Utilities + techniques that will repair a damaged SD memory card, cure format errors and make sd work on a computer and phone.

Types of Damage to SDHC Memory Cards

The most common scenarios that lead to problems reading sd cards on mobile devices and PCs are as follows:

• Physical damage to the memory card
• The presence of bad sectors in the file table of the sd card:
  • After an unsuccessful file transfer (copy-paste or Ctrl + X)
  • In the event of a system failure of the OS (sudden shutdown of the PC) or phone
• Other unknown reasons why the sd card is damaged

How to repair a damaged memory card through the console

To fix read errors on a memory card, you can use the command line and chkdsk. The utility is present in any version of Windows.

How to use chkdsk when fixing a memory card:

1. Open the Run menu via the Start menu or the Win + R hotkeys.
2. Type cmd, Enter
3. At the command prompt, type chkdsk [drive letter]: /f /r, Enter
4. Press Y to confirm running check

Meaning of keys in chkdsk:

• Flag / f - fix errors on the memory card
• Flag /r - fix bad sectors on the disk

The functionality of the chkdsk utility also contains other scan options, they can be found through the /? .

Formatting the memory card using SDformatter

Often problems with a memory card arise due to incorrect formatting. As a result,

• sd card is not readable
• not displayed when connected on certain PC configurations
• a memory card with the NTFS file system is not available for writing files on Mac OS.

For these purposes, the free program SDformatter is the best suited. It performs formatting of sd cards. More is not required of her. Does the job SDformatter better than standard Windows formatting programs - in fact, not quite suitable for formatting SD / SDHC memory cards.

card reader(external or internal) - a special device connected to a computer. It is inexpensive and is sold in most computer stores. If you have a laptop - it is likely that the card reader is already built in.

SDformatter is far from the only utility for working with flash drives, USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a great alternative. This free program has the same features - formatting to (ex)FAT / NTFS and checking the file structure / clusters for errors.

The disadvantage of formatting as a method of correcting errors is obvious: all files previously stored on the memory card will be irretrievably lost. But if it is more important for you to fix errors on the memory card and quickly return it to working condition, it is more difficult to come up with a better way to solve the problem than formatting.

Is it possible to save files if the memory card asks for formatting

Again, we will not rule out that a damaged sd card may contain very important files. Sometimes they can be saved, but in some situations you will have to say goodbye to them.

One of the most famous cases, when, as a result of reading errors, the operating system offers, to put it mildly, not the best option - to format the memory card, therefore, deleting it completely.

How to act in a situation if a flash drive (or rather Windows) requires you to format it? Try to restore the work of the damaged SD card bypassing the formatting - so that the files remain on it.

1. Ignore the formatting prompt.
2. Use a recovery program (such as PhotoRec or TestDisk) to scan the memory card.
3. Save the recovered files on your computer.

How to do this through PhotoRec, read.

Is there a possibility of irreversible damage to the memory card?

Oh sure. Read errors on the memory card are not recovered by software if they are of a mechanical nature:

• you have damaged the memory card by dropping or stepping on it,
• water has entered the memory card,
• when the phone caught fire, the memory card was subjected to thermal impact.

If the problem is a hardware property, in the case of a hard drive or a USB flash drive, it is possible to replace the chips in the laboratory. However, an SD memory card, which has microscopic dimensions, cannot be restored - it is only possible to replace a damaged memory card with a new one. Moreover, the presence of visible damage excludes a free replacement under warranty.

Additional Information. What happens when the memory card is damaged

We list the characteristic symptoms: what is happening, the sd memory card is damaged.

• Photos, videos open with errors or are not displayed completely
• SD card is unreadable or not recognized by phone/PC
• My phone shows a message that it is not possible to write to the SD card
• Damaged sd card asking to format it
• OS informs about reading errors, freezes when connecting sd card to computer

Question answer

My sd memory card was damaged, can I recover lost photos on it? What should I do?

Answer. Yes, in most cases, CardRecovery 6.10 (a program for recovering a flash drive) is able to reliably recover photos from damaged memory cards (but not in all cases. It mainly depends on the current state of the memory card and the number of free space overwrite cycles).

