Skip to main content

Most MSR device manufacturers provide the V2017 utility in their "Downloads" or "Driver" sections.

A straightforward GUI that displays raw data alongside ASCII interpretations.

What is the of your card reader/writer hardware?

Encodes new text or numeric strings onto blank or rewritable magnetic cards.

The availability of easy-to-use utilities like the v2017 program has raised significant security concerns within the cybersecurity community. Because magnetic stripe technology is older and lacks the encryption sophistication of modern EMV chips, the data on these stripes is static and unencrypted.

If you recently purchased a magnetic stripe writer, the utility is often included on the driver CD or via a QR code link in the manual.

: Customizes start/end sentinels and field separators.

The 2017 utility communicates natively with magnetic hardware to split and format card data across three standardized physical tracks. MagCard Utility Program Guide 2017 | PDF - Scribd

: Upon execution, the software typically attempts to auto-connect to the reader. If it fails, you may need to manually select the correct COM port in the settings to match your device manager. Reading Data

One consistent point mentioned about the MagCard Utility series is its user-friendly design. The interface reportedly features just three primary buttons—Write, Read, and Erase—making it accessible even for users new to magnetic stripe encoding. This simplicity contrasts with more industrial encoding software that often presents dozens of configuration options.

IT departments use these utilities to issue replacement employee identification and building access cards.

Cloning data from one card to another (often used for backup purposes in business environments). Why the 2017 Version?

Finally, always remember: with the power to read and write magnetic stripe cards comes significant legal responsibility. Use these tools only for authorized purposes and on cards you own or have explicit permission to encode.

: General magnetic card device drivers and utility software can also be found on the Card-Device Download Page .