SD card, also known as memory card, is a small, portable, and functional device that may be used to expand storage capacity in a variety of devices, including digital cameras, Android phones, tablets, and so on.
However, repeated insertion and removal of the SD card, especially without safe ejection, is likely to result in file system damage or faulty sectors on the card. If your SD memory card is inaccessible or becomes corrupted and unreadable, don’t panic.
Signs your SD Card is damaged
- If you can’t open photographs, movies, or other documents on your SD card, or if they’re read improperly or in pieces, your SD card is having problems.
- If you insert the SD card into the card reader, but your smartphone or computer does not detect it. The words “Memory card error” or “Damaged memory card” may appear.
- If your operating system gives you read errors like “SD card not available,” it’s time to upgrade. The file or directory has been corrupted and is unable to be read.” “Error reading / writing to SD card” or “Error reading / writing to SD card.”
- If you can’t add, save, remove, or copy any files on the SD card but can view the complete contents of the SD card and get an error message that says “write protected,” it’s because the SD card is “write protected.”
- If you see the notice “The SD card is not formatted, do you wish to format it now?” and the SD card has to be formatted, follow the steps below.
- If your SD card has suffered any type of mechanical damage.
But, if this is only a logistical blunder, all is not lost. In certain situations, trying to repair a damaged SD card without formatting is a good idea. Furthermore, there are several alternatives available.
Try with a different adapter or device.
- This should be your primary priority.
- Maybe you think this is foolishness, but it isn’t!
- The SD card is frequently incompatible with your computer, smartphone, or other device.
- Connecting a damaged SD card to another card reader is all that is necessary to recover it without formatting.
- Hopefully, the computer will detect and read the card.
This is only one of the ways to recover a corrupted SD card without having to format it.
Check for errors on the SD card
- You can try to fix a logical mistake in Windows’ Properties menu.
- This technique does not need any technological expertise. To do so, plug the SD card into your computer, then go to My Computer and right-click on the SD card. Then choose Properties -> Tools -> Check from the drop-down menu.
- The scan will finish after a time.
- You must safely remove the SD card and restart the computer. That’s all there is to it; reconnect your SD card and start enjoying your data.
Repair a damaged SD card without having to reformat it
After you’ve completed all of these steps, it’s time to utilise the command line to repair the SD card. The following is how it works:
- The SD card must be inserted into the computer’s slot.
- Enter “cmd” in the search bar. When you press Enter, the output will be “cmd.exe.”
- When you run “cmd.exe,” you’ll see something like this:
. - Type the command chkdsk [drive letter]: parameter f or parameter r are both valid options. This is how it appears:
. - Letter d – is used as an example since you pick the drive letter and there must be a space between “d:” and “/.”
- Then hit the Enter key.
As a consequence, the process of examining and repairing your SD card’s file system will start. The command window should then display the message “Windows made file system adjustments.”
FAT32 format Android SD Card
FAT32 or exFAT is the suitable file system for external storage on an Android smartphone. Re-formatting your memory card would solve the problem if it has faulty sectors or a damaged file system. Windows built-in tools, CMD, and a third-party free SD card formatting programme are the three most common ways to format a memory card, USB flash drive, or HDD. Take, for instance, Windows Explorer:
- Connect the Android SD card to your computer and insert it.
- Locate the infected SD card using File Explorer (displays as a removable disc in general).
- Select Format from the context menu by right-clicking on it.
- To begin formatting the SD card, choose the file system to FAT 32 and click Start.
- Wait for the formatting to finish, then click OK to save your changes.