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30 July 2019  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
SD card is widely used in phones, cameras and mini electronic devices for data storage. If the SD card is unfortunately corrupted and inaccessible, methods here can help you fix the SD card.



sd card recovery in windows
SD card, the secure digital card, is used in many devices for data storage, such as cameras, smart phones, tablets, game consoles and GPS devices. SD card is small, convenient and portable as well as it quickly responds to connection. Yet, like the other digital storage devices, the SD card is easily get corrupted and reading failure.

It is suggested to buy the products whose brands are recognized by many customers, such as SanDisk, Kingston and Lexar.

Moreover, these branded products are in terms of quality services that should be an important option when you purchase.

Product

Quality service

SanDisk SD card SD/SDHC/SDXCWithin 5 years since purchasing
Kingston SD card SD/ADHC/SDXCLifetime warranty
Lexar SD card SD/SDHC/SDXCWithin 2 years since purchasing
Of course, it is likely for any SD card to be corrupted.
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Part 1: Evidences of Corrupted SD Card

Now the production technology of SD card is developed well. Basically, a SD card can be used for ten years or longer. But it will be damaged or shortened lifespan due to some improper operations. These evidences demonstrate that your SD card has been corrupted:

  • Lost data suddenly;
  • Double-click the recognized SD card but receive the notification “The disk in drive H: is not formatted. Do you want to format it now?”;
  • Be protected and unable to save files;
  • Unable to delete files;
  • Unable to add, copy or deleted the newly-added files.

If you meet with these above situations, you can refer to the following methods to fix the SD card.

Part 2: How to Fix Corrupted SD Card?

Method 1: Use CHKDSK Command

CHKDSK is a command that displays a status report for a volume and can correct any errors found in that volume. Surely, CHKDSK can quickly fix the SD card, but it will delete those files that cannot be fixed. Meanwhile, it will risk files at data coverage and data loss. If there is something important in the SD card, please refer to Method 2.
How to lauch SD card recovery via CHKDSK:
① Insert the SD card into the card reader. Then connect it to the computer.
② Type [cmd] to search the Command Prompt. Right-click at [Command Prompt] to run as administrator.
run command prompt as administrator in start menu
③ Type the command in the Prompt. For example, chkdsk f: /f (“f:” is the drive letter and /f is the parameter telling CHKDSK to fix any error it finds.) Then, press the key Enter to begin SD card recovery. Note that the process is time-consuming. It can take a long time when fixing a great deal of errors and performing on a large drive. As it is finished, exit the Prompt.
chkdsk f /f to fix sd card recovery
Finally, you can insert the SD card into the phone/camera. Check whether it can work soundly.

Yet, if the Prompt says “CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives”, you cannot use this command to fix any more. The only way is to format the SD card and set the new file system. Read Method 2!

chkdsk is not available for raw drives or it cannot be used in a raw drive

Method 2: Format SD Card

First, you should check whether there are important but lost files in the SD card. In order to retrieve these files, you can use Renee Undeleter to launch the SD card data recovery.
TipsRenee Undeleter, the simple, effective, convenient and free data recovery software, is the absolute choice for newbies and computer experts. It can retrieve various files, such as picture, videos, music, Microsoft Office documents, Outlook emails and setup files. Moreover, it is perfectly compatible with Windows and MacOS.
download software button windownload software button mac clear2
How to launch SD card recovery:

① Download and install Renee Undeleter.

gif download and install renee undeleter
② Connect the SD card to the computer with a card reader. Open the software and select [Whole Partition Scan]. This function can help you quickly retrieve the lost files when the partition is inaccessible.
select whole partition scan in renee undeleter
③ Then select the target partition and click [Next] to go on.
select the target drive to scan in renee undeleter
④ Wait for the scan. The larger SD card takes a longer time to scan.
scan and preview files to recover
⑤ As the scan is finished, the results will be listed at the left side. You can preview them in the right window.
preview and select the files to recover in renee undeleter
⑥ Select the target folder to output the files.
select the output folder for usb or sd card recovery session in renee undeleter
Now, you can format the SD card:

① Connect the corrupted SD card to the computer.

② Open [This PC] and locate at the SD card.
select the target usb drvie
③ Right-click at [Format].
sd card formatted in this pc
④ Check [Quick format] and click [Start] > [OK] to format the SD card.
check quick format
TipsHere are some tips for using SD card:

If you usually use the camera, it is suggested you change the SD card annually, or use several cards at the same time, but not use one card frequently. This way can extend the lifetime of the SD card against damage. Once a SD card is used over 5 years, it is easy to lost data. You can use Renee Becca to back up data regularly in case of data loss.