Memory Card Data Recovery

Wondershare Recoverit helps recover deleted, formatted, RAW, corrupted, and inaccessible files from SD cards, microSD cards, CF cards, CFexpress cards, Memory Sticks, and other camera memory cards. It is best suited to logical data loss, including accidental deletion, formatting, transfer interruption, file system errors, and cards that are still detectable by a computer or device.

√ Retrieves data from all types and brands of memory cards
√ Supports the recovery of over 1000 file types stored on memory cards
√ The intuitive interface enables simple 3-step memory card data recovery

Note: If a memory card is physically cracked, badly water-damaged, overheating, or not detected anywhere, stop using it and consider professional recovery service before repeated DIY attempts.

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Versatile Memory Card Recovery:
Recover Files From SD, microSD, CF, CFexpress, and Camera Memory Cards

Recoverit supports file recovery across many memory card types used in digital cameras, drones, action cameras, smartphones, and creator workflows. It can recover photos, videos, audio, RAW images, and documents from memory cards that are still logically accessible to the operating system.

CompactFlash and CFexpress

CF Type I, CF 2.0, CF 3.0, Microdrive, and creator-focused high-performance media such as CFexpress cards used for professional photo and video capture

Secure Digital (SD Card)

SD, MiniSD, MicroSD, SDXC, SDHC, MicroSDHC, MicroSDXC, SDHC, WiFi SD Cards

Memory Stick

Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, and Memory Stick Micro (M2)

MultiMediaCard(MMC)

MMC, eMMC, RS-MMC, DV-MMC, MMCplus, MMCmicro, MiCard, SecureMMC

MiniSD/MicroSD card

microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC, microSDUC, miniSD

Other Newly or Outdated Cards

Nano Memory (NM), SmartMedia Card, xD-Picture Card

Efficient Memory Card Recovery:
Recover Files From Common Memory Card Data Loss Scenarios

Recoverit is designed for common logical memory card data loss situations, such as deletion, formatting, transfer interruption, RAW file systems, malware damage, and inaccessible cards that are still detectable. If a card shows strong signs of physical damage, software recovery may not be the safest first step.

Formatted Memory Card

Accidental formatting or interrupted formatting can remove file references while leaving...

Formatted Memory Card

Accidental formatting or interrupted formatting can remove file references while leaving recoverable data on the card. Recoverit can scan formatted memory cards and help recover files before new data is written over them.

Accidental Deletion

Recoverit can recover photos, videos, audio files, and documents deleted from memory cards...

Accidental Deletion

Recoverit can recover photos, videos, audio files, and documents deleted from memory cards, especially when card use stops immediately after the loss.

Physical Damage

Due to its compact size, a memory card is susceptible to water, fire, or other physical damage...

Physical Damage

Due to its compact size, a memory card is susceptible to water, fire, or other physical damage, which can compromise data integrity. Recoverit can recover data from lightly damaged cards, but heavily damaged cards may require professional data recovery services for successful retrieval.

Interrupted File Transfer

Removing a card too early or losing connection during transfer can leave memory card...

Interrupted File Transfer

Removing a card too early or losing connection during transfer can leave memory card files incomplete, hidden, or unreadable. Recoverit can scan the card and restore files that remain recoverable.

Unsafe Removal

Improperly removing a memory card from a camera, reader, or computer can lead to...

Unsafe Removal

Improperly removing a memory card from a camera, reader, or computer can lead to corruption and missing files. Recoverit helps recover data when the card is still recognized after unsafe removal.

Physical or Electrical Damage

Light physical damage or power-related issues may still leave some files recoverable if the card...

Physical or Electrical Damage

Light physical damage or power-related issues may still leave some files recoverable if the card remains detectable. If the card is cracked, corroded, overheating, or not detected anywhere, stop repeated attempts and consider professional recovery service.

RAW File System

When a memory card turns RAW, the operating system may stop reading it normally. Recoverit can...

RAW File System

When a memory card turns RAW, the operating system may stop reading it normally. Recoverit can recover files from RAW memory cards before you attempt repair or formatting.

Virus or Malware Infection

Malware can hide, delete, or damage files on removable media. Recoverit can help...

Virus or Malware Infection

Malware can hide, delete, or damage files on removable media. Recoverit can help recover files from infected memory cards after the device is safe to scan.

Error Messages

Messages such as “SD card error,” “card not initialized,” “read/write error,” or “card needs to be formatted” often signal logical corruption or file system issues.

Card Not Detected or Card Mount Fails

If the memory card is not detected in your camera, card reader, or computer, first test another reader or port. If the card remains undetected everywhere, physical or controller-level damage may be involved.

Missing Photos, Videos, or Folders

Suddenly missing creator files often indicate accidental deletion, interrupted transfer, hidden files, or card corruption.

