How to Format Corrupted SD Card / Memory Card

Eleanor Reed

Apr 03, 2025 • Filed to: SD Card Solutions • Proven solutions

A black screen is a sign of a corrupted SD card. But it surely is not the end of the world as you can repair your SD card as well as recover your data with a data recovery tool. Read on the instructions given below and see whether your data is recoverable or if you will have to format the corrupted SD card.

SD cards are little pieces of plastic but very useful at that. They are the most convenient way of storing data, especially photos and videos. They are mostly used by people who have more to store than possible.

So many of our digital devices such as mobile phones, cameras, tablets, and music players make use of SD cards to get an expanded feel of data storage. Similarly, SD cards can also be connected to computers and laptops with the help of an SD card reader.

SD cards are particularly prone to damage, accidental formatting, or corruption. This corruption or damage can lead to the loss of vital data, photos, videos, and audio files. Anything can be stored on an SD card and any kind of damage to it will lead to damage or loss of data.

This post will take you through four different ways of formatting your corrupted SD card. Not just this, if you are unwilling to let go of your data, you can also make the use of Recoverit Data Recovery software to retrieve all your data.

Part 1. 4 Methods to Format Corrupted SD Card

Method 1. Format Corrupted SD Card with DiskPart

Many times you will find yourself at a point where your computer will deny you to format your SD card. While most people believe that this is a situation that cannot be remedied, it does, indeed, have a remedy.

The simplest way of going through it is with the help of a tool called DiskPart which is available for Windows, 8, 7, Vista, and XP devices.

Here are the steps you can follow to repair your SD card with the aid of DiskPart:

1. Press Windows + R keys, type diskpart and press Enter.

2. Type list disk in the black window & press Enter
3. Find your SD card, type select disk & enter the number of the SD card
4. When you find the SD card, type clean or clean all if you have more than one partition
5. Type create partition primary
6. Type select partition 1 & enter command active
7. Type format fs=fat32 quick.

Method 2. Format Corrupted SD Card Using Windows Disk Management

Disk Management is a built-in, easy to access tool in Windows. You can undertake a lot many desired and needed actions with Windows Disk Management. One important action you can undertake with it is formatting a corrupted SD card.

If you were sure about formatting your SD card using Windows Disk Management, then here are the steps you can follow to bring you to your desired consequence:

1. At CMD, run diskmgmt.msc
2. Once the Disk Management appears, find the SD card you wish to format
3. Right-click on ‘menu’ and select format

4. After the format window opens, customize allocation unit size, file system, and volume label

5. Also choose whether you want to perform quick format or compress them
6. Click OK
7. You will see a warning saying ‘Formatting this volume will erase all data on it. Back up any data, you might want to keep before formatting. Do you want to continue?’ Click OK

Method 3. Format Corrupted SD Card through Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer is another one of the in-built features in Windows that help you format corrupted SD cards.

Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Press Windows + E
2. Right-click on the partition in the Windows Explorer
3. From the GUI menu, select format

4. Choose the allocation unit size and file system from the new pop up. Also, enter a volume label & select quick format

5. Click on the start button
6. You will see a warning ‘Formatting will erase ALL data on this disk. To format the disk, click OK. To quit, click CANCEL. Click on OK

Once you have followed the steps written above, you will find that your corrupt SD card has been formatted. However, you still might find yourself in a position where your corrupt SD card remains unformatted even after thoroughly following the steps.

The most probable reason for the incomplete process is caused by the RAW file system. It is also possible that the drive letter has been assigned the removable disk instead of being assigned to the partition.

Under such circumstances, Disk Management can be of help to you.

Method 4. Format Corrupted SD Card via USB Disk Storage Format Tool

Here are the steps you can follow to format a corrupt SD card via the Disk Storage Format Tool:

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type CMD to launch Command Prompt Window
3. Enter diskpart in the window & enter list disk
4. Enter select disk 1 or any other number your SD card is
5. Type clean and press ‘Enter’ on your keyboard
6. Enter Create partition primary
7. Type format fs=fat32. This will start the process of formatting

Part 2. How to Recover and Repair Data from Corrupted SD Card?

A powerful data recovery software that is most famous and well known amongst the technicians and commoners is Recoverit Data Recovery Software. This software helps you get back all your valuable audio files, documents, videos, photos, and emails, quickly and certainly from internal hard drive, laptop, external storage devices, recycle bin, and even a crashed computer. Another added feature of the Recoverit Ultimate is that it helps you recover a fragmented, corrupt, damaged, or broken video and repair it back to its almost original look and feel.

