We are all familiar with the situation in which SD card or flash drive stops working or lose the ability to be recognized on various devices. There may be several reasons for this: an outdated or damaged driver, the presence of a malicious software, RAW drive format and formatting error.
Regardless of the problem that caused this error, fixing it will not be difficult for you. In this article we will look at 3 effective ways Restore visibility of the SD card on your computer, phone or digital camera.
If you are worried about losing important files or photos, at the end we will tell you valuable information on how you can recover a document of any size from a formatted drive, including an SD card
Method number 1. Update your SD card driver
The first thing you need to make sure is relevance installed driver. It is an important part of the functioning of every device on your computer, so if it is outdated or damaged, it can have some negative consequences.
1.
2. Open device Manager. The easiest way to open it is to go to Properties icons My computer and select an option device Manager, located in the left menu.
3. In the list that appears, find Disk devices and expand the menu. Find your drive. In our case, this is an SDHC Card.
4. Click right click mouse over the SD card name and press the key Remove device.
Warning! Don't be alarmed by the name devices will disappear from the list of drives. That's how it should be. This indicates that you have removed the existing driver.
5. Click on the option Disk devices right click and select Update hardware configuration.
6. Once the process is complete, your disk will appear in the list of devices again and will be suitable for further use.
If this method didn't help you, move on to the next one.
Method number 2. Disk management
This method of resolving the issue does not offer complicated paths with the need to update software or enter a long list of incomprehensible commands. However, it is simple and effective to use.
1. Connect the SD card to your computer.
2. Open the utility Execute using hot keys Win+R and enter the command diskmgmt.msc.
3. An application window will appear in front of you Disk management, which will force your SD card to appear in the list of installed devices.
In the same window, if desired, you can Open the contents of the map by just clicking on its letter with the right mouse button.
If something goes wrong and your SD card is still not visible to the computer, try the third method.
Method No. 3. Remove malware
Often the cause of most evils on our devices are viruses that can easily block their functionality. To fix the problem where the SD card still does not want to “come out”, in this method we will look at how to remove the virus that causes it.
1. Connect the SD card to your computer.
2. Open the Start menu and run command line on behalf of the administrator.
3. In the window that opens, enter the command attrib -h -r -s /s /d F:\*.*
Instead of F: specify your drive letter. She may be G: or any other, don't forget to check in Explorer.
Data recovery and formatting of SD card
In rare cases, the above methods may not be able to solve the problem. The only possible way out of this situation is to format the device. But what about the data?
If you have valuable files on your SD card that you can't afford to lose, use the Starus FAT Recovery app. It will quickly and efficiently recover a document of any extension from a FAT-format device and can even please you with the discovery of an old file that you may have already forgotten about.
1. Connect the SD card to your computer and run the program Starus FAT Recovery. You will be greeted by Recovery Wizard, the autorun of which can be disabled in the future. Click Further.
2. In this window you will see a list of all found disks. Select the device you want to scan and click Further.
3. Select scan type:
Quick Scan- carries out lightning fast HDD check and identifying the latest files installed on it.
Full analysis— deep scanning of the device, allowing you to detect even the oldest documents. Such a check may take significantly longer than a quick check.
4. A convenient preview function allows you to examine a file of any format before starting to restore it. With Starus FAT Recovery you can view images, videos and read any text file.
5. Select the files you want to return, right-click on any of them and press Restore.
You can evaluate all the chances of “recovering what was lost” before registering the instrument Starus FAT Recovery.
Support external cards memories for many Android users is an important criterion when choosing a new device. Luckily, most of them still support this option. However, failures may occur here too - for example, a message about a damaged SD card. Today you will learn why this error occurs and how to deal with it.
The message “SD card is not working” or “SD card is empty: needs formatting” may appear in the following cases:
Reason 1: Random single failure
Alas, the nature of Android is such that it is impossible to test its operation on absolutely all devices, therefore, errors and failures occur. Perhaps you moved applications to a flash drive, for some reason it crashed, and as a result the OS did not detect external media. In fact, there can be many such reasons, but almost all random failures are corrected by rebooting the device.
Reason 2: Poor contact between slot and memory card
A portable device like a phone or tablet is subject to stress during use, even when it is in a pocket or bag. As a result, moving elements, which include the memory card, can move in their grooves. Therefore, if you encounter an error about a damaged flash drive that cannot be corrected by rebooting, you should remove the card from the device and inspect it; It is also possible that the contacts become contaminated with dust, which in any case penetrates into the device. Contacts, by the way, can be wiped with alcohol wipes.
