May 21, 2025 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
In a way, don't you think SD cards are somewhat more important than hard drives? Think about it...
Phones are obviously indispensable assets in our lives, and the majority of them are compatible with SD cards. We carry phones everywhere and rely on them more than we do on computers, don't we? Matter of fact, the number of phone apps easily trumps that of system apps, and that is more than telling enough.
So, when errors stop your SD card from functioning, that just means you're in a world of trouble. But you can prevent this from happening or fix memory card with a few steps.
Do you know what's worse than finding out your SD card is corrupt? Realizing that you could have checked for errors and fixed them, curtailing any possible instance of the SD card becoming corrupt. But no one can blame you for neither having the foresight nor knowledge to do this.
To be better prepared against next time, the smart thing to do would be to know how to check your SD card for errors. The best tool at your disposal to do this is Terminal, which is native to your Mac.
1. Insert the SD card into your Mac.
2. Open up your Applications folder and click on "Terminal" to launch it.
3. Type in this command in the Terminal: cd /Volumes
4. Press "Enter/Return." Your Mac's Terminal window should look like the image below.
5. Type in this command: ls
6. Press "Enter/Return". A list of all the disks connected to your Mac will be opened up.
7. This is where you select your SD card and check for any errors. Type this command in your Terminal: diskutil verifyVolume [drive identifier] (substitute the "drive identifier" with the name of the SD card).
8. Press "Enter/Return". A test will be carried out where you will be shown the state of the SD card. If successful, you will see results similar to the one on the image below.
9. But if the results give you an error like this, "The volume [volume tested] was found corrupt and needs to be repaired", then your SD card has errors. (The "volume tested" is your SD card).
Depending on the results your Mac's Terminal gives you, you can now decide on the next action to take.
Much like a disease, your SD card exhibits symptoms of damage before it finally ceases to function. Some of these symptoms should be quite obvious, but others might not be too apparent. You might not even realize they are symptoms until it's too late.
So, here's what you're going to do: As soon as you see any of the signs below, copy all your files out of the SD card in the event that it crashes or becomes corrupted. It might already be too late for you to do this, but you can still try. That way, at least you know your files are safe, and you only have to contend with fixing the SD card or purchasing a new one.
The most glaring symptoms of a corrupt SD card are:
The problems which plague SD cards are many, but so are their solutions. Some of the errors require unique approaches to being fixed but the end goal is to make sure your SD card is fully functional once more.
Go through the most common yet effective solutions outlined below to fix your SD card and guarantee the safety of your files and data.
1. Yeah, it does seem unlikely that you would insert your SD card the wrong way in, but no one is above making mistakes.
2. So, when you slot the SD card in your Mac, make sure the metal contacts are facing down and pointing towards your Mac.
Alt: insert-the-sd-card-properly
1. The issue might lay with the SD card itself. Maybe the card is even dead but you don't realize it. Get another Mac and put it into it and see what happens.
2. If it works, then there could be something wrong with your Mac's port or the system itself. This is where Apple's support comes in handy.
1. BitLocker is developed by Microsoft Windows so if it is used to encrypt and protect your SD card, macOS obviously won't recognize it.
2. To be sure of this, insert your SD card into a Windows PC and if it is detected, simply use that PC to decrypt the SD card. You can now easily use it on your Mac.
1. If your primary way of connecting your SD card to your Mac is via a card reader, then the reader might be damaged.
2. Get another card reader from a friend and see if that doesn't solve the problem. If it does, hop on to Amazon and buy a new reader for yourself. There are many models and variants out there that are all compatible with your Mac. And you can easily find one that's within your budget and preference.
When your SD displays this read/write error, it means your Mac won't be able to access the data in it, even though it detects the card when you insert it into the Mac.
The most probable cause of this error is bad sectors on the SD card, which could be a consequence of improper ejection of the SD card from a device. Sometimes, the SD could also be write-protected; other times, its entire file system might be corrupt and just becomes RAW.
Whatever the cause, it's time you learned how to fix this error. Once more, you can choose any of the options below. The severity of how corrupt your SD card is will determine which solution will work best for you, so pay heed to all of them.
If you didn't know, you can alter your Mac's settings to show or hide external drives. Surprised? You should be. Every day, there seems to be something new you learn about computers, isn't there? Anyway, to fix it, do this.
1. Open Finder.
2. Go to "Preferences."
3. Navigate to "General."
4. If the "External Disks" option beneath "Locations" isn't ticked, tick it. Your SD card now has permission to show up on your Mac's desktop.
Time and time again, First Aid has proven to be a lifesaver for both external and internal hard drives. It can do the same for your SD card too. Among other functions, the tool checks for file system errors and attempts to fix them.
1. Open up "Applications."
2. Go to "Utilities."
3. Navigate to "Disk Utilities."
4. Select the unreadable SD card to be scanned and repaired.
5. Click on the "First Aid" button at the top.
6. Click on "Run." The tool will then repair your SD card.
Formatting the SD card should be an option to consider only after you've exhausted all other options. It's usually a solution if the SD card is seriously damaged. Your data may still be in the card but with recovery software like Recoverit at your disposal, you should not be too worried about the said files.
1. Open up "Disk Utility" from "Utilities."
2. Click on "View" located on the menu bar.
3. Choose "Show All Devices."
4. Click on the unreadable SD card (it should be on the left side of the window).
5. Click on "Erase," located atop the window of Disk Utility. That's all.
When all else fails, the only thing you can do is let the professionals take over. No software can fix hardware damage to your SD card so you can only take it for repairs.
It's doubtful if a physically damaged SD card can be fixed, though. You're better off purchasing a new one
No one wants to see that dreaded "cannot read from device" or any other error anytime they insert their SD card into their Mac. And yet, the chances are, this will most likely happen. Either because of software issues or mishandling your SD card, it could end up getting corrupt. Recoverit Mac Data Recovery will make sure that's not the end of the road for the data in your SD card, though. This software has proven it is adept at recovering data from damaged or corrupt hard drives, and it's just as effective in recovering data from SD cards too. Take advantage of its powerful features and recover your data by doing this:
You can use "File Type" or "File Path" to determine how your search is carried out, saving you time. Stopping or pausing the scan before it completes it's also a nice little feature you can take advantage of.
You don't need any more proof as to why Recoverit Mac Data Recovery is patronized by many, do you? It's easy to use but devastatingly effective.
All you need to do is select the SD card, scan it, preview your data, and recover it.
It would be folly to say you don't need an SD card anymore because modern devices come with large internal storage. Be that as it may, no internal storage can have as much capacity to store data as the largest SD card.
Since SD cards are necessary, and the risk of them getting corrupt is real, it won't be amiss to have a tool you can use to recover any data you lose. Recoverit Mac Data Recovery is this very tool.
There are many data recovery software all claiming bragging rights over how powerful they are, but Recoverit blows the competition out of the water.
Sue Wayne
staff Editor