Files Open but Photos or Videos Are Damaged

Recovered or existing files may remain incomplete, fragmented, or corrupted, especially after unsafe removal or interrupted recording.

If you encounter any of these errors, it is advisable to use a memory card recovery software such as Wondershare Recoverit to retrieve your lost data and restore the integrity of your files.

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Master Memory Card Recovery:
Recover Photos, Videos, RAW Images, and More From Memory Cards

Recoverit supports 1,000+ file types commonly stored on memory cards, including camera RAW images, high-resolution photos, action-cam footage, drone videos, audio recordings, and project-related documents. This makes the page more relevant to creators, photographers, filmmakers, and content teams working with removable media.

Images

CRW, JPEG, JPG, PNG, PSD, RAW, RGB，3DM, 3DMF, 3FR, ABM, AFX, ANI, ART, ARW, BIZ, BLD, BLEND, BMP, BOO, BR5, CAD, etc

Videos

AVI, FLV, M4V, MOV, MP4, WMV, MXF, 3G2, 3GP, ASF, ASX, AVI, CPI, M2TS, M4V, MKV, MOD, MPEG, MPEG4, MPG, MTS, AVCHD, BRAW, R3D, etc.

Audios

AAC, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, MP3, OGG, PCM, WAV, WMA, A52, AA, AA3, AAC, AC3, ACC, AFC, AIF, AIFC, AIFF, AM, AMR, APE, etc.

Office Files

DOC, DOCX, RTF, DOT, DOTX, DOTM, ODT, OTT, WordML, XLS, XLSX, XLSB, XLT, XLTX, PPT, PPTX, PPS, POT, PPSX, PPTM, PDF, PDF/A, XPS, etc

Outlook & Archives

BKL, BKS, EDB, EML, EMLX, MAIL, MBX, MSG, NSF, OEB, PAB, PST, WAB, 7Z, BZ, BZIP, CAB, JAR, WAR, ZIP, ZIPX, dmg, rpm, exe, 7zip, etc.

Other Files

DataBase, InternetWeb, Miscellaneous

Advanced Recovery for Fragmented Video Files

Large video files recorded on action cameras, drones, and digital cameras are often stored in many fragments across the memory card. Recoverit’s fragment matching technology helps reconstruct these pieces so recovered videos are more likely to be complete and playable instead of being restored as broken fragments.

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What To Do Immediately After Memory Card Data Loss

If photos, videos, or project files disappear from a memory card, your first actions matter. The wrong step can overwrite files or worsen hardware-related damage.

Step 1: Stop the Camera, Drone, or Device

Stop recording or transferring files immediately to reduce overwrite risk and avoid further corruption.

Step 1

Step 2: Remove the Card Carefully

If the card is still inside a camera, drone, action cam, or reader, remove it gently. Do not force the card if it is stuck, bent, or physically damaged.

Step 2

Step 3: Stop Using the Card

Do not keep shooting, copying, or saving files to the same card. Overwriting can permanently reduce recovery chances.

Step 3

How To Recover Deleted Files From a Memory Card

To recover deleted, formatted, or inaccessible files from a memory card, install Recoverit on your Windows or Mac computer, connect the card, scan for recoverable files, preview the results, and save them to a different location. Recoverit supports free scan and preview, and the free version allows limited free recovery.

Step 1: Choose the Memory Card

Open Recoverit. Go to the SD Card Recovery section and select the SD card, microSD card, CF card, CFexpress card, or other memory card that contains the lost files. If you are recovering from a camera or drone workflow, connect the card with a stable reader before scanning.
Step 2: Scan for Lost Files
Recoverit searches for deleted, formatted, hidden, RAW, and inaccessible files from the selected memory card. As results appear, you can narrow them by file type, date, size, and keywords to quickly locate photos, videos, audio, or documents.
- 2.1 Use “Filters” to Quickly Sort the Desired Files
  
  You can easily categorize the scanned files by file type, date, file size, and other criteria. For example, you can selectively view Pictures, Videos, Audio, Documents, Archives, and other specific file types to streamline your search. Why waste time sifting through everything when you can focus solely on the videos that can be successfully recovered?
- 2.2 Use the "Search" Function to Locate Files
  
  If you have the specific file name in mind, simply enter it into the search bar of the memory card data recovery application. The search function supports the use of wildcards, allowing you to quickly locate the file by entering part of its name or relevant keywords. This feature saves you valuable time by bypassing the need to manually sort through the recovery results.
- 2.3: Preview and Check File Quality
  
  Preview photos, documents, and supported video files before recovery. If a recovered video or image remains damaged, a repair workflow may still be needed after recovery.
Step 3: Recover to a Different Location

Select the files you want to restore and save them to a healthy drive or computer folder instead of the original memory card. This helps avoid overwriting or worsening the original card state.

