Just like other storage devices (hard drive, USB stick, etc.), the micro SD card is a practical medium that is used on a daily basis. It can be installed in your smartphone or in your PC using its reader. While it is practical, it is not immune to minor or major failures. For any number of reasons, it may display an error message, which in turn prevents you from accessing your personal data. It may be corrupted or damaged when such a situation occurs. However, this does not always mean that your files are permanently lost. It is possible to recover them when you apply the right solutions!
Damaged micro SD card: what are the causes and symptoms?
When your micro SD card is damaged, your data may become inaccessible, even though recovering it is not impossible. How can you tell that it is corrupted, and what are the symptoms of such corruption? Your memory card can deteriorate for several reasons:
- Attacks by malicious software, malware, and viruses
- A defective sector
- An unexpected or sudden ejection during a file transfer that affects its subsequent operation
- Sudden interruptions and errors while formatting the memory card
- A file system error
- Corrupted files, etc.
As for the symptoms or signs of a damaged micro SDHC, we can mention:
- The device is not read when it is plugged in or connected to your PC. Generally, an error message appears, telling you that the drive is inaccessible, or that the directory and data are unreadable.
- The contents of the micro SD card are visible on your PC, but you cannot transfer them, read them, add new files, or delete them. The message that usually appears in this case indicates that the disk is protected.
- The microSD is recognized and detected by your PC, but the files are inaccessible, with an error message asking you to format your device.
- An error message appears regarding the read speed and write speed of your external SanDisk.
When these situations occur, how can you recover and restore the files? A few solutions are possible, and by putting them into practice, you will be able to retrieve all your important documents.
How to recover data on a damaged micro SD card?
Can you recover data on a damaged micro SD card? File recovery is always possible as long as the files have not been overwritten and the device is readable.
Using the CHKDSK command to recover your data
Recovering data on a damaged micro SD card with the Windows CHKDSK command is not difficult. More than a recovery tool, this command first allows you to repair your corrupted memory card so that you can proceed with restoring your files. This tool does not format your storage device. To use it, you must:
- Connect your flash memory to your PC using a card reader.
- Then, in the start menu search bar, open the command prompt by typing the command “cmd”.
- When the command prompt opens, type the commands “chkdsk /X /f sd card letter: (‘f’ standing for the letter representing your drive in the “This PC” window) or “chkdsk sd card letter: /f“
- Your operating system then carries out a search to detect any anomaly on your damaged micro SD card. Once it has detected the problems, the tool takes care of fixing them. Your microSD is available again and you can recover your data.
Once again, this operation is carried out without formatting your storage device.
Using recovery software
Can you recover data on a damaged micro SD card? It is possible, and you can use recovery software for the task. To do this, you need to download and install it on your PC.
Your SIM card/memory card must be connected to your computer when running the recovery software. The software then displays the various storage media on its interface, and you choose the one on which you want to perform the restoration.
It then scans the device in question, restores your files, and transfers them to a USB stick or other compatible storage media that you have specified.
Recovery software can sometimes be complex, and it is generally recommended to have a good understanding of how it works before using it. You can try Hexascan.
Contact professionals
Is your damaged micro SD card unreadable on your computer? To recover your data, you can contact emergency data recovery professionals. The restoration solutions offered are customized and depend on the type of problems you are experiencing.