CardReader is the optimal application for recovery, since this program is "sharpened" for media formats and memory cards. In addition, we can advise an alternative - RhotoRec. It searches for file signatures and in some cases finds what CardReader misses.

On the sd card, most of the photos are damaged. Folders with damage supposedly. After reading your article, I realized that the problem may have arisen due to "overwriting". Is it possible to restore photos on a damaged microsd?

Answer. Yes, it is definitely less likely to recover a microsd memory card after overwriting. Therefore, it is best to get it out of the phone and restore it only through the card reader by connecting the sd card to a computer or laptop.

The phone showed a message that the memory card is not supported by the phone. Checked. The card is indeed damaged. Is it possible to restore or pull out photos and videos from there and how to do it. Thank you.

Answer. If the memory card is damaged, you need to remove it from the phone (or other device where it was used), connect it to the computer through a card reader and scan the sd card using recovery programs. This is the only way to get data back from a damaged card.

If there is physical damage (and, consequently, the computer does not see the sd card), alas, recovery is not possible.

The SD card is damaged. I can’t open and view files both through my phone (Android) and computer (Windows 7). downloaded the program CardRecovery 6.10. build 1210 (evaluation version), the program found the files, BUT at the last stage, i.e. saving, a line appeared in which you need to keep the key. if there is no key, you need to buy it. So, is it possible to somehow restore files without cost? because there is a lot of valuable information on the SD card, I would not like to format it. I hope very much for your help.

Answer. Yes, you can repair a damaged phone sd card at no cost. Since you're talking about CardRecovery, you'll either have to buy the full version from the developer's website ($40) or download it from rutracker in the pro version. Of the free and high-quality programs for complete recovery, we can recommend the Recuva program (we have already done a detailed review of its functions). In order for the memory card to be defined in the list, you need to connect it via a card reader to a PC.

Recently I decided to take a picture, but when I take a photo, it is saved, but the gallery has a black screen. Also, VK does not listen to music and pictures and screenshots are not saved to the memory card. What to do? I hope for your help!

Answer. Your phone's memory card may be damaged. You can fix file system corruption by formatting the sd card on a computer or directly on your phone (read above how to do this). If this method does not work, try replacing the SD card or, as a last resort, resetting the phone to factory settings.

About five days ago, the phone began to show an icon that the memory card (flash drive) was damaged and offered to erase everything from it. I didn't do it. Two days later, all audio recordings disappeared. And today I found that most of the photos were also gone. What to do? Is it possible to restore them?

Answer . As a rule, ifsdthe card is damagedWindowsoffers to format it (= erase). Before doing this, it is best to copy all remaining data to a PC.

The next step is to perform a quick format (Quick, but notFull!) and scan the memory card with recovery programs.Of the free ones, we recommend Recuva, PhotoRec, DiskDigger for PC.

I ordered myselfsd cardto aliexpress. Plugged it into the phone - everything worked. an hour passed, I rebooted the phone - it stopped seeing the flash drive, the situation is the same on the computer. butsdthe card is connected to the computer and is present in the list of media. I go to my computer - it's not there, I go to Disk Management - it shows that the disk is working fine. At the same time, I can not format or copy files to a USB flash drive. inserted into a tablet with android 5.0: it is shown that the flash drive is damaged and asks to be formatted. I started to format, OSWindowformats and completes formatting successfully, but nothing happened after this procedure.

What should I do in this situation? How to recover micro sd? I accept any options, except for contacting the service.

Answer . Replacing the flash drive under warranty would be the fastest solution to the problem. ButsdIt is problematic to return the card from aliexpress to the seller: it will take months to send it by mail.

If formatting doesn't help, try creatingdisk Volumeon thesdmap using a standard componentWindows: control panel - disk management. Then assign any free letter for Disk Volume.

Before the holidays, we bought a new digital camera. Of course, we also bought a new memory card for him. Well, we are walking, taking pictures, already 900 photos, a 32 GB flash drive, it should have been enough for a lot of photos, but suddenly the camera gives an error that we damaged the flash card. And the pictures won't open. We arrived home, began to look, but the flash drive does not open anywhere.

