How to Recover Files from Internally Formatted SD Card on CM 13

Theo Lucia updated Jul 07, 26

5 min(s)

TL;DR:

Recovering files from a formatted SD card on CM 13 is primarily viable for cards set up as portable storage, whereas cards adopted as encrypted internal storage are generally unreadable outside the original Android device.
    ● Immediately power off the device or unmount the SD card, and strictly decline any computer prompts to format, initialize, or repair the drive to prevent overwriting data.
    ● Connect the card to a computer via a card reader and run a deep scan using software like Recoverit Data Recovery only if the physical card is detected with its correct capacity.
    ● Save all recovered files to a completely separate external disk or computer drive, keeping in mind that photos and videos yield better recovery rates than fragmented app databases.

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Files can sometimes be recovered from a formatted SD card on CM13, but the result depends on whether the card was formatted as portable storage or adopted as encrypted internal storage. If the card was adopted as internal storage, another computer may show unreadable partitions, and recovery may require the original device or may not be possible. For CM13 SD card recovery, stop using the card, avoid formatting prompts, and scan only when the card is detected as recoverable storage.

Follow these steps to improve your chances of recovering data from an internally formatted SD card on CM13.

Step 1
Stop all card activity immediately. Power off the phone or unmount the SD card. Continued use can overwrite recoverable data after formatting.
Step 2
Check whether the SD card was adopted as internal storage. CM 13 may encrypt an internally formatted SD card. If the card was adopted, direct access from another device may show unreadable partitions.
Step 3
Connect the SD card to a computer with a card reader. Use Disk Management on Windows or Disk Utility on Mac to confirm the card is detected. Do not format, initialize, or repair the card if prompted.
Step 4
Run a deep scan only if the card is readable as recoverable storage. Choose the physical SD card in the recovery tool if it appears with the correct capacity. If CM13 adopted the card as encrypted internal storage, a computer scan may not recover usable files without the original device context.
Step 5
Save recovered files to another drive. Never restore files back to the same SD card. Use a computer drive or external disk for recovered photos, videos, and documents.

Common Issues and Fixes

Issue	Likely Cause	Fix
Card shows as unallocated or RAW	Formatting damaged the file system	Scan the physical SD card with a deep recovery mode instead of trying to open it normally.
Recovered files are missing names or folders	File system metadata was erased	Sort results by file type and preview files before recovery.
Card cannot be read on a computer	CM13 internal formatting may have encrypted the card	Try accessing the card through the original device if it can still mount the storage. If it is encrypted adopted storage and the original device cannot read it, normal computer recovery may be limited.
Recovery finds very few files	New data likely overwrote old sectors	Stop all writes and run a full scan as early as possible.
Phone asks to format the card again	Partition table may be damaged	Decline the prompt and image the card first if possible.

Quick tips to keep in mind for CM13 internally formatted SD card recovery:

Internally formatted SD card recovery is harder than standard portable SD card recovery because adopted storage may be encrypted.
Computer-based scanning is more realistic for portable or non-encrypted SD cards. Adopted internal storage may remain unreadable outside the original Android device.
If the SD card failed physically, file recovery software may not help; a disk image or hardware-level service may be needed.
Photos and videos often recover better than app data because app databases on adopted storage may be fragmented or encrypted.

💡Protip:

Before scanning, confirm whether the CM13 SD card was used as portable storage or adopted internal storage. Portable cards are more recoverable on a computer, while encrypted adopted cards may not produce usable files outside the original device.