How to Recover 4K/8K Videos from Corrupted SD Cards [Pro Guide]

SD card issues can strike any camera user, from beginners to professionals, and they always seem to happen at the worst possible time.

The challenge is particularly severe when your high-resolution video (4K and 8K footage) becomes inaccessible or unreadable. At Stellar, we have seen many cases where wedding photographers, travel bloggers, and drone owners called us to tell us that they were unable to access hours of recording because the SD card got corrupted.

Yet, in most cases of SD card corruption, your precious videos are not actually gone, but just temporarily out of reach. With advanced data recovery methods, these 4K/8K video files can be recovered.

Why SD Card Corruption Occurs So Often in Cameras

Here are the most important reasons why this happens, especially when you’re dealing with modern cameras and high-bitrate video files:

1. SD cards use NAND flash memory, which naturally degrades with every write and erase cycle. Over time, this leads to more bad blocks and ever rising error rates.
2. Any interruption in the video recording process, like the camera battery, user pulling out the card too soon, or a sudden camera crash, can damage the file system structure of the SD card, which makes files disappear or become unreadable.
3. File system metadata (such as FAT/exFAT allocation tables) can be corrupted by incomplete writes or software bugs, which causes the card to show as RAW or prompt you to format it.
4. If you remove the card while the camera is still on, or use incompatible card readers and devices, the card can suffer from logic errors and show unstable mounting behavior.
5. Many users swap cards between different cameras without proper formatting, or use devices with different formatting standards, which can confuse or fragment the file system.
6. Finally, if an SD card gets bent, its contacts become dirty, it gets exposed to high moisture, or extreme heat, then its ability to maintain connection with a camera reduces, and it eventually gets corrupted.

First Steps: What To Do As Soon As You Suspect SD Card Corruption

The moment you notice that your videos are missing, unreadable, or your camera is showing a memory card error, your quick actions can make the difference between full recovery and permanent data loss. Here’s a step-by-step process you should follow before you try to fix a corrupted SD card using software or advanced tools:

1. Stop using the card immediately. Every new file, deletion, or even a camera preview risks overwriting the very data you’re hoping to recover. This is especially important with large 4K/8K footage, where even a small overwrite can destroy gigabytes of video.
2. Look for backup copies. Many cameras and apps offer automatic cloud uploads or backups. Check these before diving deeper.
3. Insert the card into a different camera, a reliable card reader, or a computer to see if it can be accessed elsewhere. Sometimes, what looks like corruption is really a compatibility issue or a temporary glitch with your camera. If your card is detected and the data is readable, make a backup.
4. Test a known-good card in your camera. By checking if other cards work, you can quickly rule out a camera fault or firmware issue.
5. Do not format the SD card, even if prompted. Formatting wipes the card’s file system and can make corrupted SD card recovery much harder and sometimes even impossible.
6. Check file sizes on your computer. If the files are present but won’t play (and show large sizes), there’s a good chance they can be recovered. If they’re zero KB, the headers may have been lost, but even then, recovery is possible.

If none of these methods help, you can still attempt to fix a corrupted SD card using Windows tools and simple repairs.

Fixing a Corrupted SD Card Using Windows Tools

These methods aim to fix a corrupted SD card at the file‑system level. They do not recover deleted data; they try to make existing data readable again.

Method 1: Use the Windows Error Checking Tool (Safest First Step)

Many SD card issues are caused by incomplete writes or metadata inconsistency, not actual data loss. This tool repairs common logical file‑system errors without touching raw data blocks.

How to do it:

1. Insert the SD card into your computer
2. Open File Explorer
3. Right‑click the SD card → Properties
4. Go to the Tools tab
5. Click Check
6. Even if Windows says no scan is needed, choose Scan and repair drive

If this works, your videos may reappear immediately.

Method 2: Reveal Hidden Files Using ATTRIB

Sometimes corruption or malware marks files as hidden instead of deleting them.

This means your data exists, but Windows has been instructed not to show it.

How to do it:

1. Press Windows + X
2. Select Terminal (Admin)
3. Type the following command and press Enter:

attrib -h -r -s /s /d X:\*.*

(Replace X with your SD card’s drive letter.)

If files appear, copy them immediately to another drive.

Method 3: Assign a New Drive Letter

If the SD card appears in Disk Management but not in File Explorer, a drive‑letter conflict may be blocking access.

How to do it:

1. Press Windows + X
2. Open Disk Management

3. Right‑click the SD card
4. Select Change Drive Letter and Paths

5. Click Add or Change
6. Assign a new letter and confirm

This step does not affect data and is safe to try.

Method 4: Repair Using CHKDSK (Use With Caution)

CHKDSK can repair file‑system errors, but it can also:

• truncate files
• move fragments into system folders
• worsen corruption on unstable cards

Only use this if earlier steps fail.

How to run it:

1. Open Terminal (Admin)
2. Enter:

chkdskX: /R

(Replace X with your SD card letter.)

Let the scan finish completely. Do not interrupt it.

Method 5: Use Windows File Recovery (Advanced Users)

If files are missing entirely, Windows File Recovery can attempt to recover corrupted video files by scanning raw data.

