Fix and Recover Data from Corrupted SD card - Ultimate Guide

SD card corruption is an unusual situation in which you are unable to access your SD card or its files. In severe cases, the card may not be detected by your computer and cannot be formatted. Additionally, memory card corruption can result in missing files. there are many do's and don'ts when an SD card is corrupted, so read the whole article before you take action.

The method to fix a corrupt SD card depends on the issue or error that caused the corruption or damage to the card. Some common issues include:

• File system corruption.
• Physical damage or manufacturing defects.
• Virus infection, improper ejection, or bad sectors on the SD card.

Before you can begin any repair or recovery process, you must first ensure that your SD card is corrupted. To do so, try these early checks on your SD card.

Check if Your SD Card is Corrupt

• Try SD card on a different device: If the SD card is not detected on your laptop/computer, check if another system can operate it without any issues.
• Try using a different card reader: Sometimes the fault may be in the SD card reader rather than the SD card itself, try using another SD card reader and check if you can access the data.
• Check if the files are hidden: Check File Explorer to see if the SD card files are hidden. You may need to adjust the viewing settings to view and access the SD card data.
• Verify the Write-protection: ensure that your SD card’s write protection is removed, so that you will able to copy or create files in the SD card.

If you have verified all of the following and are still unable to locate or access the SD card files, your SD card is corrupted. You need to fix it as soon as possible, as the corruption may worsen over time and lead to the failure of the entire card.

Beware: If you have any crucial or necessary data on your SD card, recover data from the SD card before trying to fix any corruption issue.

7 Methods to Fix Corrupt SD Card

You need not be a tech expert to fix SD card corruption, Here are some DIY methods that can repair a corrupt SD card with some basic computer knowledge.

Method 1: Assign a new letter to the Corrupt SD card

SD card not reading or not recognized can be due to conflicting storage drive letters. If your SD card drive letter has the same letter as any of the existing drive letters, then your SD card cannot be accessed. You must assign a new or different letter to your SD card to repair corrupted SD card.

• Connect the damaged or inaccessible SD card to your Windows 10.
• Right-click on Windows Icon and open Disk Management. Right-click the corrupt SD card drive to assign a new letter.
• Select the Change drive letter and paths option.

• Now, click the Change button and assign a new letter to your corrupt SD card by clicking on the drop-down option beside Assign the following drive letter.

• Now, click OK to confirm.
• Restart your Windows computer to access your SD card without any conflict or error.  

Method 2: Use the Error Checking tool 

The file system on a storage drive helps to understand where and how the files are saved. If the SD card file system is corrupt, then all your files saved on it will be lost. The following method will help you repair the corrupt SD card file system to restore the lost data. 

• Connect your corrupt SD card to your Windows PC.
• Open Windows File Explorer and Right-click on your corrupt SD card that needs to be repaired.
  

• Click the Properties option and then select the Tools tab.
  

• Now, click the Check button and select Scan and repair Drive option to start fixing your corrupt SD card.
  

• Once the corrupt SD card repair process completes, you will get a pop-up message saying Your drive was successfully repaired.
  

Method 3: Run Command Prompt on Windows

Command prompt (cmd) is a highly proven method to resolve the micro/SD card inaccessible or unreadable issues on Windows. Using this method, you can easily fix and recover corrupt USB or SD cards without formatting.

• Connect your damaged or corrupted SD card with your Windows 10 or any other version of your PC.
• Type cmd in the Windows search box.
  

• Right-click the command prompt and select Run as administrator.
• Type chkdsk G: /f and hit Enter.

• Note: Replace G with your corrupt memory card letter.

Method 4: Reinstall the SD card driver on Windows 10

An outdated SD card driver will not only make your SD card files not readable but can also make your SD card not show up on Windows File Explorer. However, you might find your SD card on Disk Management. Update or reinstall the SD card driver on your Windows computer to make your SD card and its files accessible.

• Connect your corrupt SD card to your system.
• Type Device Manager on your Windows search box and open it.

Method 5: Format corrupt SD card 

Formatting the corrupt or damaged SD card makes your SD card drive malware-free and permanently removes the files saved on it. It is highly recommended to back up your SD card data before formatting to avoid a data loss scenario. In case you are not able to access your micro/memory card drive to recover data, then you can use memory card recovery software to recover your files from the corrupted SD card before formatting it.

• Connect your corrupt 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.

This will format the SD card in a file format of your choice.

In case you can’t locate your SD card in the file explorer, you can use diskpart command to force format the SD card.

