Whether it’s our phones, our computers, a camera or even a game console, SD cards, as well as micro SD cards, are everywhere in our daily lives. Indeed, why would we do without an item that lets us store our videos, our photographs or any other digital data?
Unfortunately, while we love relying on these small, highly practical storage devices, the slightest malfunction can result in the loss of all stored files. What was meant to safeguard them can therefore lead to their loss. The most terrible part, moreover, is not so much taking stock of what has been lost, but rather not knowing which crucial document is potentially inaccessible forever and how to recover it.

How do you know if your SD card is damaged?

Unreadable SD card

First of all, it’s important to know whether your equipment is indeed damaged. To do this, insert your card into an appropriate port and a message will then appear. In the case of a computer, it immediately signals the problem with an alert message depending on the situation: 

  • “write protected,” this message appears if you cannot make any changes to your card, which can happen if it is damaged or corrupted
  • “damaged,” “read error” or “device unavailable,” sometimes error messages are particularly simple, like the ones shown here

Your computer may also be unable to properly detect your equipment, in which case it doesn’t appear at all. Here, despite the absence of an error message, your storage device is still damaged. 

How can you avoid damaging your SD card? 

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. In this case, misuse of a storage card can cause it to deteriorate. Among these misuses, two remain the most common, and we’ll look at how best to avoid the first one:

  • Careless use mainly involves abruptly removing the storage device from a device while it’s in use, whether it’s a smartphone, computer or camera. Indeed, before removing a storage device, make sure it is not currently in use, otherwise it risks being damaged, which could corrupt and cause the loss of its contents. How can you protect your storage device? The best way to avoid this is to click on the icon in the bottom right corner of your screen called “show hidden icons,” then select the option offering “safely eject” your device, and finally click “eject.” In the case of a phone or camera, turning off the device before removing the storage card remains the safest procedure. 
  • As with any computer equipment, physical damage can be a source of malfunction. An impact, a shock, or leaving the equipment in a place where the temperature is too high or too low are all causes that can damage a storage device, or indeed any electronic device. 

Whatever the cause of the failure, if you want to recover the data contained on your equipment, avoid formatting! Formatting a storage device, whatever it may be, deletes all its contents! Resist this temptation, this last resort, which is not the most suitable option for recovering your information.

How can you recover data from a damaged SD card?

How do you use the command console to recover lost data?

Two quite distinct solutions are available to anyone wishing to recover data from a damaged card. In both cases, using a computer is preferable. The first solution involves using your computer’s “chkdsk” command.

First, insert your damaged SD card into your computer using a suitable reader. In the start menu, type “cmd” in the search bar, press Enter and then click on “cmd.exe.” In the command prompt, you can enter one of the following commands: “chkdsk /X /f sd card letter:” or “chkdsk sd card letter: /f.” Of course, remember to remove the quotation marks and replace “card letter” with the letter assigned to your SD card. To find this letter, open “file explorer,” click on the “this pc” tab, and under devices and drives, you’ll find your SD card along with the letter assigned to it.

Using software available online

The second solution involves using one of the many software programs that allow you to recover data from a damaged SD card. Among recovery software, we can mention EaseUS Data Recovery, Disk Drill, Recuva or even Hexascan (hotline in France). As for this software, all you need to do is download it online, follow the installation process, and click the appropriate buttons.

The most reliable solution

Nevertheless, the most effective way to ensure you recover your data remains using the service we offer at the chronodisk laboratory. Indeed, if you’re not comfortable using your computer’s commands or unfamiliar software, our team of professionals can handle the recovery of your data, regardless of the type of file lost. With our 15 years of experience in data recovery as well as our state-of-the-art professional equipment, we are fully capable of recovering the data contained in any storage device as well as repairing it!