Repair and recover data from a corrupted SD card

SD cards have been vital storage devices for many users across the globe. Nevertheless, even a feasible storage device like SD card is no exception to data loss. SD card corruption can make the device inaccessible.

SD card corruption is an abnormal scenario where you will be unable to access your SD card or the files saved on it. Due to the high severity of corruption, your memory card can get undetected or not formatted. Furthermore, SD card corruption can lead to missing files.

If you are one of the users who has lost or deleted data from SD card, this article is for you. In this article you will not only learn how to recover data, but also fix corrupted SD card effortlessly, Before moving ahead with solution, let us understand the what happens with corruption of SD card.

Signs showing SD card corruption

1. Windows format error
2. Slow performance
3. Read/write issues
4. SD card not getting detected

Why does my SD card get corrupted?

1. Physical Damage to the SD card
2. Abruptly ejecting the SD card
3. Connecting the SD card to malware-infected devices can lead to SD card damage
4. Using your SD card on a new device without formatting it.
5. Power-cuts or any interruptions during transfer process can damage to the SD card

Before moving ahead with solutions, we recommend you to recover your vital data from your corrupted SD card. With the help of reliable data recovery utility like Remo software you can effortlessly restore your SD card files without any hassle

How to fix SD card corruption

Once you have recovered your data from SD card, here, in this below section you will learn how to fix SD card corruption effortlessly by following the below mentioned methods

1. Assign new letter to the SD card
2. Repair using error checking tool
3. Run CMD
4. Format the SD card

Designate a new letter to corrupt SD card

1. Connect the corrupted SD card to the Windows Operating system
2. Press Windows key + R.
3. Type diskmgmt.msc in the Open box of a Run window
4. Then, Click OK.
5. This will open Disk Management, right-click the corrupt SD card drive to assign a new letter.
6. Select the Change drive letter and paths option.
7. Click on to the Change button and assign a new letter to the corrupt SD card by clicking on the drop-down option beside Assign following drive letter.
8. Now, click OK to confirm.
9. Restart your Windows computer to access your SD card without any conflict or error.

If you are unable to solve SD card corruption even after changing the drive letter, this can happen due to an outdated SD card driver. Move on to the next method on how to fix the corruption

Repair SD card corruption using error checking tool

1. Connect the corrupt SD card to your Windows PC.
2. Open Windows Explorer and press Windows key + E on your keyboard together.
3. Locate and Right-click on your corrupt SD card that needs to be repaired.
4. Click the Properties option and go to the Tools tab.
5. Now, click on the Check button.
6. Click on the Repair Drive option to start fixing your corrupt SD card.
7. Once the corrupt SD card repair process is completed, you will get a pop-up message saying Your drive was successfully repaired.

If the above-mentioned methods have not worked out well for you, go ahead with the below mentioned CMD method

Run Diskpart in CMD

• Connect the inaccessible SD card that is not reading to your Windows system.
• Hold on to the Windows key and type cmd in the Windows search box.
• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type diskpart and press Enter.
• Type list disk and hit enter to list all the disks in the system
• Find the specific disk x where “X” refers to the drive assigned to your SD card
• Type attr disk clear readonly and hit Enter.
• Restart your Windows and reconnect your SD card to see if the issue is resolved

Format corrupt SD card

Formatting your inaccessible SD card comes with pros and cons. By formatting your card you will be able to get rid of the virus or corruption in it, but you will also lose the data residing on your disk easily

• Connect the inaccessible SD card to Windows.
• Open My Computer/ This PC.
• Right-click on your corrupt SD card under Devices and drives and select the Format option.
• Under the Format window, click on the File System dropdown option. And select any one option based on your need. (NTFS, FAT32, exFAT)
• Select the Quick Format option and click Start.

Now that you have a recovered SD card data and got rid of the corruption. Following the precautions and proper routines you can make sure that your data is safe. Follow guidelines like ejecting the SD card safely using eject option. Never abruptly remove the SD card, especially when the data is being accessed from the SD card. And lastly always keep a backup copy of important data.

 

Story by John Harris, a Data Recovery Specialist at Remo Software. A data recovery specialist solving mysteries of data disasters. Highly passionate on providing solutions to help everyday users troubleshoot problems in Windows and Mac computers. Loves reading fiction and playing chess.