Windows IoT Core SD Card Requirements

Having difficulty figure out what SD Cards to use with Windows IoT Core? It’s not as straight forward as just picking up any SD card. There are a couple requirements to keep in mind, and there are even a couple that have been tested and verified by Microsoft to be compatible with Windows IoT Core.

Requirements

There are really only 2 requirements when choosing which SD Cards to use with Windows IoT Core. Below are the requirements:

Class 10

When installing Windows IoT Core on an SD Card, you’ll need to use a Class 10 SD Card. The Class 10 has a minimum data write speed of 10 MB/s. This is a good thing since the older Class 4 that’s been out for a long time and has traditionally been recommended for Raspberry Pi projects won’t work with Windows IoT Core.

For Windows IoT Core you’ll need to use a Class 10 SD Card.

8GB or Greater

When installing Windows IoT Core, you’ll need to make sure you have enough storage space. You’ll want to make sure to use an SD Card that has at least 8GB of space.

Microsoft Verified SD Cards

There are a couple SD Cards that have been Verified by Microsoft to be compatible with Windows IoT Core. Whether you’re using a Raspberry Pi 2, Raspberry Pi 3, Minnowboard MAX or Qualcomm DragonBoard 410C you’ll definitely want to make sure you use a compatible SD Card. Actually all of these devices support MicroSD cards, not the full size SD Cards.

Here’s the Microsoft Verified MicroSD Cards to work with Windows IoT Core:

It’s worth noting that these are definitely not the only 2 MicroSD cards to work with Windows IoT Core. Any 8GB or greater Class 10 MicroSD card should work just fine.

About the Author

Chris Pietschmann

Chris Pietschmann is a Microsoft MVP, HashiCorp Ambassador, and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) with 20+ years of experience designing and building Cloud & Enterprise systems. He has worked with companies of all sizes from startups to large enterprises. He has a passion for technology and sharing what he learns with others to help enable them to learn faster and be more productive.

4 Comments

tunhtutaye on September 28, 2017 at 2:14 am

May i use class 6 16G sd card for window 10 not core

Hex on December 5, 2017 at 6:14 am

Class 10’s are the minimum requirement. Class 6 will not work, sorry.

Håkan Hammarling on June 5, 2019 at 3:26 pm

specs say: SanDisk Ultra Micro SDHC, 16GB Card, then why does a 32GB card from same manufacturer with same specs only twice the capacity not work?

Chris Pietschmann on July 1, 2019 at 11:58 pm

That’s an interesting issue. You could try contacting Microsoft support with that question in regards to the specific model of SD card you are using.

tunhtutaye on September 28, 2017 at 2:14 am

May i use class 6 16G sd card for window 10 not core
Hex on December 5, 2017 at 6:14 am

Class 10’s are the minimum requirement. Class 6 will not work, sorry.
Håkan Hammarling on June 5, 2019 at 3:26 pm

specs say: SanDisk Ultra Micro SDHC, 16GB Card, then why does a 32GB card from same manufacturer with same specs only twice the capacity not work?
- Chris Pietschmann on July 1, 2019 at 11:58 pm
  
  That’s an interesting issue. You could try contacting Microsoft support with that question in regards to the specific model of SD card you are using.