• Open the Microsoft Store on your Windows 10 or 11 PC.
• Search for “Windows File Recovery” and install the app.
• Insert the corrupted SD card into your computer and note the drive letter assigned (e.g., E:).
• Press Win + X, select Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
• Make sure you have another drive (not your SD card) with enough free space for recovered files—this could be your main hard drive or an external USB drive.
• Run the Recovery Command: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
  • source-drive: The letter for your SD card (where files are lost)
  • destination-drive: The letter/folder where you want recovered files saved (must be different from the SD card itself)
  • /mode: The recovery mode. For corrupted SD cards, always use /extensive
  • /switches: Lets you target file types or names (e.g., .mp4, .mov), making recovery more efficient for video files
• Example command to search for video files: winfr E: D: /extensive /n *.mp4 /n *.mov /n *.avi
• The tool will scan the SD card and attempt to copy any recoverable video files to your destination drive.
• After the process finishes, check your chosen destination drive for a recovery folder (named “Recovery_date-time”). Look inside for your recovered video files.

Note: Results are not always perfect, especially with very large or severely fragmented 4K/8K video files. If videos are recovered but will not play, you may need to use a video repair tool for further repair.

If these solutions don’t work, don’t worry. There are advanced software and professional recovery options designed specifically for video files, which we’ll cover next.

Recovering Lost 4K/8K Videos Using Photo Recovery Software

If none of the standard fixes restored your video files, there’s still no need to panic.

Most users can still recover 4K/8K video footage using dedicated photo and video recovery software.

These tools scan your SD card at the raw data level, ignore damaged file systems, and look directly for recognizable video and photo file signatures. If you’re specifically facing missing images, you can also learn how to recover deleted photos from SD card in our detailed guide.

At Stellar, our Photo Recovery Software is built for exactly this situation.

It can recover corrupted video files (alongside photos and audio) from all popular SD cards, even when they show as RAW, unreadable, or have lost file names.

The recovery process is straightforward:

• Connect your SD card to your Windows or Mac computer
• Install and launch Stellar Photo Recovery
• Select your SD card and run a deep scan
• Preview all recoverable videos and photos (including 4K, 8K, and RAW formats)
• Recover your files to a safe location, never back onto the original SD card

Note: Once you have recovered a 4K/8K video, it may still refuse to play, display errors, or seem incomplete. This is where a specialized video repair tool comes in.

Stellar Video Repair Tool is designed to fix broken, truncated, or out-of-sync 4K/8K video files. It supports all formats relevant for video files recorded using DSLRs, drones, CCTV, and more. Just add your corrupted file, supply a healthy reference video if needed, and the tool will rebuild headers and indexes, and will make the video playable again.

However, there are situations where even the best software solutions can’t fix a corrupted SD card or recover all your footage.

When You Need Professional Help: SD Card Data Recovery Services

If your SD card:

• Isn’t detected at all by any device
• Disconnects during data access or scan
• Has been physically damaged (bent, water-exposed, burnt, etc.)
• Shows severe controller or chip-level errors

…then you’re dealing with failures that require physical intervention.

At this point, your best chance is to opt for professional SD Card Data Recovery services. Here’s what happens behind the scenes at Stellar Data Recovery:

• Diagnostic Assessment: We inspect the SD card under a microscope to check for connector, PCB, or chip damage.
• Cleanroom Intervention: If necessary, we open the card in a Class 10 cleanroom to prevent contamination during chip-off or direct memory access.
• Controller & NAND Analysis: Using advanced hardware tools, we interface directly with the NAND memory chips. Our technicians read raw data at the lowest level and bypass the faulty controller or damaged file system.
• Custom Data Reassembly: For fragmented 4K/8K video, our engineers use proprietary algorithms to reconstruct file fragments, headers, and indexes.
• Media Return & Advice: Once recovery is complete, your videos are returned on a new, healthy drive. We’ll also share best practices to help you avoid future data loss.

How To Prevent SD Card Corruption in Future Shoots

While no SD card is immune to failure, you can dramatically lower your risk with a few simple best practices:

• Invest in high-quality, high-endurance SD cards, preferably those rated for 4K/8K and continuous video workloads.
• Format cards in-camera before every shoot rather than deleting files individually.
• Never remove the SD card or power off the camera while recording is still on.
• Rotate cards regularly and retire any that show errors, slowdowns, or intermittent faults.
• Avoid exposing cards to moisture, static electricity, or extreme heat.
• Back up footage immediately after each shoot and don’t rely on a single card, especially for critical projects.

By building these habits into your workflow, you’ll spend less time thinking about corrupted SD card recovery and more time focusing on your creative projects with confidence.

SD card problems can be confusing—but the right steps make all the difference. Check out the guides below to troubleshoot safely and protect your data:

• How to Format SD Cards On All Devices
• Do’s and Don’ts for ‘Undetectable SanDisk SD Card’ Error
• How to Fix Your SD Card Not Storing Data
• How to Remove Partitions From SD Card
• How to Fix SD Card Not Formatted Error