Ultimate Guide on SD Card Recovery in 2022
An SD card is a small, portable storage device that is often used in digital cameras and other electronic devices. It stores a great amount of data, including photos, videos, music, and documents. However, there are times when people may lose their data due to accidental deletion or formatting.
SD cards are made of flash memory, meaning they can retain data even after being removed from the device. Therefore, if you have important data stored on an SD card, it is crucial to know how to perform SD card recovery in case of data loss.
This article will introduce the ultimate guide on SD card recovery, including how you could lose data on an SD card, recover files from an SD card, and the best SD card data recovery software on different OSs.
SD Card Recovery in Different Data Loss Situations
Many data loss situations can occur with SD cards. These include accidental data deletion, SD card formatting, corruption, virus attacks, and other causes.
Formatted SD Card
Sometimes the camera will remind you to format the SD card when it is not detected. However, if you do this, you will lose your data. The software solution can recover formatted SD cards.
Delete files from SD cards
Intentional or unintentional deletion is one of the biggest reasons for SD card file loss. However, memory card recovery software can recover deleted files from SD cards.
SD card gets corrupted/damaged
Data loss from SD cards can be caused by damaged or corrupted SD cards, thanks to file system problems. Using SD card recovery software can restore files.
Virus infection
SD cards need to be plugged in and connected to different devices, increasing the risk of infection. After a virus gets in, SD card data loss is likely to occur.
Dos or Don'ts for SD Card Recovery
When it comes to SD card recovery, there are some things you should do and some things you shouldn't do to ensure the best possible chance of success. Here's a quick rundown of the dos and don'ts of SD card file recovery:
Do:
- Start SD card data recovery as soon as you can.
- Use a reliable SD card recovery software to scan your SD card and recover lost or deleted files.
- Connect your SD card to a computer using a compatible card reader.
Don't:
- Try to recover data from your SD card without using professional software. Or your files will get permanently damaged.
- Write new data to your SD card before recovering lost or deleted files, which could overwrite your lost data and make it unrecoverable.
- Use your SD card after it has been damaged, making it difficult or impossible to recover your files.
By following these simple tips, you can give yourself the best chance of recovering lost or deleted data from your SD card.
Recover Files from SD Card with Memory Card Recovery Software
If you have accidentally deleted files from your SD card, or if your card has become corrupt and is no longer readable, don't despair! You can use memory card recovery software to restore your valuable data.
Deep Data Recovery supports undeleting files from SD cards in any case. No matter the SD card is in which file system, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT. Except for memory card recovery, this versatile file recovery tool still recovers deleted files from external hard drives, HDD, SSD, USB flash drives, music players, video players, etc.
Key features that make Qiling SD card recovery software one of the best include:
- Support multiple types of memory cards:
Qiling memory card recovery allows for data recovery in these types: SD card, SDHC card, micro SD card, MMC card, CF card, and mini SD card.
- Support SD cards from all popular brands:
This high compatible software enables you to recover deleted files from various brands of SD cards, including Sandisk, Sony, Lexar, Transcend, Samsung, Delkin, Verbatim, etc.
- Support any file on an SD card:
Qiling data recovery software supports the recovery of more than 200 data types, including almost all files that can be stored on an SD card. For example, documents in DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PDF, photos in JPG/JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, PSD, videos in AVI, MOV, MP4, audio files in M4A, MP3, WAV, WMA, and other file types.
With a detailed look at this software, let's begin SD card file recovery. It will scan your SD card for any lost or deleted files and then give you the option to recover them.
Step 1. To use Qiling memory card recovery software, connect your SD card to your computer using a USB cable, and then launch the software. Find your SD card under External drives. Click "Scan" to start a quick scan for recently deleted files. The software will automatically start a deep scan for harder-to-find files.
Step 2. You can see the scan's progress and the real scan results. You can pause the scan if lost data has been found or wait for the scan to complete. If there are a lot of files, you can use the Filter feature and search functions to help you quickly locate the files, like photos, documents, videos, or emails.
Step 3. Preview the files you selected. Then, click "Recover" to restore files. You need to choose another safe place rather than the SD card to keep the recovered files.
Query: What's the Best SD Card Recovery Software for PC
Many SD card data recovery software is available on the market, each with its advantages and disadvantages. We provide you with detailed reviews and comparison tutorials, including but not limited to the following software. You can read carefully.
- 1. Deep Data Recovery
- 2. Recuva
- 3. Stellar Data Recovery
- 4. Disk Drill
- 5. R-Studio
LEARN MORE
Get more instructions on the top 10 best free SD card data recovery software.
Recover Deleted Files from SD Card with a Data Recovery Service
Another option for recovering lost files from an SD card is to use a data recovery service in severe cases if the data recovery software fails to get back files from the SD card. These services are usually offered by companies specializing in data recovery and maybe your final chance to retrieve data.