Method 5: Run Diskpart in CMD 

A memory card showing a read-only error can be when it is write-protected or it is locked. Moving down the SD card slider to unlock position can make it unlock. However, to fix the memory card write-protected issue, you should follow the below-proven method. 

• Connect your corrupt SD card that is not reading to your Windows system.
• Press the Windows key and type cmd in the Windows search box.
• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type diskpart and press Enter.
• Type list volume, all connected your connected drives, along with corrupt SD card will be listed.

• Type select volume 1.
  Note: Replace 1 with your corrupt SD card drive number.
• Type attributes disk clear read-only and hits Enter.
• Restart your Windows and reconnect your SD card to use it without any issues.

Method 7: Force corrupt SD Card to Format

If your SD card becomes severely corrupt or not visible on Windows File Explorer, then formatting it using the normal method won’t work. Follow this method to format the memory card forcefully. This method results in severe data loss, so ensure you have restored your SD card data using reliable methods.

• Press the Windows button and type cmd.
• Open the command prompt with Run as Administrator.
• Type: diskpart in the command prompt window.
• Type: list disk and hit Enter
• Type: select disk 1 and hit Enter (Replace 1 with the corrupt memory card drive letter)

• Type: clean and hit Enter.
• Type: create partition primary and hit Enter.
• Type: select disk 1 and hit Enter (Replace 1 with your corrupt or damaged SD card drive number)
• Type: active to make the SD card partition activate.
• Type: format fs = NTFS or format fs = fat32 and hit Enter.
• Type: assign letter = F

After this, type exit to finish the process. This will format the corrupt SD card forcefully and fix SD card corruption.

If nothing from the above solutions worked out for you? Then you need to be heading towards data recovery rather than trying to fix the corruption issue on your SD card.

How To Recover Data From a Corrupt SD Card?

To recover files from a corrupted SD card, you need an efficient tool to understand and access the data residing on the corrupt SD card. Remo Recover is one professional data recovery tool capable of recovering data from corrupt SD cards.

The simple interface of the tool makes the process of retrieving data from a corrupt SD card simple and easy. If none of the above solutions succeed in recovering the corrupt SD card, then the SD card recovery software is your last DIY solution.

Step 1: Download and install Remo Recover software to restore files from a corrupt SD card

Step 2: Launch the software and connect the corrupt or damaged SD card to your system

Step 3: Select the corrupt SD card. If your card is undetected on the main screen, click on Can’t find the drive? to select it as a physical disk and hit the Scan button

Note: During the scanning process, you can click on the Dynamic Recovery View option and preview the files the tool is recovering from your corrupt SD card

Step 4: Once the scanning is completed, all your files from the corrupt SD card will be found under the Lost Partition folder. You can also make use of the Tags folder to easily locate your lost files with other properties

Step 5: Select the files you want to restore and click on the Recover button

Note: Save the recovered files in a new location from the previous one to avoid losing them again.

Expert Tips to Avoid SD card corruption

• Safely Eject the SD Card: Always safely eject the SD card from an Android phone, camera, PC, Mac, or any other device to avoid corruption.
• Avoid Virus-Infected Devices: Do not connect your memory card to severely virus-infected devices.
• Avoid Abrupt Removal During File Operations: Do not remove or disconnect the micro/ SD card while reading, writing, or transferring files from it.
• Have a Sufficient Battery while Shooting: Do not use your digital camera on a low battery to avoid missing files from the camera memory card.
• Reliable Data Recovery Software: It is recommended to use reliable data recovery software to restore deleted files from SD cards. This will help you avoid SD card data corruption.
• Avoid Extreme Conditions: Do not expose your SD card to abnormal temperatures and dust.
• Maintain some free space: Having some free space on the SD card helps in its proper functioning and prevents full memory issues.
• Format the New SD card: It is highly recommended to format the new SD card to create compatibility between the SD card and the device.

Conclusion

Dealing with a corrupt SD card can indeed be frustrating, but there are effective methods available for recovery and fixing. If you're eager to recover files from a corrupted SD card.

Remo Recover is one of the best SD card recovery software that offers efficient corrupted SD card recovery with just a few clicks.

Also, remember the tips that can go a long way in keeping your SD card safe from corruption issues, We hope the solutions in this article helped you in getting access to your SD card data.

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About the Author: John Harris

With a decade of experience in data recovery, John Harris, Senior Editor at Remo Software, is your go-to specialist. His focus includes partition management, Windows solutions, and data troubleshooting, delivering insightful content that serves both users and search engines. John's expertise shines through in illuminating blog posts, untangling data loss intricacies across diverse storage platforms.…