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The Ultimate Guide to SD Card Repair

Wondershare Recoverit Authors

Jan 27, 2024 • Filed to: SD Card Solutions • Proven solutions

How can I repair my damaged SD card?

In this article, we all talk about the things of SD card repair. List the common reasons that cause your SD memory card damaged or corrupted and with the best way to repair a damaged SD card.

Part 1. The Symptoms of SD Memory Card Got Damaged

SD memory cards are mostly used for personal data storage, they are universally used in Android phones, digital cameras, camcorders, music players, tablets, and other portable devices. For storing the data files like photos, videos, audio files, and other document files to extending the capacity of the device internal storage space.

If you handled the card improperly, it might cause your data loss. Also, the SD memory cards have a limited lifespan, so after a certain period of usage, the care is bound to get damaged or corrupted.

When your SD card gets damaged or corrupted, the reasons can be physical damage or the files system/corruption, while using the SD card on your mobile phone or camera an error message occurs; sometimes improper use of the card also can lead it to malfunction.

The most common reasons caused by SD memory cards get corrupted and the data loss is logical and physical damage, the file system corruption, improper usage, or due to virus attack and other causes. Check all the symptoms as below:

  • Most of the photos and videos on the card are missing or unreadable

If the SD memory card working well, but you cannot find or read your photos and videos. In this case, you will need to get SD card data recovery software to try to recover the photos and videos. Or connect your SD card to the computer and you can copy your data files. If the computer cannot read the card, you should try to fix your damaged SD card or sent it to a data recovery center.

  • The SD memory card is physically damaged

The physically damaged means the card gets corrupted with metallic substrate or layer scratched off, such as head crashes and failed motors, tapes can simply break. The physical damage you need to take your SD card to the repair store to fix it and get your data back.
What if the card got logical damage, you can download Recoverit Data Recovery to recover data from the SD card.

  • An error message "SD card is not accessible. The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable. "

Your SD memory card cannot access, the only way to solve this issue you can try to format the card but it will erase all data files.

  • The Micro SD card is running slowly

Micro SD card is sensitive media that is prone to damage or corrupt. The card has a speed rating to indicate how quickly data files can be transferred from the memory card to the computer or another storage device. To solve this problem, you can format the card try to fix it.

  • SD Card Cannot Be Used (Unable to add, delete, copy or save data)

Sometimes the device mobile phone or camera shows an error message that the SD memory card cannot be used. For this issue, you can try to check all photos and videos on your device, and turn off the device. Connect the card to the computer and backup your data files on the computer. After that, insert the card to the device, and you can try to format the SD memory card on the camera.

  • The error message of "Card is Write Protected”

SD cards have a lock switches on them that prevent memory from being stored. If the card is in the locked position, it means they are writing protected, and no new data can be written to the SD card. You can slide the switch to unlock the card.

  • It shows error messages - 'Read / Write error on SD card' while the SD card through a system.

Make sure that your computer supports the size and type of memory card you’re using. For example, some older computers can only read SD cards that are less than 2 GB in size. However, many SDHC cards are 4 GB or larger. You might be able to upgrade your computer to SDHC compliance with a firmware upgrade; check with your computer’s manufacturer.

  • The error messages reading 'memory card error' or 'corrupt memory card'

You get error messages reading 'memory card error' or 'corrupt memory card' while trying to access your photos or videos stored on the SD memory card. You will need Memory Card Recovery to get your data off the card.

  • SD memory card keeps asking to format error

While you connect the card to the computer, an error message shows up 'SD card is not formatted. Do you want to format it now?' and you try to format it but failure with "the disk cannot be formatted". Once your format the card, all your data will get lost. You need to format the card properly. Learn how to format SD card in Windows.

  • SD memory card keeps asking to format error

While you connect the card to the computer, an error message shows up 'SD card is not formatted. Do you want to format it now?' and you try to format it but failure with "the disk cannot be formatted". Once your format the card, all your data will get lost. You need to format the card properly. Learn how to format SD card in Windows.


Part 2. How to Repair Damaged or Corrupted SD Card

How to repair a damaged SD card? The following 6 solutions can help you figure out the SD card problems.

Solution 1. Repair damaged SD memory card using CMD

repair corrupt memory card

The chkdsk command will scan the damaged SD card and check the issues to repair the damaged micro SD card. After the scanning, try to connect the card to the device to check the error "SD card is damaged. Try reformatting it" has been solved or not.

Solution 2. Repair corrupted SD card using Windows Explorer

Solution 3. Reinstall the driver

You can reinstall the driver for your card as the following steps:

Solution 4. Connect the Card to another device

While you get an error message of your card which used in the camera, the device cannot read the card, try to connect the SD card to another device. If it works, you need to backup your data from it in case the card gets damaged. This is maybe the device issue and causes SD card and data inaccessible.

Solution 5. Try another USB port

While you connect the card to a USB port on the computer, and it does not pup up the external devices option. It could be possible that the USB port is damaged or some software issue, try another USB port and make your SD memory card connect to the computer and get recognized.

Solution 6. Recover SD card data back

The SD card becomes inaccessible or needs formatted, the data files stored on it will get lost. You still can get an SD card recovery software to help you retrieve all data back before you format it. Make sure your card is not physically damaged, you can restore all lost files from the SD card.


Part 3. How to Recover Data from Damaged SD Card

To recover data files from damaged SD card, we recommend Recoverit Data Recovery Software. It is the best SD card data recovery software to help you recover lost photos, videos, and other document files from the Micro SD card.

