add Folder to Library" options on the File menu

    Then you can just copy/paste these mp3s to the USB.

    If you want to play your music on the Mac, you can just play it with iTunes anyway. You don't need a separate USB copy to play back.
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
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    Netherspark wrote: »
    It might be easier to just locate the files on your hard drive and do a simple copy/paste onto the USB stick.

    Not possible, as they've been stored in the iTunes library, not as ordered mp3s.
  • bjbyorkshire
    bjbyorkshire Posts: 521 Forumite
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    I have only 1.6 gb of available space left on my MacBook Air so want to use this small sandisc stick as an external place to keep my music and then have a second one to keep in the car as our new car has no CD player. It will play Bluetooth from my I pod but husband isn’t techie at all so the usb stick remaining in the car will be the simplest way for him to access the music. I can then delete the music on the Mac which will free up space.

    Just another question googler, if I do it your suggested way will the music stay in the albums as they are on I tunes or will they be in one long string of tunes not showing on the car system as an album by a cartain artist where you click on that to listen to all tracks on that album?

    Things are more complicated by the hour these days especially for us oldies.

    If I can’t do it my son will be home in 2 weeks and he is Mac savvy but I do like it when I can say, “ look what I’ve done”.
  • bjbyorkshire
    bjbyorkshire Posts: 521 Forumite
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    Yay, how easy was that.

    I didn't need to format the sandisk usb, just popped it into usb port. At first it didn't show on desktop so I googled how to get it to show. Opened itunes and at the point where all my music shows in a folder I just dragged and dropped onto the usb on the desktop and it took 25 minutes to move a heck of a lot of files. I still don't have enough courage to delete the lot from the Mac but will have to do soon as running rapidly out of space. I haven't tried it in the car yet but will this afternoon.

    Many thanks for all the help folks.
  • thorganby
    thorganby Posts: 528 Forumite
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    bjbyorkshire wrote: »
    Yay, how easy was that.

    I didn't need to format the sandisk usb, just popped it into usb port. At first it didn't show on desktop so I googled how to get it to show. Opened itunes and at the point where all my music shows in a folder I just dragged and dropped onto the usb on the desktop and it took 25 minutes to move a heck of a lot of files. I still don't have enough courage to delete the lot from the Mac but will have to do soon as running rapidly out of space. I haven't tried it in the car yet but will this afternoon.

    Many thanks for all the help folks.

    If you have simply copied the MP4 files from iTunes to your USB, they are unlikely to play in your car without being converted to a supported format.
  • bjbyorkshire
    bjbyorkshire Posts: 521 Forumite
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    Hello, oh yes it does. A Skoda Yeti and it plays the files perfectly. I have a second memory stick that a friend has copied her music onto for me on her windows laptop so they are wma files. They also play on the car stereo but I have kept them on 2 separate usb sticks as I didn't want to confuse the system too much. I have got the same MP4 music files on an iPod and it plays via bluetooth so were fine now.

    All I have to find out now is how to work the flipping sat nav. It is specific to the Skoda brand so not a Tom Tom. I can put an address in and it finds the route but inputting a postcode is not working. I googled how to on the Skoda Yeti forum and they gave instructions how to do this but I have tried again today and it won't find an address by post code. I will have to call in to the local dealership, I'm sure they will have a young techie wiz kid who will know exactly how to do it.

    Thanks for the help given.
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