How To Fix a Corrupted or Damaged SD CardSD Card Corruption is a common problem when using removable storage between cameras and computers. Here's some ways to prevent and fix this.
SD Cards are a good way to expand the storage capacity on Android mobiles, but they can be prone to corruption and data loss. We look at the reasons behind this, what to do to prevent SD card corruption and what to do when your SD card gets corrupted.
You will know when an SD card gets corrupted when you see messages in Windows or on your phone like this:
- SD card is damaged. Try reformatting it
- SD card is not formatted do you want to format it now
- Disk is write protected
You may also encounter problems where files saved on the SD card get lost without being deleted; no stored files are displayed when you connect it to a PC, you may be unable to copy the photos or videos on the SD card, and you may get a message saying the disk is "write-protected".
Reasons why SD Cards Get Corrupt
SD cards can get corrupt for several reasons. Still, the most likely cause is removing or unplugging the card without properly unmounting it or power loss during write operations. Both of these can corrupt the filesystem.
The quality is likely poor if you have a cheap, unbranded SD card. Cheaper cards use cheap components with a much lower tolerance for failure; some even offer lower capacity than advertised and use software trickery to fool you into thinking the card is actually the advertised capacity. Always use cards from well-known manufacturers such as Sandisk, Kingston, Samsung, Lexar, Toshiba, and reputable sellers.
How to Fix Corrupt SD Card
Your first check for fixing corrupt SD cards is to reboot your phone. This should eliminate software errors such as bad memory or incorrectly loaded drivers.
If a reboot does not fix the SD card corruption, it can still be simple, such as a loose or incorrectly installed card. Try powering off the phone and removing the card. Check to ensure the contacts are clean and there is no physical damage. Also, check that the socket is dust and hair-free. Reinsert the card and power on the mobile phone. Check to see if you can read the SD card now.
If these tips have not enabled you to read the SD card, the problem may be caused by the mobile phone. You can power off the phone and use the SD card on a Windows PC with an SD card reader or USB adaptor. You can see if you can copy the files off the SD Card.
If you cannot copy all the files using this method, there will be a problem with the card filesystem. The chkdsk command can repair the filesystem. This assumes that your SD card was mounted as drive D:. It may be different on your computer, so change the drive letter accordingly.
chkdsk d: /f If this doesn't work, you may need to try specialist data recovery software to scan and recover photos and documents. DiskDigger can undelete and recover lost photos and images from your memory card or internal memory. Primo Android Data Recovery requires root access but ensures a high recovery rate.
Your SD card may be unrecoverable if you still cannot recover your files. You can format the card to reinitialise the filesystem and reset the contents. You can then test reading and writing again by saving and reading a few files back in. If this doesn't work, the SD card will almost certainly become damaged beyond repair and need replacing.