Question: is there a problem with the camera or with the flash drive? How can I restore the photo?

Answer . Theoretically, the error can be caused by the camera, but this happens very rarely. For example, if the camera software contains errors, this is solved by flashing the device.

But most often the problem is related to improper operation of the memory card: for example, if you took it out of the camera without turning it off or connected it to another device / took it out of the card reader without removing it (unmounted).

What to do if the memory card is damaged? The best thing:

1. Check the memory card for errors by connecting it to a PC
2. Format media - if especially important photos are onsdthe map is no longer there.

Also check if the contacts on thestorage device. If the shooting was carried out in difficult weather conditions, this could cause contamination and, consequently, deterioration of the electrical conductivity of the memory card.

[The phone cannot recognizeSD-card after 3 days of use]

My telephonevivo y53 reads my oldSD-card, but I have a new one for 32 GB. My phone reads it, but only when transferring files from phone toSD-card. Some files are corrupted and when sharing files on another deviceSD the card will automatically turn off. What can be done to restore the sd card and the files on it?

Answer . It is necessary to check the memory card for read errors: you may have removed it incorrectly or, over time, erroneous sectors have appeared that prevent writing / reading). Suitable for scanningchkdskor command line (seemanagement for error correction).

If no errors are found, copy the contents of the memory card to your computer (make a backup) and formatsdmap using the utilitySD Formatter . For these purposes, programs available on the manufacturer's website are also suitable.sdcards (if any).

[Memory card is corrupted... I've been trying to fix it for 3 days and nothing happens]

About 3 days ago my micro SD card suddenly went bad. Photos do not open, as well as videos. Here's what I've tried:

• Checked if the memory card works on another device
• Tried fixing errors via: "chkdsk:D/F" on my PC
• Tried restarting and turning off the phone several times.
• Tried to see if it works on my PC.

Does anyone know anything I can do how to recover a microsd memory card? Would appreciate any help.

Answer .

1. Look for branded software on the memory card manufacturer's website. In some cases, utilities for formatting a flash drive can be useful..
2. You can check the disk for errors not only through the command line, try other utilities for diagnosing a hard disklikeHDDScan.
3. If the contentsdcard is not available, but the drive is detected in Explorer (Windowsrequires formatting it), saves quick formatting of the flash drive and subsequent recovery via Recuva or similarrecovery-soft.

my 32gb sd card got corrupted when i tried to download a file from a torrent. I can read data from the SD card, but I cannot delete it or write new files. I tried cmd to solve the problem but couldn't partition the memory map.

Please help me fix my sd card.

Answer . If you downloaded virus software from torrents, the virus may have blocked access to removable media. Therefore, it would not hurt to check the PC andsdmap for mistakes.

Second moment. If you write files to free space, where there isbadsectors,Windowswill give an error. To resolve the error, check the memory card for errors or movebad-sectors to the end of the file table using diagnostic software.

For no reason, the sd card was damaged. The phone offered to format it, and before that copy the files to the PC. But the computer does not see it. What is on the internal memory of the phone - sees. A memory card is not. And how then can I copy the files from it before formatting? It is very important to save these files.

Answer. Do not settle for formatting if it is important to save files stored on the media. You need to check the sd card for read errors and fix them. How to do this - see above in the text (use chkdsk or similar utilities).

Please tell me what to do in such a situation? The Samsung j5 16 phone was packed to the bone, and he and the flash drive, after a while, stopped seeing the memory card or saw it, but a window popped up: the memory card is damaged, replace it with a new one. When I deleted files or rebooted the phone, I saw the memory card without problems. I thought what it was from lack of space and therefore I decided, out of harm's way, to pull the card out of the phone and put it in a special box. After about 3 weeks, I decided to clean it through the computer, but it also did not open on it. Is it possible to do something with it, there is a lot of important information.

Answer. Check for bad sectors through chkdsk, then format and use further (if there are no errors, of course).

Micro SD 32 GB was in Android 7 Nougat. At first, the memory card disappeared several times, as if removed and inserted. The phone suggested setting it as default. I thought the contact of the card with the phone is bad. Then it turns off and everything, neither the phone nor the card readers on the computer see it, do not react, as if it is not there. There was no damage or inaccuracies, it just turned off and that's it. Is it realistic to do something? Thank you.