If the contacts on the memory card itself are visually clean, you can simply wait a while and insert it again - perhaps the device or the flash drive itself just got hot. After some time, insert the SD card back, and make sure that it is seated all the way (but do not overdo it!). If the problem was poor contact, after these manipulations it will disappear. If the problem persists, read on.
Reason 3: There are bad sectors in the map file table
The problem most often encountered by those who like to connect a device to a PC and instead safe removal just pull out the cord. However, no one is immune from this: this can cause an OS failure (for example, shutdowns when the battery is low or an emergency reboot) or even a banal file transfer (copying or Ctrl+X) using the phone itself. Cardholders with the FAT32 file system are also at risk.
As a rule, a message about erroneous recognition of an SD card is preceded by other unpleasant symptoms: files from such a flash drive are read with errors, files disappear altogether, or digital ghosts appear. Naturally, neither a reboot nor an attempt to remove and insert a flash drive will correct the cause of this behavior. In such a situation, you should act like this:
Reason 4: Physical damage to the card
The worst case scenario is that the flash drive was damaged mechanically or through contact with water or fire. In this case, we are powerless - most likely, the data from such a card will no longer be recoverable, and you have no choice but to throw away the old SD card and buy a new one.
An error accompanied by a message about a damaged memory card is one of the most unpleasant that can happen to users of devices under Android control. Fortunately, in most cases this is just a single glitch.
How to recover an SD card or USB flash drive if the computer does not see it, does not read or write data? Problems with flash drives are rarely caused by natural wear and tear. More often, problems with them are caused by users ignoring the rules for safely removing the device, experiments with various software in which these flash drives are involved, as well as their initially lousy quality. Below we will consider a list of possible actions carried out in the Windows environment that can solve the problem, unless, of course, the cause lies in a mechanical failure. And we, friends, will go from simple to complex.
Recovering SD cards and USB flash drives in Windows
- Note: below we will only talk about restoring the functionality of flash drives, but not about saving the data stored on them. This is a separate topic, and there is something about this on the website; you can also use this program for. Most of the methods proposed below for recovering SD cards and flash drives will lead to the loss of their data.
1. Hardware lock
SD cards, MicroSD adapters and flash drives can be hardware protected from writing data or completely blocked even for reading. On such devices there is a lock switch, which must, accordingly, be set to the “Unlocked” position.
2. Problems not related to the drives themselves
Politics may be the cause of problems with SD cards and flash drives Windows security. You need to find out if access to removable drives(in whole or in part of recording data on them) by the computer administrator. You also need to check the card reader or ports Computer USB. If everything is fine with the latter, the card reader reads other SD cards, but problems still arise with the flash drive, no matter how you connect it to others USB ports, go ahead.
3. Windows Explorer
Standard formatting using Windows Explorer can help in simple cases such as unsuccessful writing of data to a flash drive. Or when for some reason a smartphone, tablet, camera or other device cannot cope with this operation regarding SD cards. In any of the current Windows versions In the Explorer window on the drive, call up the context menu and click “Format”.
We leave the original file system and first try a quick format.
If it fails, repeat the operation, but with full formatting (uncheck the fast box).
4. Windows Disk Management
You can try to perform the formatting procedure in disk management. To launch this tool, enter in the system search field:
diskmgmt.msc
In the disk management window, focusing on the size of the drive, we look for it among the disks connected to the computer. And in context menu, called on it, we start formatting.
You can immediately select full formatting.
If the flash drive has a partition structure like a hard drive, you must delete each of those partitions. This is done using the “Delete Volume” option in the context menu.
And then, in place of the resulting unallocated space, you need to create a single partition. To do this, in the context menu on this very unallocated space, launch the “Create a new volume” operation and follow the instructions of the step-by-step wizard.
5. Programs for low-level formatting
Standard formatting tools may not help in complex cases, for example, when flash drives are displayed (in the same Explorer or Disk Management) as unrecognized devices with the RAW file system. The latter means that either Windows environment does not understand the drive’s file system, or file system no as such in principle. Actually, this is what causes problems with a flash drive or SD card when it works on other devices, with other operating systems. In such cases, they will help you restore the flash drive. third party Windows programs, intended for so-called low-level formatting.