Qiling data recovery service can recover SD cards and fix your corrupted device with advanced techniques in a well-equipped lab. On top of that, they offer the following services after a free evaluation and do not charge for unsuccessful data recovery. Therefore, you can consult with confidence.
- Unformat SD card and restore lost files
- Repair damaged RAW partition, USB, SD card, or flash drive that needs to be formatted
- Recover/repair lost partition and repartitioned drive
How to Recover Deleted Files from SD Card on Mac
It is possible to recover deleted files from an SD card on a Mac. You can do it using a few different methods, including using Mac SD data recovery software or using the Terminal.
Data recovery software can be used to scan an SD card for deleted files and then recover them. This is a good option if you are not comfortable using the Terminal. Some good Mac SD card recovery software options include Deep Data Recovery and TestDisk.
The Terminal can also be used to recover deleted files from an SD card. This method requires more technical knowledge, but it can be very effective.
Step 1. Connect the SD card to your Mac directly or connect with a card reader.
Step 2. Run Terminal and use the diskutil list command to find the device name of your SD card.
Step 3. Once you have the device name, you can use the dd command to copy the data from the SD card to a file. This file can then be copied to another location for recovery.
How to Recover Deleted Files from SD Card on Android
If you have accidentally deleted files from your SD card on Android, don't worry - there are ways to recover them. We will show you how to recover data from SD cards on Android with a file recovery program such as Qiling MobiSaver for Android.
This program will scan your SD card for any recoverable files and attempt to recover them. To use this method:
Step 1. Connect your Android phone with an SD card to your computer and launch the program.
Step 2. Once the program has scanned your SD card, it will show you a list of recoverable files.
Step 3. Select the photos or videos you want to recover and click the "Recover" button.
LEARN MORE
Read the full guide on SD card data recovery for Android.
SD Card Recovery FAQs
If you have other questions about recovering files from SD cards, here are the answers.
1. Is SD card recovery possible?
Yes, it is often possible to recover data from a damaged or corrupted SD card. However, the recovery process's success depends on the damage's extent and the type of data that was stored on the card.
2. How can I recover my SD card data for free?
There are a few different ways that you can try to recover your SD card data for free. One way is to see if you have a backup that concludes the deleted files. Another way is to use a free data recovery tool such as Deep Data Recovery Free to help you restore data. It allows you to recover up to 2GB of data for free.
3. Is it possible to recover a deleted video from a memory card?
When you delete a video from a memory card, it's not gone forever. It is possible to recover deleted videos, but it will require special software and some technical knowledge. However, you can use Qiling video recovery software to recover videos from SD card on Windows:
Step 1. Insert your SD card into your computer and run Qiling video recovery software.
Step 2. Choose your SD card and begin the scan.
Step 3. Locate the missing files and recover.
4. How do you fix a corrupted SD card?
If your SD card has become corrupted, there are a few things you can do to try and fix the problem. First, try using a different computer to see if the issue is with your card or device. If the issue is with the card, you can try reformatting it. This will erase all of the data on the card, so be sure to back up any important files first. If reformatting doesn't work, you may need to purchase a new SD card.
5. How to recover deleted files from an SD card without software?
To recover deleted files from an SD card without software, you can check the backup files. If you have created a backup on another storage device, find the files and copy them to the target place. Or you can restore from Windows backup if the lost files were saved and backed up on your computer.
6. How can I recover my SD card that won't read?
When your SD card won't read, you can try these solutions.
- First, check to see if the card is locked. If it is, unlock it and try again.
- Next, use an SD card file recovery tool to restore files from it before formatting.
- Finally, if neither of these methods works, you may need to contact a professional data recovery service to fix your SD card and recover data.
7. Mini SD card vs. Micro SD card vs. SD card
There are three main types of SD cards on the market today: Mini SD, Micro SD, and standard SD. The main differences between the three are size, storage capacity, and price. Mini SD cards are the smallest type of SD card, and standard SD cards are the largest type of SD card.
Mini SD cards typically have a capacity of 2GB to 32GB, Micro SD cards usually have a capacity of 2GB to 128GB, and standard SD cards typically have a total of 4GB to 256GB.
Final Verdicts
SD cards are a popular storage option for devices like digital cameras, smartphones, and tablets. However, they can be prone to data loss due to accidental deletion, formatting errors, or corruption.
Fortunately, there are several ways to recover lost data from an SD card. One option is to use SD card recovery software, which can scan the SD card and attempt to recover any lost files. Another option is to send the SD card to a professional data recovery service, which can often successfully recover data from even severely damaged cards.
If you have lost data from an SD card, don't despair! With the right tools and methods, it is often possible to recover your lost files. Whatever method you choose for recovering lost files from your SD card, make sure to create backups of all your important files in the future! That way, if you ever do accidentally delete or lose files from your SD card again, you'll have a backup to fall back on.
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