Answer. Most likely there are reading errors, a corrupted file table. These errors are easily fixed; you can restore the sd card using the chkdsk utility for Windows or its graphical equivalent.

My sd card was stolen and then returned. A few weeks after returning, the phone suddenly stopped reading and recognizing the card. Neither the phone nor the SD card appears to be damaged and it literally came out of nowhere. The phone says that the SD card is not inserted, but it is not. What to do?

Answer . If onsdthe card is not physically damaged, it may contain software errors. Actually we are discussing this topic, so re-readFAQand answers to questions - most likely, your case has already been considered.

I have an 8 gig flash drive, but half of the selectors are damaged along the way, since I can only write 3 gigs to it, if I start filling it up more, the computer freezes dead, how to cure it so that the remaining 3 gigs can also be filled, although the computer is in The properties of the flash drive shows that another 3 gigabytes are free.

My card has become in the RAW system - when checking with programs, it just turns off - apparently there are damaged sectors - nothing helps from what is described on the Internet - help!

What should I do if I received a notification on my phone that the sd card is damaged, although everything looks fine? I tried to remove it, reboot the phone - all to no avail. I do not have a computer, tell me how to solve the problem, thanks in advance

A 32 GB SD card was in the phone, at one fine moment after the device was rebooted, a record appeared that the SD card was damaged and needed to be replaced. I connected the sd to the computer. The computer identified it, showed all the files, but nothing could be done with them. Then I put the sd back into the phone and it was written that the sd needs to be formatted, but when I press format, after 20% the message pops up that the formatting has been interrupted. Tell me please, is it possible to restore the sd card or is it a corpse?

These micro sd cards have already tortured me !!! the problem is this: there are two phones, samsung and xiaomi and there is an mp3 mini player, there is a card where a lot of music is uploaded and at one time this card worked on all devices, but sometimes due to turning off or rebooting the phones, a message popped up about the damage to the memory card and naturally all the music disappeared, they don’t see its devices, but if you insert it through the card reader into the computer, then the card shows normally, all the files are in place and work, I insert it back into the phone or mp3 and again all over again, nothing, the card is damaged! Is it possible to restore it?

Why does the phone show that the memory card is damaged? I formatted it, but the card is still damaged. Lenovo phone.

The phone writes that the microsd is damaged and not formatted, although everything works fine on the computer, but there are files that can only be opened through the phone, and I need them, because this is the miui folder (I have xiaomi) what should I do?

Phone Samsung Galaxy A3 2016 Writes that the memory card is damaged. I did some formatting. I took it out of the phone, installed it in another, everything works there. Rearranged again in my own, the same thing - the memory card is damaged. Tell me, is it possible to fix the problem yourself? Or only a recovery specialist will help?

HTC. 530..does not accept sd.. The card is damaged.. The other works fine.. Although the same flash drive worked on it.. I changed the phone.. I just transferred the flash drive to a new phone.. Sony. Works fine.. Didn't use HTC for some time.. Left it as a reserve.. So it happened.. Sony gave it for repair.. Htc. Does not want to accept any sd .. When formatting, it says that the sd card is outdated. It works slowly and needs a sd3 of its generation .. The sd with which he worked also does not want to open .. Although Sony sees the same sd .. Can you tell me what the problem is.

Please tell me how to restore the memory card. She just stopped responding at some point, and she was left with wonderful photos.

Sincerely, Mikhail Borisov.

Flash memory made it possible to make drives compact and capacious at the same time. In just a few years, manufacturers have gone from the SD format, 32 × 24 mm in size, to the miniature Micro-SD, 11 × 15 mm. Now such drives can be seen in a laptop, and a tablet, and a smartphone. Therefore, the issues related to them unite today almost all owners of mobile devices. Why can there be data loss on the SD card, and what to do in this case?

Causes of SD card data loss

The SD card is a very thin and capricious electronic device. Therefore, anything can disable it:

• Removing the card from the slot at the moment when the device, camera or phone is recording something on it;
• A discharge of static electricity from the user's hands at the moment the hands touch the contacts of the flash drive;
• Dropping the device;
• Sudden shutdown when the battery is completely discharged.