In fact, low-level formatting is a procedure that is carried out either in the production conditions of flash device manufacturers, or in serious specialized services. Various types of Windows software that claim to perform this kind of operation actually perform a regular full format, but using mechanisms that differ from those used by the operating system. Such programs cope well with flash drive problems if these problems arise at the file system level. Let's look at two of these programs.
HDD Low Level Format Tool
http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/
Shareware portable HDD program Low Level Format Tool can format different types storage media, in particular SD cards and USB flash drives. After unpacking the archive with the program, run it and agree to the license terms.
We choose free use.
Directly in the program window we indicate the problematic drive and click “Continue”.
We confirm the decision.
We wait for the operation to complete and check the operation of the media.
SDFormatter
http://flashboot.ru/files/file/355
A completely free small program called SDFormatter is another tool for so-called low-level formatting. Works with both SD cards and USB flash drives. Install SDFormatter into the system, launch it, and indicate the problematic flash drive in the “Drive” column. Click “Format”.
The program wants to make sure that our intentions are serious, click “Ok.
He asks not to touch the drive while the operation is being performed.
Upon completion, test the flash drive or SD card. If this does not help, repeat the operation with the settings for complete overwriting of sectors (nothing more than full formatting). Press “Option”, select “Full (OverWrite)”. And also click “Format” at the bottom.
If using the above methods it was not possible to revive the flash drive, and it is still under warranty, you need to stop at this stage. And do not take any further action except contact the seller with a request to replace the device. All the actions described below should be resorted to only when, in fact, there is nothing to lose. The instructions below apply to USB flash drives, SD and MicroSD cards. However, in the case of the latter, the likelihood of recovery is extremely low.
6. D-Soft Flash Doctor
D-Soft Flash Doctor performs so-called low-level formatting, and at the same time also detects damaged sectors (cells). Well, and, accordingly, knows how to block them and replace them with backup ones. The program can help when flash drives or SD cards have difficulty reading separate files that fell on damaged sectors. The program is free and portable. I did not find the official website, but it can be freely downloaded on the Internet.
In the D-Soft Flash Doctor window, the first thing you need to do is run a scan to detect errors.
In my case, there were no damaged (broken) sectors.
But if in your case, friends, the scan results are different and bad sectors are detected, we start the recovery process.
The window for performing this operation promises that the process will not last longer than 10 minutes, but in fact, reassigning bad sectors on a drive with a capacity larger than 4 GB can take quite a long time. So it is better to run the recovery operation at night.
7. Flashing the memory controller
Programs for so-called low-level formatting or their analogues, which in any other form claim to be able to resuscitate all types of SD cards and/or USB flash drives, turn out to be powerless in the event of a software failure of the controller, when it requires flashing. This problem can have different symptoms, but more often it is either the computer does not see the drive completely, or it sees it and can even read the data, but cannot format it by any means. In particular, due to write protection even though the drive is not locked by hardware.
Almost every modern person has several portable devices (smartphone, tablet, camera), where a Micro SD or SD card is used as a storage device. Information stored in this way is often lost, including through the fault of the user himself.
Storing photos or videos only on your phone (tablet, camera) is fraught with consequences: there is a great danger that the data will be accidentally erased.
The main rule is never store important files only on memory cards. Do backups data on a hard drive, flash drive, cloud storage etc.
But if something terrible happened and the necessary information was deleted, there is still a chance to fix everything: microsd recovery can be done at home using special software, even if the file system of the flash drive is damaged.
When is recovery possible?
Restoring SD and Micro SD is possible if a little time has passed since the files were deleted and the data has not been overwritten. You can return deleted information even after formatting - if it was quick and not deep.
Some files are recovered after deep formatting, but this is difficult to do using free software - only contacting a specialized center whose specialists are engaged in returning deleted data can help.
Recovery via R-Undelete
Let's see how to recover a memory card if you accidentally deleted it from necessary files or launched a quick format without first moving the data to another medium.
When working with SD and Micro SD, the same rule applies as with other media - as soon as you discover that the necessary files on your phone (tablet, camera) have been deleted, immediately stop working and remove the drive from the device.
Let's try to recover information from a Micro SD card using the R-Undelete program. It can be used to return deleted data from a flash drive, hard drive and other storage devices other than CDs and DVDs.
