SD cards are incredible data storage tools. But these small objects are often much more fragile than people think. It is therefore important to handle them with great care and to pay particular attention to how you store them. These cards are used in phones and cameras. It’s fair to say, then, that the data they contain is often of great sentimental or professional importance. So when they stop working properly, you can lose a great deal. If you find yourself in a situation where your card is faulty, here are some tips on how to recover data from an SD card.
Avoid formatting your card
If your goal is really to find out how to recover the data on your SD card, formatting it is by far one of the worst ideas you could try. This advice applies even if your card is write-protected. Formatting should only ever be a last resort, once you’ve tried everything else. The first thing you should try is testing different readers. You can test your card on a computer, a USB card reader, or another camera. The key here is to make sure the problem really does come from the card and not the reader, since sometimes the fault lies with the latter. You can even get hold of a standard card reader and a micro card reader, depending on which SD card you have. If the fault really does come from the card, move on to the next tip.
Turn to file recovery software
There is a very large number of programs and software that claim to be able to recover data from a corrupted or completely damaged card. Software such as Hexascan (hotline in France) lets you retrieve documents that no longer appear on your Windows laptop. It also works in cases of accidental file deletion. If you’re not keen on Disk Digger, the list of other possible software options is still a long one. You could, for example, try EaseUS Free Data Recovery.
When using software such as those mentioned above, you should bear in mind that there is no guarantee your documents will come back exactly as you lost them. Generally, they lose their original name, which can be an issue for some people. In other cases, renaming the lost file will be very easy.
Some recovery software imposes a limit on the number of files and amount of data you’re allowed to recover. So always check the recovery limits before starting the process. Also watch out for any unwanted programs that may be installed at the same time as the software you actually want. It’s advisable never to accept so-called recommended installations. In addition, always choose the manual option to make sure the software doesn’t carry out any unintended action on your behalf.
Another option available to you is Recuva. This software offers both a free and a paid version. Most of these programs are easy to use if you follow the instructions given to the letter, or if you read the on-screen text carefully to understand how they work.
Other tips for recovering data from your SD card
If you’ve followed the previous tips and no longer know how to fix this problem, don’t panic, there are still a few cards left to play.
Standard-size SD cards can be very fragile, due to the thin plastic shell that covers them. They break easily, especially if you carry them in your pockets or in a bag without protection. Sometimes the write-protection switch gets activated, which prevents your card from working inside a camera or any other reader that respects this protection. Regardless of the reason behind this activation, you will no longer be able to delete files while it’s in this state.
If your card has no physical problem, and the switch present is unlocked, you can use one of Windows’ built-in tools to fix the problem and successfully recover your data. Your options will depend on whether the SD card appears in Windows Explorer or not. If it does, click on it and select Properties. Then choose the Tools tab and click Check. Windows will scan the card and repair any errors. You will then be able to safely recover the data that was previously inaccessible.
If the card does not appear in Explorer, look for the Disk Management menu. If, even there, no matter how you go about it, you can’t identify your card, it is most likely dead, or your reader has a problem. But if the card is displayed without a drive letter, you should be able to right-click on it and take advantage of the various options available to you. You’ll just need to guide Windows so it relearns how to read this disk by following the instructions, and the problem will be solved.