The problem may occur more often if applications have been installed on the card. The probability that the drive was being written to at the time of a power outage or failure is higher in this case. Therefore, smartphone manufacturers recommend installing everything important on the built-in memory of the phone, and storing only photos and music on the SD card.

Methods for recovering an SD memory card and data on it

In the simplest cases, regular scanning by the operating system helps: Android or Windows phone. After scanning, file system errors are automatically corrected. At most, only the last photo or song is lost. Windows Phone 8.1 and higher have their own SD card scanning utility. It starts immediately when the phone starts, if the system suspects errors in the removable drive.

On Android, you may be advised to install a third-party program. One of these is . According to user reviews, it helps a lot.

Recovery using Windows

You can remove the card from your mobile device and scan it using the desktop operating system.

Insert the SD card into the reader and run a normal flash drive scan. To do this, right-click on the shortcut and select properties.

Now you can click the Check and repair SD card button. Errors will be found and corrected.

Format SD card

You can also format the SD card can be formatted. This is also done through the context menu on the right mouse button.

Keep in mind that the format offered by the desktop operating system does not always match the mobile device you are using. After troubleshooting, it is better to format the SD card using the tablet or smartphone itself, in which it is supposed to be used.

SD Formatter

A good solution would be to use the SD Formatter program. It is specifically designed specifically for formatting drives of this type.

This method helps to restore the performance of some models of car navigators.. Errors occurred when writing a large map file larger than 1 GB to a flash drive. After formatting the SD Formatter and rewriting all the files, the navigator started working correctly.

In some cases, special utilities such as EasyRecovery can help in recovering data from an SD card.

Attention! If ChipGenius did not see the flash drive or SD card and it was not read on any device available to you, then all further attempts to revive the drive may be useless.

What to do if the SD card is write-protected?

Another typical failure with drives of this type is the transition to the read-only state. If this happens with an SD card, check the position of the switch on the side. Maybe you switched it to read-only mode yourself, by mistake.

Micro-SD does not have such a switch. Therefore, we are dealing with a controller failure. If the card is branded, then you can look for a special utility from the manufacturer. They are produced for use in service centers. In fact, these programs reset the controller to the original state that it received at the factory. Sometimes this way you can bring the drive itself back to life.

If something happens to the SD card, then first copy all the files from it to your computer's hard drive or other media! This must be done before any operations with the drive. In the process of working with it with special utilities, you run the risk of forever losing not only the flash drive, but also valuable data on it.

What to do if your SD card keeps crashing

There are only two possible reasons: the drive itself or the device in which you use it. Try replacing the card in your smartphone or tablet with a new one and watch the process. If the failures have stopped, then it is best not to use this capricious drive anymore. At the most important moment, it will let you down and leave you without important files.

If the smartphone is also unstable with the new media, then there may be a problem with its controller or firmware. Try to find a firmware update for the device and learn from the experience of other users of the device. It is known that old smartphones work unpredictably with cards of new formats with high recording density. Perhaps things will be better with a simpler 16 or 32 GB card.

I received a request on the topic "MicroSD memory card is not detected." The full text of the request is below in the screenshot.

As you already understood, the client was interested in the possibility of repairing a damaged memory card. After carefully reviewing the sent pictures with damaged memory cards, I came to the conclusion that there are chances to recover data from a damaged microSD, and they are pretty good.

As for the possibility of repair, the opposite is true here. In the case when there is physical damage, then there can be no talk of repair. And it's not even about this particular case, but about the situation as a whole. MicroSD card production technology does not imply repair options, although there are exceptions, but this is an exception to the rule. You can learn about repairing flash drives in my blog blog ..

Reminder:All -micro and -mini SD are monolithic flash drives, with all the consequences. You can read more about data recovery from monoliths in this publication.

Important:If there is important data on the card, and the microSD (microSD) is not working, then you should think about the need for repair. Repair can destroy all data, without the possibility of further recovery of information.

