How to Recover Files From Corrupted SD Card and Fix It
You come back from a vacation in Bali with your SD card loaded with valuable images and video recordings. However, your attempt to insert the card into your computer produces an error, alerting you that the card is corrupted.
It’s a gut-wrenching feeling that’ll leave you thinking about how to recover files from corrupted SD card and fix the card. But fear now. This complete guide presents multiple recovery solutions and methods to fix the corrupted SD card. So, let’s get straight to the point!
Part 1: How Does an SD Card Become Corrupted?
SD cards can get corrupted for different reasons, causing data loss or making files inaccessible. Knowing these causes can help you recover and fix corrupted SD card. Here are some common reasons for memory card corruption:
- Physical Damage: Harm from physical contact includes dropping the card, spilling liquids on it, and usage deterioration.
- User Mistakes: Removing the card without proper technique, shutting down devices during file writing, and letting the battery power die in mid-use.
- File System Errors: Data becomes unreadable when users experience improper shutdowns or sudden ejections of the card.
- Bad Sectors: Due to normal wear and tear, the storage areas on the card develop permanent failures.
- Malware: The files on an SD card risk damage by malicious viruses.
- Manufacturing Defects: This is when certain cards enter the market with initial production flaws.
- Connection Malfunctions: The operation of the memory card becomes unstable when there are problems with the card reader hardware or when the connection is not secure.
- Slow Performance: Slowing down of an SD card indicates possible driver problems or corruption.
Part 2: Symptoms of a Corrupted SD Card
Signs of a corrupted SD card can manifest in many ways. If it’s starting to fail, you may notice unusual behavior, such as:
- The SD card is not showing up as a storage device.
- A prompt to format the card before use.
- Errors when opening files.
- A message asking to “Insert a disk” even when the card is inserted.
- Files disappearing randomly.
Part 3: How to Recover Files From Corrupted SD Card?
Before you fix corrupted SD card , your first priority should be to retrieve your data. This step is important because you might have to format the card to fix its corruption, and formatting will cause permanent data loss. Most of the time, you can extract the files yourself or with a specialized tool unless the card is physically damaged. Here’s how to recover corrupted SD memory card with 4 options based on different scenarios:
Option A: Show Hidden Files
Many times, when the card reveals nothing, yet have files on it, it might be that the card is not corrupted. But the files are set to be hidden from view in your system. Thus, you can unveil them using simple commands. Here’s how to recover corrupted SD memory card by revealing hidden files:
Step 1: Plug the card into your computer for access. Then, type “con” in the Windows search field. Execute “Control Panel.”
Step 2: Head to “Appearance and Personalization.” Then, choose “Show hidden files and folders” beneath “File Explorer Options.”
Step 3: Next, pick “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.” Hit “Apply.”
Option B: Use SD Card Recovery Software
If the card is really corrupted, then the best way is to deploy a specialized corrupted SD card recovery tool to reclaim its files. You can employ 4DDiG Data Recovery for that purpose as it can extract corrupted, formatted, deleted, and missing files from memory cards in a few clicks. The tool offers to:
- Pick your desired file formats from 2000+ types to recover.
- This app can extract data from system crashes, virus-infected & unbootable drives, missing partitions, etc.
- It can recover audio, videos, images, documents, archives, RAW files, and much more.
- This data extraction tool offers a high success rate.
- This software allows you to recover data from damaged SD card of numerous types, e.g., microSD, SDHC, SDUC, SDXC, etc.
- It enables you to examine recovered files by their name and path.
Here’s how to recover files from corrupted SD card with this tool:
Step 1: Plug the card into your computer for access. Then, execute the corrupted SD card recovery tool on the same computer.
Step 2: Choose your SD card and then your desired file types to scan. Hit “Scan Selected File Types.” Let the tool reclaim your chosen file types. You can pause or stop the scan once it does. Examine the recovered files.
Step 3: Hit “Recover” to shift the recovered files to either your computer or cloud drive.
Option C: Employ CHKDSK
CHKDSK is a Windows-embedded utility to repair bad sectors and file system errors that might be the cause of SD card corruption and reclaim data from it. Here’s how to recover corrupted SD memory card by employing CHKDSK:
Step 1: Plug your memory card into your computer for access. Then, input “cmd” in the Windows search field. Execute “Command Prompt.”
Step 2: Type the following command. Hit “Enter” afterward:
- chkdsk C:/f /r /x (This command looks for disk errors, fixes them if found, and reclaims data from bad sectors. Replace C with your SD card’s drive letter).
Option D: Apply Data Recovery Service
In case the memory card corruption is due to physical damage, look for visible signs like dents, scratches, etc. If you find any, you’ll have to send your card to a professional data recovery service, as you won’t be able to recover data from damaged SD card by yourself. The cost of each corrupted SD card recovery can vary depending on the volume and file size and the complication faced in data extraction.
Part 4: How to Fix a Corrupted SD Card?
After you recover data from damaged SD card, here are some simple solutions you can apply to fix the card’s corruption:
Fix 1: Assign a New Drive Letter
Does your SD card appear in File Explorer but not in Disk Management? Then, it may not have a drive letter, or its letter may conflict with another disk’s letter. Therefore, you can assign a new one to fix the card. Here’s how to uncorrupt an SD card by assigning a new letter:
Step 1: Plug your memory card into your computer for access. Right-click the “Windows” icon on the homepage. Then, choose “Disk Management.”
Step 2: Right-click your SD card. Tap “Change Drive Letter and Paths.” Hit “Add.”
Step 3: Pick a new drive letter from the drop-down menu. Tap “OK.”
Fix 2: Reinstall the SD Card Driver
A corrupted or outdated memory card drive could also corrupt the card. So, reinstalling the driver might fix corrupted SD card. To do so:
Step 1: Plug your memory card into your computer for access. Right-click the “Windows” icon on the homepage. Then, choose “Device Manager.”
Step 2: Extend “Disk drives.” Then, right-click your memory card. Hit “Uninstall device.”
Step 3: Remove your memory card, then connect it again with your computer, and the system will automatically reinstall the latest SD card driver.
Fix 3: Use Windows Troubleshooter
In the event your memory card is corrupted due to a minor hardware issue that can be resolved, use the built-in Windows Troubleshooter for this task. Here’s how to uncorrupt an SD card by executing the Troubleshooter:
Step 1: Plug your memory card into your computer for access. Type “Windows + R” in the Windows search field. Execute “Run.”
Step 2: Input “msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic.” Hit “Next.” This will execute the Troubleshooter. The tool will scan for hardware problems regarding your memory card that you can fix.
Fix 4: Format the SD Card
As a last resort, you can format the SD card if its file system is corrupted. Formatting will give it a new file system.
Step 1: Plug your memory card into your computer for access. Execute “File Explorer.”
Step 2: Then, choose “This PC.” Right-click your memory card. After this, select “Format.”
Step 3: Choose your desired file system, e.g., FAT32. Tick mark “Quick Format.” Hit “Start.”
Conclusion
Dealing with a corrupted SD card can be a gargantuan issue for you, especially if it holds important data. Corruption can happen due to physical damage, user errors, file system issues, or malware. While the signs of corruption include missing files, errors when opening files, or the card not showing up.
But before fixing the SD card, first focus on how to recover files from corrupted SD card. The most reliable option is 4DDiG Data Recovery, which allows you to reclaim your desired file types from corrupted, formatted, or virus-infected memory cards.