Download and install Recoverit SD Card Recovery Software on your computer. Connect your damaged or corrupted SD memory card to the computer and follow the next steps to perform damaged SD card recovery on Windows computer. If you working on Macbook, you need to download Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac.

Step 1: Choose a location

Select the card which is detected on the computer, and click the "Start" button to process.

choose drive and start scanning

Step 2: Scan the memory card

Recoverit Data Recovery will start to scanning the card to search the lost data files.

all around deep scanning

Step 3: Preview and recover card data

After the scanning, you can check all recoverable files. Preview some photos and click the "Recover" button to get your data files back.

recover sd card files

You should get a safe storage media to save your all recovered files to avoid data loss again. With Recoverit Data Recovery software you can easily restore your lost data files from an SD memory card.


Part 4. How to Avoid the SD Card Data Loss Problems

In the following guide, we will list some useful tips and explain how to keep your SD memory cards healthy. Take care of your SD card properly and avoid the data files lost.

Format the card in your camera

While your SD card is used in a digital camera, be sure that the card is appropriately formatted in the camera and completely prepared to work with it. We don't recommend using the same SD memory card in multiple devices. Back up your data on a safe device, and reformatting the card while used in other cameras. Or it will cause your data loss and SD card errors. You can check out the video tutorial to format your card in the camera below. (video via AC Guevara)

Get A High-Quality Card and Card Reader

When transferring your photos and video from an SD memory card to the computer, you should get a high-quality card reader to carry your SD card and connect it to the computer. While the card reader is "Reading" the memory card, sometime it still will cause the card damage. With a high-performance card reader, the transfer speeds will help you copy data files to the computer quickly.

Snapchat is a social media application, specially designed for smartphones. Unfortunately, you cannot get this photo-sharing application on your computer.

get card reader

Remove the Card after Turning off the Camera

The way to prevent your SD card from getting damaged or corrupted, you should turn off your digital camera before removing the SD memory card. Improperly take your card off the camera, all your photos and video will get lost and you need to make a memory card data recovery.

turn off camera

Stop shooting When the Battery is Low

The battery of your camera is nearly as important as your SD card, while you are shooting on a low battery, your camera is writing your memory card, and it would cause you to lose all of your photos and videos. To avoid data loss, you should turn off your camera and take out it to charge the battery.

low battery

Never shoot while the Card is Full

You should pay attention to the SD memory card’s capacity while you shooting photos and videos. The camera has an indicator on the internal screen that will show how many photos you can store on the SD card. Do not take more photos on it as the card is full, back up your files on the other card to avoid your data loss.

full memory card

Backup your Data Files in Regularly

Don't put all eggs in one basket. Doing backup your data files is very important, copy them to another safe storage media. If your data got lost, you can retrieve them from backup directly. Also, while you want to delete your files, you should think twice before deleting. What if your photos deleted or lost, you can get Recoverit Data Recovery Software to help you recover all data back.

back up data

Safely Eject the SD Memory Card from the Computer

Properly ejecting your SD card from your computer is very important, otherwise it will cause your card corruption and data loss. While you finished the data transfer, you should remove your card from the computer according to the eject message.

eject properly

Put the Card in a Safe Environment

The SD memory card has a lifespan, to protect the card safe the environment is most important. Many elements can damage the card, including dust, water, and static electricity. Provide a clean storage environment for your memory cards and keep your data files safe.

keep sd card safe

Stop Using the Card when the Error Occurs

While the SD memory card got damaged or corrupted, you will see an error message for the card. Once it occurs, you should stop using the card immediately. You can try to fix the damaged SD card with the solutions (#Part 3). Or take your digital camera and SD memory card to a camera repair shop to help you out.

repair sd card errors


Part 5. Best SD Memory Card for your Devices

here are many SD memory card manufacturers to provide thousands of SD memory cards and devices to SD standards. The speed classes, storage capacities, application performance class, and three different physical sizes -- SD memory card, micro SD memory card, mini SD memory card. For you, it is important to understand which SD card works best with your devices like mobile phone, digital camera, computer, tablet, camcorder, and other electronics. (Reference from sdcard.org)

Type of SD Card:

There are three main types in the SD memory card family: SD, SDHC, SDXC. SDXC stands for Secure Digital eXtended Capacity and SDHC stands for Secure Digital High Capacity. There is a memory capacity range for each type of card:

Speed Class Standards

"Speed Class", "UHS Speed Class" and "Video Speed Class", three kinds of speed classes for SD cards. The most important is for video recording capabilities, all speed classes provide the constant speed necessary for video recording by designating a minimum writing performance so that minimum and constant speed could be achieved for camcorders, video recorders, and other devices.

Application Performance Class

The App Performance Classes assure minimum random and sequential performance speeds to meet both run and store execution time requirements under given conditions, while still providing storage of photos, videos, music, documents, and other data files.

Bus Interface Speed Standards for Large Size Data Transfer

SD memory card Bus Interface Specification has been continuously increased over the years from High Speed (25MB/s) to 3rd Generation of Ultra-High-Speed UHS-III (624MB/s). Now the SDA offers SD Express which uses the PCIe Interface and NVMe Protocol to deliver (985MB/s) data transfer rates between SD host devices and SD cards.

SD, SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC Card Capacity Choices

Final Tips for SD Card Recovery

Get the best SD card storage for your devices like Android phones, digital cameras, or other electronic devices. Take care of your SD memory card and the device which you are using. What if the SD memory card get damaged or corrupted, you should take it to the professional repair service. Also, get the best SD card data recovery software to help your get all data back.

Recoverit author

Eleanor Reed

staff Editor

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