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Steps to Recover Data with Recoverit

Step 1: Launch Recoverit and go to the SD Card section. Select the SD Card from where you need to recover the lost data.

Step 2: Click the Scan button to start the scanning process. Now, you just need to wait for it to complete, or you can pause and stop the process once you find the files you need.

Step 3: When it completes, you can double-click the file to preview the result.

Step 4: After that, click the Recover button and select a location to save the recovered files.

Video Tutorial on How to Fix Corrupted SD Card

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Steps to Repair Corrupted Files with Repairit

Wondershare Repairit is a prevailing and dominant video repair software that is used for repairing broken, damaged, or corrupt FLV, MP4, 3GP, MKV, MTS, M2TS, AVI, and MOV file formats.

Two repair modes are supported by Recoverit Video Repair:

1. Quick repair – Which is used to repair various minor video errors.
2. Advance repair – This feature can repair any corrupt video by analyzing the data and technology of the video shot by the same device.

Significant highlights of Recoverit Video Repair are:

• Fix numerous arrangements of recordings at the same time
• Free output for degenerate recordings and see fixed recordings before sparing them
• No impediments on size of Video records for fix
• Fix any number of degenerate Video documents

The means composed underneath will assist you with fixing and recoup your video in the blink of an eye:

Step 1: Add your corrupted videos
Dispatch the application on your PC. To fix your undermined video records, you can include it by clicking Add catch or "Include video and begin fixing" territory.

Step 2: Repair your videos
When you have included all the ruined recordings, click on the Repair choice to begin the video fix process.

Step 3: Preview the videos
It will require some investment to fix and once it has completed the fix procedure, an update indicating data of effective fix will spring up on the screen. Press OK to close the activity.

Step 4: Advance mode for severely corrupted video (optional)
If the recordings are seriously adulterated and not fixed effectively, it would be ideal if you go to the development fix mode. Simply click the Advanced Repair button. At that point include an example video and fix it now.

Step 5: Save repaired video
The development fix will play out the fixing procedure and brief a triumph message when the procedure is done. Presently, you can play these recordings and you won't perceive any mistake on the screen.

Part 3. What Are The Major Signs When SD Card Gets Corrupted?

Nearly everyone you ever happen to go over realizes what an SD card is as well as will have utilized or are as yet utilizing one of these. Furthermore, not o shockingly, some of them must have additionally confronted the issue of an undermined SD card.

An SD card is a rule utilized in cell phones and cameras to keep a superior record of your data. If you are someone who has a great deal of information to store particularly regarding photographs and recordings, at that point getting an SD card is most likely the best thought.

In any case, since your SD card is loaded with such huge numbers of significant things, one can envision how troublesome it is the point at which your SD card gets debased.

Here are the absolute most basic indications of SD card defilement that you should pay special mind to:

• Dark Device Screen
  Now and again, when your SD card is practically out or is going to degenerate to its pinnacle, at that point you will see your electronic gadget's screen as dark in shading. It resembles one day you open your gadget and there is nothing on the screen, then again, actually it is dark, at that point more likely than not, it is the deficiency of your SD card.
• Random Messages of Error
  At the point when an SD is adulterated halfway and is very nearly getting through totally, you will begin seeing messages, for example, 'get to is denied' and comparative ones.
• Peruse/Write Failure
  On the off chance that you can't spare new documents into your SD card, likewise called compose disappointments, at that point, it may be an indication of a defiled SD card. Likewise, if you can't peruse an SD card and not perceive any of its segments, at that point it additionally focuses on a tainted SD card.
• Shows Incorrect Information
  On the off chance that you have certain things in your SD card and a few organizers, yet your SD card doesn't show anything in the card or shows off-base or erroneous bytes, at that point your SD card is unquestionably tainted.
• Missing Files
  At the point when an SD card is defiled, the most thing you will see is that your SD card will begin passing up specific records from time to time. You may see a document one day however it vanishes the following day, and returns a couple of days after the fact, at that point it is an away from of debasement.
• SD isn't Recognized
  Another regular thing that occurs on account of an adulterated SD card is that your PC doesn't perceive your SD card.
• Obscure Files Appear
  On the off chance that you witness any obscure documents in your SD card, at that point you should know in a flash that your SD is degenerate and should be fixed.
• CRC Error During File Transfer or Copy
  A CRC error, also known as Cyclic Redundancy Check appears on your SD card to make you aware of a bad spot on it. It might be a file or a folder and should be tended to on time.
• SD Card Becomes Extremely Slow
  Another one of the signs that your SD is corrupted is that it becomes extremely slow. The pictures take a long time to load or your phone/camera takes time to read your SD card. It might also show some photos as black and then they get back to normal.