Top 8 Do's And Don’ts When Dealing With A Corrupted Sd Card

By Author: The CyberTech
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An SD card or secure digital card is a storage device used to store and transfer digital data. SD cards are generally used in devices like digital cameras, tablets, and portable gaming consoles. However, such tiny devices are prone to corruption, which can lead to data loss.

In this blog, we’ll learn about the do's and don’ts of dealing with a corrupted SD card and some preventive measures to avoid data SD card corruption.

Understanding SD Card Corruption

SD card corruption can occur for many reasons, such as physical damage to the card, heat, dust, or water exposure, sudden power surges, or not removing the card properly. SD card corruption can sometimes lead to data loss, but file recovery on SD cards is still possible.

Before understanding SD card data recovery, let us know the do’s and don’ts.

DO’S

Check if your SD card is Physically Damaged

Look for physical damages in your SD card. If the card looks undamaged, examine it by inserting it into another device to confirm the issue as sometimes the problem occurs in the card reader and not the SD card itself. 

Reboot ...
... the device

The simplest yet the most effective solution for dealing with a corrupted SD card is to reboot the device it is connected to. Sometimes issues are not caused by SD cards but by temporary glitches or software errors in the device reading it. Rebooting the device refreshes the system and resets the connection between the SD card and the device.

Use a Command Prompt for File Recovery

For tech-aware users chkdsk command can be helpful to recover data from a corrupted SD card. It can be done in three steps:

1.    Connect the SD card to your computer.

2.    Open the Command Prompt.

3.    Type chkdsk X: /f (replace "X" with your card’s drive letter).

Use Read-Only Mode (If Available)

If your SD card or card reader has a read-only mode, enable it before aiming for data recovery. This ensures no accidental writes are made to the card during troubleshooting.

Don’ts

Access SD card during low power mode

Do not try to access your SD card if the device is in low power mode or low on battery as it increases the chances of data corruption. Low power mode often limits the device’s functionality which may hinder the communication between the SD card and the device, causing errors and damage to the file.

Don’t Repeatedly Reinsert the Card

Do not keep inserting your SD card into different devices repeatedly  As it can potentially cause damage to the card's physical connectors or the device’s card reader.  In each attempt when you insert the card on devices, the device attempts to read the data which leads to overwriting and corruption of the existing files. This can also reduce the chances of successful data recovery of your SD card.

Don’t Format the SD Card Without Recovery Attempts

When you are dealing with SD card corruption, resist formatting the card as it will erase all your important data and will also make data recovery from a corrupted state more challenging. Before formatting consider using SD card data recovery software or get help from professionals to recover your data.

Don’t Trust Unverified Recovery Tools & Data Recovery Software

To recover data from the error of a corrupt SD card, users download any free Data recovery software that they find online without verifying or checking up on the reviews. Sometimes these software do more harm than good to the device. Unverified tools contain malware or harmful scripts that cause further damage to your SD card. Do not use these tools without proper knowledge as it can also result in permanent data loss.

Tips to prevent SD card corruption

Although several methods help in the recovery of SD cards, preventing them is always a better option. Here are some tips which will help in avoiding SD card corruption:

Ejection: Before removing the SD card from the device check that it is safely ejected.

Avoid Overloading: Always check the maximum capacity of the card before filling it out. There should be some space for optimal performance.

Keeping the card clean: Protect your card from environmental dust, moisture and harsh temperatures.

Update Firmware: To avoid compatibility issues always keep your device’s firmware updated.

When to Seek Professional Help

If your SD card contains valuable data that is not recovered even from recovery tools or software then it’s time you have to consult professionals for file recovery. Data recovery service providers such as The Cyber Tech specialize in retrieving files from severely corrupted or physically damaged SD cards.

Winding Up

SD card corruption can be so demanding and may cause serious problems. But following the above dos and don'ts and taking preventive measures such as regularly backing up your device and cleaning the SD card can save you from a lot of long-term troubles. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1) How to recover data from a corrupted SD card?

To recover data from a corrupted SD card, follow these steps:
-Stop Using the Card immediately 
=Test with Another Device
-Repair with chkdsk Command Prompt if you’re familiar with command-line tools
-Take help from professional data recovery services

2) How to recover data from memory cards, if the data recovery software doesn’t work?

If SD card data recovery software doesn’t work one can still implement other options like testing the memory card on another device or reader, using a command prompt, looking for physical damages and taking professional data recovery services in order to recover their important data.

3) What are the causes of SD card corruption?

Some reasons for SD card corruption are:
-Physical damages to the card
-Improper ejection from devices
-File system errors
-Malware or virus infections