Sd Card Is Corrupted? Here’s How to Quickly Fix It

Your SD card got corrupted and now you can’t access your favorite photos and videos. 

In most cases, formatting will solve the problem for you. 

But don’t lose hope even if formatting doesn’t work. You don’t have to buy a new one. First, take your chances and try the fixes discussed in this article.

Causes for a Corrupted SD Card

Your SD card can get corrupted mainly because its file system has been corrupted. However, there are many other possible reasons for a corrupted SD card. Here are some of them:

What Are the Signs That Your SD Card Is Getting Corrupt?

There are many reasons why your SD card is getting corrupt. Some of the possible signs of your SD card being corrupted are:

• SD Card Not Detected: When you insert an SD card into your system, it makes a sound or displays some notifications. However, if there is neither a sound nor any notifications there is a chance that your SD is corrupted.
• Transfer Issues: It is a sign of corruption when you try to transfer a file from/to the SD card, the transfer keeps on failing or it never gets finished.
• Format Error: When the SD card is corrupted, it displays some kind of error message such as “You need to format the disk before you can use it.” If this is the case you cannot access the SD card without formatting.
• Slow Performance: The file transfer takes an unexpectedly long time than before. Also, the transfer speed drops significantly. You may need to wait even for hours to transfer a file which is of a very small size.
• Missing Files: When all of a sudden some of the files go missing on your SD card, it is possible that your SD card is corrupt.

How to Fix Corrupted SD Card

Now that you know the reasons and the signs that your SD card is corrupt, you can start with the fixes mentioned below:

Before You Begin

It is very common for your SD card pins to get dirty. In this case, you can use a soft cloth to clean the area between each pin on the card. However, do it gently as it can scratch the SD card.

Then, you can try the SD card on your own device first. If it doesn’t work, then you can try switching the SD card holder or try it on another device.

Repair File System Using Disk Utility Tool

If the above method does not fix your problem, you can repair the corrupted file using the disk utility tool. It checks the disk for errors and try to repair them if possible. Here’s how you can use the disk utility tool to repair the corrupted file system on your SD card.

Run the CHKDSK Command on Windows

Running the CHKDSK command checks the selected disk for errors and fixes the errors if possible. You can run the CHKDSK as mentioned below.

1. Connect the SD card to your system.
2. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
3. Enter the command chkdsk c: /x /f /r.
   
   Here, replace ‘c’ with your device’s drive letter.

If your SD card contains errors, CHKDSK command will scan and fix it. It may take some time depending upon the size of the file on your SD card. So, you may have to wait until it finishes. After finishing, you can check if your file is recovered.

Using Disk Utility on Mac

Disk Utility is similar to the CHKDSK command in Windows. But, it is used for Mac. Here’re the steps you need to follow:

1. Connect the SD card to Mac.
2. Click on Finder and then under the Go option, select the Utilities option.
3. Open the Disk Utility.
4. On the left pane, select and click on your SD card
5. On the top-center section of the window, click on the First Aid tab.
   
6. At the bottom-right corner of the window, click on Repair Disk.

Format the SD Card

Your system suggests you to format your SD card by default when this type of error occurs. There are various ways to format SD card depending upon the type of device you use. Some of the methods are mentioned below:

On Windows

Here’s how you can format the SD card on Windows:

1. Connect the SD card to your system.
2. Search for Command Prompt in the search bar and select Run as an administrator.
3. Type the following commands and press Enter after each of them.
   • diskpart 
   • list volume 
   • select volume [volume1]
     Replace [volume1] with your corresponding SD card volume.
   • format fs=fat32

Formatting the SD card will remove all the contents as well as errors in it. Basically, formatting will return your SD card to its initial condition.

On Mac

Here’s how you can format the SD card on a Mac system:

1. Click on Finder.
2. Under the Go menu, select Utilities option.
3. On the left pane, right-click your device and select the Erase option.
   
4. Give any name you want for the SD card and select MS-DOS (FAT).
5. Finally, click Erase.
   

After the erase operation is completed, you can reboot the system. Then, you can check if your SD card works.

On Android

Formatting is a great solution to fix the corrupted SD card. However, you should keep in mind that this will erase all your data including music, photos and videos. Follow these steps to format SD card on Android:

1. Go to the Settings app.
2. Click on Storage option.
3. Under the SD card section, click on Format SD Card.

Update the SD Card Device Driver

You could be using an outdated device driver for the SD card. In this case, you need to update them. Here’s how you can update the SD card driver. Connect SD card to your PC/laptop.

1. Press Windows key + R and type “devmgmt.msc.”
2. Press Enter.
3. Under the Disk drives, right-click on your SD card and select the Update driver option.
   
4. After the update is finished, close the window and reboot the computer.

Change the Drive Letter for SD Card

Every disk drive connected to the system must be assigned a drive letter for use. If that’s not the case, Windows will fail to recognize the device. If your SD card was not recognized by Windows then this fix will solve your problem.

1. Connect the SD card to your system.
2. Press Windows key + R to open the Run command.
3. Then, type “diskmgmt.msc” and select your SD card device.
4. Right-click and select Change Drive Letter and Paths option.
   
5. Click on Change.
6. Next to Assign the following drive letter, select a new drive letter from the dropdown.
   
7. Lastly, click on OK.

Some Tips to Protect Your SD Card

SD card corruption is a common problem that most people face often. Here are some tips to prevent it from happening in the future.

• Avoid using the same card on multiple devices.
• Do not place it near magnetic objects.
• Do not spill water on SD card.
• Handle with care as its pins can get bent.

Frequently Asked Questions

My Files Were Lost After My SD Card Got Corrupted. How Can I Recover Them?

First, you can try the fixes mentioned above in this article. If it does not solve your problem you can use third-party data recovery software. Download any one of them and recover your precious files.

How Can I Extend the Lifespan of My SD Card?

The average lifespan of an SD card is supposed to be ten years. However, if you are using it extensively it can wear out even sooner. To make it durable, you should keep it clean and handle it delicately. Also, you should keep them away from water and magnetic objects.

My SD Card Is Not Showing Up. How Can I Fix It?

If you are using a PC with Windows system, you can try updating the SD card’s device driver and changing its drive letter. For android mobile phones, you can try unmounting and then mounting the SD card to fix the problem.