What to do if MicroSD is not detected

The fact is that almost all memory cards, for the most part, cannot be repaired, but there are some nuances. So, for example, I had cases when clients brought me such memory cards, well, completely with "childish" problems. Below I will give a couple of examples.

Case #1

The client calls, they say I had an SD card in the camera, but one day it was no longer detected in the device, and there, well, “mega important pictures” are. First of all, I thought that there was a problem with the card controller, but everything turned out to be trite and simple.

Solution. It turned out that the client did not have an SD card at all, but a microSD inserted into the SD adapter (photo example below). After removing the microSD from the adapter and connecting via a card reader, I was able to access the contents of the disk in the normal mode (without any "unknown" manipulations) and copied the data to the client's flash drive. For this, I was even ashamed to take money. Here such cases happen.

The thing is that SD adapters are a very unreliable “device” and you should not trust him. The strangest thing for me is that even some professional photographers use such a crutch, which I still cannot understand.

Case #2

Contacts are oxidized. There are also cases when oxides appear “banally” on the card connector. In such cases, the microSD is not detected by the phone or any other device to which it is connected.

Solution. The solution here is, well, very simple, and for this we need - the usual stationery gum and a cotton swab with technical alcohol. In general, you can do without alcohol, but how can we do without such a “device”. To eliminate oxidative processes, you need to take an eraser and gently (without the use of brute physical force, but without gentle rubbing) go over the contacts with an elastic band until they become shiny as in the photo below. After making sure that the connector contacts are well cleaned, you need to apply a little alcohol on the ear stick and clean the contacts and wait until the alcohol dries.

On this, perhaps, the article on what to do if MicroSD memory cards are not detected can be considered closed. All good mood and life without breakdowns that could not be fixed.

If you have any questions about this topic - write in the comments below the article.

More information about data recovery from memory cards can be found in the section "Data recovery."

Did you like our article and find it useful? - share with your friends.

Many have encountered the disappearance of files from microsd memory cards installed in cameras, tablets and other gadgets. This can happen when the storage media is physically damaged, software problems, a virus attack, or accidental deletion of information by the user. Knowing the cause of the failure, you will be able to recover the missing data with maximum efficiency.

Attention! If even the slightest malfunction of the flash drive is detected, it is recommended that you immediately back up important data and only then deal with the problem that has arisen.

If you didn’t have time to save the information in a safe place, you need to remove the micro SD media from the gadget and in no case write new information to it. This is due to the fact that when recording (resaving), new files can completely overwrite the remnants of old ones. In this case, the chances of their successful recovery are sharply reduced..

Ways to reanimate microsd memory cards

Depending on the reason for deleting data from a microsd memory card, the following can be used for resuscitation:

• special programs (R.Saver, R-Studio, Recuva, etc.);
• hardware intervention;
• mechanical recovery of the memory card itself.

Programs for resuscitation of lost information

The success of recovering a micro sd flash drive largely depends on the resuscitator program used. There are a lot of such programs on the Internet. Most of them work on the same principle. Therefore, having dealt with one utility, you can easily master others. As an example, consider how to recover data lost from microsd using the popular R.Saver program.

This utility is considered one of the best of its kind, due to its versatility, efficiency and ease of use. R.Saver allows you to restore access not only to accidentally deleted or infected files, but also to a fully formatted micro SD card.

To recover data lost from a flash drive, you must:

Data recovery by hardware

The R.Saver program and similar utilities are suitable for resuscitating data from healthy microsd media. But what to do with damaged cards? Restoring lost files and folders from a faulty micro sd memory card will be much more difficult, but if you follow the instructions exactly, there is a way out even from this situation.

All micro SD flash drives are equipped with microcontrollers, the operation of which is controlled by special programs. Over time, they begin to fail and may even fly off. This causes the card to fail.

In this case, to reanimate the storage medium (rewrite the control program), you will need:

To correct mechanical damage to a micro sd memory card, it is better to take it to a workshop, since it will be very difficult to repair at home without specific equipment (a soldering iron with a thin tip for microcircuits, a magnifying glass, etc.). However, the services of a specialist are paid, so consider whether the information posted on the flash drive is really worth paying for.