Micro SD cards are vital data storage devices that make it very convenient to store and transfer data between devices. However, it can be excruciating if you can’t access your files on the micro SD card because of a few errors, such as disk corruption. That’s why you need to learn data recovery.
However, this should not worry you as we have several ways to fix a corrupted micro SD card. The good news is that you can perform these fixes without formatting the disk and losing your files altogether. Otherwise, if you lose your data accidentally, you can check out the methods to recover corrupted files. Because these methods will help you save everything you might suddenly lose.
Common Signs Of SD Card Corruption
Disk corruption is common and may lead to SD card failure without warning. However, you will often be able to see tell-tale signs of corruption before your disk stops working completely. Below are some of the common symptoms to look out for.
No SD card detected
This occurs when you insert the SD card into your computer or digital camera, but nothing shows up, even after a long wait. Although this may be quite alarming, it only means your card is corrupted.
Read/write Issues
Read or write issues are a clear sign that your card is corrupted. This error mainly occurs when transferring files from your SD card or into it. Do not attempt this transfer several times to try and complete the process, as this may lead to further corruption of your files.
Connection Errors
SD card mounting should occur instantly. However, if you have to insert the card several times for it to mount correctly, you may be dealing with a corrupted SD card. However, this failure may also have been caused by mechanical issues such as cracks on the card, bends, or twists that make your card more difficult to mount.
Slow Performance
SD card corruption can easily interfere with its performance. As a result, your card will begin to load very sluggishly, and data transfer will take much longer.
Look out for the errors we have discussed, and do not take chances if you notice any. So how do you fix a corrupted micro SD card to recover files? Let’s go straight into this.
Ways To Fix Corrupted SD Card
1. Try The SD Card On Another Device
There are chances that your SD card is not damaged and that all the issues resulting from your computer. You can rule out this possibility by trying the SD card on another computer from a friend or public library. You can also try this test with your smartphone if you do not have another nearby computer. However, be careful when fixing a corrupted SD card with your smartphone not to erase it in the process. If this fails, please try the other methods below to fix your corrupted micro SD card.
2. Use SD Card Data Recovery Software
SD card corruption can easily result in the loss of data. Disk Drill software is a reliable data recovery solution for all SD card types, including SD Extended Capacity (SDXC). It can quickly fix your card and recover lost files. Besides, it helps you preview specific files lost when your card was corrupted.
You can use the free or the premium version, depending on the damage level and data size. The free version gives you up to 500 MB recovery and has several backup and data protection features.
3. Assign A New Drive Letter
Sometimes your micro SD card may show signs of disk corruption just because it is not assigned the correct drive letter. You will be surprised how assigning your card a new drive letter solves this problem. Conflicting drive letters commonly occur due to the failure of your operating system to update the drive letter information properly. To assign a new drive letter, follow the steps below:
- Go to the search box and type “Disk Management.”
- Select “Create and format hard disk partitions.”
- Right-click on the SD card you want to change its drive letter and choose “Change Drive Letter and Paths.”
- Tap the “Change” button
- Choose a new drive letter
- Click “Ok”
- Click “Ok” again to close the window
4. Use Diskpart Command In CMD (Without Formatting)
You can make good use of Diskpart to fix typical SD card issues without formatting them. However, it would help if you were well conversant with these powerful tools as any mistakes may result in substantial unwarranted data losses.
Before using Diskpart, remember to first select the correct drive before applying commands to it. We recommend disconnecting as many drives as possible from your device as a safety measure to reduce your chances of selecting the wrong one.
Below is the procedure to execute this command:
- Connect the corrupted SD card to the computer
- Go to the search box and type “cmd.”
- Choose “Run as administrator.”
- Type “Diskpart” and tap “Enter”
- Type “List disk” and tap “Enter”
- Type “Select disk X,” where “X” is the letter representing your SD card
- Press “Enter”
- Type “Recover” and tap “Enter”
This command refreshes the state of your SD card without formatting it. Besides, it is also an excellent way to restore lost data.
