Forum Discussion
Is it possible to recover files from corrupted sd card?
I also encountered an SD card that suddenly crashed before. When I inserted it into Windows 11, it directly prompted "File system is damaged and needs to be formatted". I couldn't open it at all, and I was so anxious. Later, I tried the open source tool TesDisk. Unexpectedly, it really successfully recovered files from corrupted SD card and saved most of the data!
- Install TesDisk first: No need to install, just go to the official website to download TesDisk, unzip it and open testdisk_win.exe.
- Open the command line and run: TesDisk
- Select the SD card drive letter, usually /dev/sdX or something like that (don't choose the wrong hard drive).
- Select "Analyze" to let it scan the lost partition. If the SD card becomes RAW, you can see the previous FAT32 or exFAT partition here.
- Select "Quick Search" to let it repair quickly. If the partition cannot be found, use "Deeper Search" to scan for a longer time.
- After finding the partition, select "Write" to save the changes, then restart Windows and see if the SD card can be read normally!
If your SD card becomes RAW, or the file system becomes Unknown after being inserted into Windows 11, TesDisk is one of the most reliable methods that can truly recover photos from corrupted SD card, more effective than chkdsk. If your SD card can still be recognized but cannot be read, it is highly recommended to try it, it may still be salvaged!
PhotioRec is a powerful, open-source data recovery tool that can recover files from corrupted or damaged SD cards. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to recover files from corrupted SD card:
Step 1: Insert the corrupted SD card into your computer using a card reader. Ensure the SD card is detected by your system (even if it shows as unreadable or corrupted).
Step 2: PhotioRec will display a list of drives. Use the arrow keys to select your SD card and press Enter. If you’re unsure which drive is your SD card, check the size of the drive to identify it.
Step 3: PhotioRec will ask you to select a partition. If your SD card has only one partition, select it and press Enter. If the partition table is corrupted, it might show the entire drive as a single partition. Select it and proceed.
Step 4: Press Enter to confirm file types to recover. By default, PhotioRec recovers all file types. You can deselect unnecessary types to speed up the process.
Step 5: It will ask where to save the recovered files. Select a folder on your computer’s hard drive (not the SD card) to avoid overwriting data. Use the arrow keys to navigate and press C to confirm.
Step 6: PhotioRec will begin scanning the SD card. This process can take time, depending on the size of the card and the extent of corruption. Recovered files will be saved in the folder you selected. PhotioRec organizes them into folders based on file type.
Tips for Better Results
- Stop Using the SD Card: Avoid writing new data to the card to prevent overwriting lost files.
- Use a Reliable Card Reader: A faulty card reader can cause issues during recovery.
- Recover to a Different Drive: Always save recovered files to a different drive to avoid overwriting data on the SD card.