Magcard Write Read Utility Program V2017 -
The v2017 utility often includes a toggle for Low Coercivity (LoCo - 300 Oe) vs. High Coercivity (HiCo - 4000 Oe) . This is critical because hotel cards are typically HiCo (resistant to accidental erasure), while gift cards are often LoCo.
A hidden gem in the 2017 version is its ability to import CSV files for batch encoding. This allows a technician to encode 100 access cards with sequential ID numbers in minutes.
The MagCard Write Read Utility Program v2017 is a Windows-based software application designed to interface with magnetic stripe card encoders/readers (commonly known as "magcard writers"). The "v2017" designation refers to its release year, which introduced several stability improvements and enhanced decoding algorithms compared to earlier versions. magcard write read utility program v2017
At its core, the utility allows users to:
Unlike many bloated commercial suites, this utility is prized for its lightweight design (under 5 MB) and low-level access to raw track data, making it a favorite for troubleshooting faulty cards, cloning (where legally permitted), and testing custom encoding formats. The v2017 utility often includes a toggle for
For non-ISO formats (e.g., older parking garage cards), the utility has a Raw Mode where you can directly input hexadecimal or binary bit patterns. Warning: This bypasses all error checking.
Why would a legitimate user need the v2017 utility? Here are practical, legal applications: Unlike many bloated commercial suites, this utility is
Retail software testers use the utility to generate test cards with various formats (American Express, Visa, generic gift card) without involving a bank processor.
Magnetic cards come in two coercivity types:
v2017 attempts to detect the card’s coercivity by analyzing the signal strength during a test read. It then recommends the appropriate write current. This prevents data “dropout” where a HiCo card isn’t fully encoded by a weak signal, or a LoCo card being damaged by excessive current.
Set coercivity in Settings → Media Type before writing.

