Each time when you try to access your SD memory card on your Android Mobile, an error message shows up stating: “SD card is damaged. Try reformatting it.” To fix this SD card error, you format it but end up losing all the content stored in it. Isn’t it an unpleasant situation? You did exactly what the message suggested to fix the issue, but it got aggravated. This blog helps you to repair damaged SD card and recover data from it.

Figure 1.1 illustrates the  Damaged SD card error message

If the SD card displays a damaged SD card error or any other inaccessible error, stop using it immediately. Then, turn off the device and safely eject the SD card. If you continue to use the affected memory SD card, then the probability of SD card recovery would be low.

If the SD card got corrupted or damaged, then you can not access the data stored in it. There might be a possibility that during data transfer, damaged is a change in the file format or the memory card has some bad sectors.

What are the reasons that cause SD card damaged error?

There are several reasons for which an SD memory card can turn damaged or corrupted. Some of them are below:

• Reason 1: SD card becomes physically damaged due to (dropped in water, spilt hot coffee on it, etc.
• Reason 2: SD card file system got corrupted
• Reason 3: Removing the micro SD card from a device during file transferring
• Reason 4: Using the same memory card in multiple devices
• Reason 5: Improper ejection of the SD memory card
• Reason 6: The SD card is infected by a virus

Whether it is your camera or smartphone, there are situations which may corrupt the SD card and result in data loss. To preventing it, ensure that you have taken backup all the data stored on the memory SD card so that you can quickly restore deleted SD card files from the backup.

To repair/format corrupted SD card follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Turn off your camera/smartphone

Step 2: Remove the SD card

Step 3:  Insert SD card again into camera/ smartphone.

If this works, then backup all the data stored on the micro SD card and then format it.

How to Fix Damaged SD Card and Recover Data from SD Card

If the memory card is still unreadable, then know how to fix damaged SD card:

Solution 1: Connect the SD card to your computer

Connect the affected micro SD card to your computer and check whether the problem persists or not. Sometimes there are compatibility issues which may prevent the device to recognise the SD card. You can connect the SD card to your computer through a card reader. Also, you can join the corrupted SD card to another camera/ smartphone to check the issue.

Solution 2: Repair corrupt SD card using Command Prompt

• Connect the corrupted SD card to your computer
• go to “My Computer/This PC.”
• under “Devices and drives” section, locate the SD card and note its drive letter.
• Now run Command Prompt and type “chkdsk h: /r”, where “h” is the drive’s letter.

Figure 1.2 illustrates the chkdsk command

The chkdsk command scan damaged SD card and checks for the issues and repairs the corrupt micro SD card. After the completion of scanning process, connect the memory card to see if the “SD card is damaged. Try reformatting it” issue has been resolved or not.

Solution 3: Assign a new drive letter

• Open Disk Management
• Look for the SD card
• Right-click on the SD card
• Select “Change Drive Letter and Paths”
• After applying the changes, restart your system and connect the SD card again

Figure 1.3 illustrates the Disk Management Window

Solution 4: Disable the SD card

• After connecting the corrupt memory card to your computer
• Go to “Device Manager”
• Right-click on the SD card and select “Disable.”
• Wait for a few minutes and then click “Enable.”
• For the changes to take effect, you may have to restart your computer

Figure 1.4 illustrates how to disable the memory card

Solution 5: Use a data recovery software for SD Card Recovery

To efficiently recover files from the damaged  SD card, you can use a professional SD card recovery software.
However, the software will work only if the memory SD card is accessible. In case of the memory SD card is physically damaged then the software will not work.

Solution 6: Go for SD Card data recovery services

If SD card is physically damaged, you must seek the assistance of data recovery services. Data recovery services have built-in tools and a dedicated team to fix damaged SD card and safely recover lost, deleted, formatted data from SD Card.

Irrespective of the reason or complexity of the issue, Stellar Data Recovery can recover up to 100% of your critical data from SD cards, SDHC cards, SDXC cards with different “Speed Class”, Laptop hard drives, external hard drives, RAID server, etc.

To Conclude…

Ensure that the memory card you’re using is compatible with your camera/smartphone and that you follow the appropriate insertion and ejection process. Data loss is unavoidable and following proper methods will fix damaged SD Card issue. Sometimes these methods fail to repair the corrupted SD card; you can then leverage Stellar SD card recovery services to assist you in the best possible way.

Most importantly, to strike a balance between your device and the memory card, make sure that you select the right memory card!