Tech Specs of Wondershare Recoverit

Recoverit supports major desktop recovery workflows for creator files stored on removable media across Windows and Mac systems.

Supported OS:
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista
Windows Server 2003-2022
macOS 10.10 or later
Supported File Systems:
exFAT, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, ReFS, HFS & HFS+, APFS, RAID, JFS, BTRFS, XFS, BFS, EXT4, and any RAW disk
Hard Disk Space:
56MB minimum space for installing

Comparison Chart for Common Memory Card Recovery Needs

Use this chart to compare memory card recovery tools across creator-relevant needs such as formatted card recovery, RAW card recovery, fragmented video reconstruction, preview support, and file repair capabilities.

	Wondershare Recoverit	Disk Drill	MiniTool Power Data Recovery	Recuva	TestDisk
Modern User Interface					(GLI Tool)
Supported Memory Card File Systems	exFAT, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, ReFS, HFS+, Encrypted HFS, HFSX, APFS, BTRFS, XFS, BFS, EXT4	exFAT, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, APFS, EXT2/3/4	FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, VFAT, NTFS, NTFS5	exFAT, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, EXT2/3/4	FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS, HFS+, HFSX, JFS, BTRFS, XFS, EXT2/3/4
Supported File Types	1000+	400+	100+	50+	100+
Corrupted Memory Card Recovery
Formatted Memory Card Recovery
RAW Memory Card Recovery
RAW Photo Recovery			Limited support	Limited support	Limited support
Video Fragments Match
Resume Scanning Process
File Preview			Limited support	Limited support
Document/Photo/Video Repair
Price	Starts at $59.99	$89	Starts at $69.99	Starts at $24.95	Free and open source

Comparison is based on publicly visible product information and feature availability at the time of review.

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Tips To Prevent Memory Card File Loss

Memory card data loss is common in creator workflows, especially when cards are used across cameras, drones, action cams, phones, and laptops. The habits below reduce corruption, overwrite risk, and preventable card failure.

Tip 1: Eject the memory card safely after transfers finish

Once you finish viewing or transferring your files on your computer, right-click the SD card icon and select “Eject.” You can now remove the card without risking accidental deletion or corruption.
Tip 2: Store cards in a cool, dry place and protect them from water, dust, and heat

Hot, cold, or humid weather conditions can damage your SD card. We recommend storing your card in a cool, dry location and limiting exposure to harsh weather conditions.
Tip 3: Use trusted readers, adapters, and cables for transfers

Every time you connect your SD card to a device you run the risk of infection with malware or a virus. Only use devices that have been verified virus-free.
Tip 4: Handle SD cards gently

SD cards can easily be physically damaged by roughly inserting and removing them from a device. This can lead to data loss and should be avoided.

Wondershare UBackit

Free Download Free Download Free Download

Tip 5: Back up photos and videos before formatting or reusing a shoot card

Backing up your data provides you with a way to recover files from a memory card without software. It's a valuable practice that you should be performing regularly.

How Creators Use Recoverit for Memory Card Recovery

recoverit memory card recovery software user 1

Kenzo Pan on Trustpilot

5600 photos recovered!

I'm a nature photographer and this morning I took several photos of some rare birds that I've never seen before. I had 5600 photos from this weekend on an SD card that my camera declared as corrupt. I tried the camera, ipad and macbook and none of them could read the card. This tool was able to recover all 5600 photos with ease. I couldn't be happier!

recoverit memory card recovery software user 2

Chad Short on Trustpilot

Recoverit found over 150 files that...

Recoverit found over 150 files that were not listed on the camera that I recorded it on. The SD card was totally corrupted and most of the videos were not usable due to the card, but Recoverit did a fantastic job finding lost files. We use it at my video production company anytime there is a missing file.

See What Our Users Ask Frequently

Can I recover deleted files from a memory card?

Yes. If the card is still detectable and the deleted data has not been overwritten, memory card recovery software can often restore photos, videos, audio, and documents.
Can I recover files from a formatted SD or CF card?

Often, yes. Formatting usually removes file references first, so recovery may still be possible until new data overwrites the original files.
What should I do before trying memory card recovery?

Stop using the card, do not format it, and avoid saving new files to it. If the card is physically cracked, extremely hot, or completely undetected, repeated DIY attempts may not be the safest option.
Can Recoverit recover RAW photos and camera video files?

Recoverit supports many photo, video, and camera file formats stored on memory cards, including RAW image formats and creator video formats depending on file condition and recoverability.
What if recovered videos or photos still do not open?

Recovery restores the file data first, but some media may still remain fragmented or corrupted. In those cases, a repair workflow may help after recovery.
Is it possible to recover files from an overwritten SD card?

Unfortunately, if an SD card has been overwritten with new data, the chances of recovering the original files are minimal. It is crucial to stop using the card once you realize the data loss to maximize the possibility of successful recovery before overwriting occurs.