After scanning the Micro SD card is completed, a report of the files found will appear. It displays all data, both existing and deleted. You can select photos, videos and other files one at a time or restore entire folders at once. 
The program has a preview function: by double-clicking on a photo, you can see if this is the photo you need. If the file cannot be opened, it is unlikely to be restored. But most of the data is returned intact - you just need to specify a place to save it.
Do not use a Micro SD or SD card from which the data was recovered to save the found information. It’s better to send the information to a flash drive or HDD; then move it wherever you see fit.
After clicking the “Recover” button, file recovery will begin. During the process of returning deleted data, windows will appear notifying you that there is an error in the file name. To resolve this issue, check the "Replace broken characters with" checkbox and specify the "$" sign. All invalid characters in file names will be replaced with the “$” sign, which will avoid problems with data recovery. In a similar way, you can recover photos and other files from a micro flash drive using the following utilities:
- Recuva;
- DMDE;
- R. Saver.
The file system is damaged
If files were deleted as a result of damage to a flash drive or memory card, then it will be somewhat more difficult to recover them. This also includes deep formatting, in which the original information is sometimes so overwritten that it becomes almost impossible to read. 
If Recuva or DMDE cannot cope with the task and cannot return the memory card to a working state or at least restore the photo after deep formatting, then using R-Undelete gives some chances for a positive outcome. The secret is that even formatted and partially overwritten files can be found by signatures, which is what we will do:
- Run R-Undelete and select the connected media with photos or other necessary files. If the memory card is so damaged that it is not detected by the system, select the letter of the card reader itself.
- Check the box that launches an in-depth search for files.
- To specify what type of information needs to be recovered first, check the “Search for known file types” checkbox and click “Known types.” Select required format(if we are talking about a photo, but it will be *.jpg or *.raw).
By choosing a specific format, you increase the chances of finding and recovering the necessary information. If you need all the files that were on the media, then you don’t have to select any formats.
After selecting the scanning mode, the search for the selected data will begin (a rather lengthy procedure). The scan results will be presented as a list. All you have to do is select the files you need and click “Next” to go to the window for setting recovery options. 
Be sure to check the "Additionally found files" folder. If the performance of the memory card was zero, then in this directory you will find many damaged files and changed name. Remember: if the preview function does not work, then the file cannot be restored, so you don’t even have to mark it.
When choosing a directory to save found files, specify any other medium other than the memory card itself. If during the recovery process a message appears stating that the file name is damaged, then you need to check the “Replace damaged characters with” checkbox and set the “$” symbol, which will replace the missing element.
A detailed guide to resuscitating a microSD memory card and recovering data deleted from it.
Navigation
Despite the fact that many modern smartphones and tablets have a fairly large amount of built-in memory, most users prefer to store photos, videos, music and other data on microSD cards, a slot for which is available in almost every mobile device.
This method of storing information is considered the most convenient and safe, but there are often cases when at some point the card is no longer detected by the phone or all data disappears from it. The reasons for this problem may be related to software glitches phone, with physical damage to the media itself or due to the negligence of users who could accidentally delete the contents of the flash drive.
From our article you will learn what to do if the memory card SD is not determined by the phone, whether it is possible to remove information from it and how to do it.
Phone's SD memory card is not detected: common causes and solutions
System failures
- The most banal, but most common reason why the phone does not recognize microSD card are failures operating system devices. This problem is especially relevant for smartphones and tablets. Android based. All that is required to solve it is to reboot the device. If rebooting doesn't help, you should try extracting microSD card from the slot and install it again.
- If rebooting does not give the desired result, it is recommended to clear the cache internal memory phone through the " Recovery", which is present on any device running the operating system Android. To enter the this mode, you need to turn off the phone and hold down the power button and the volume down button at the same time. In the window that appears, you will need to select the line “ Wipe cache partition » and then reboot the device.
Contact contamination
- If at any point your phone no longer recognizes the memory card, before moving on to more radical methods of solving the problem, remove microSD card from your device and wipe the contacts on it. It is quite possible that during long-term use of the device, a layer of dust has accumulated on it, which prevents the device from recognizing removable media. Use alcohol-containing substances to treat contacts. For example, cologne.
- In addition, it is also recommended to clean the connector microSD cards using a toothpick. Using gentle movements so as not to damage the contacts, clean the slot for micro SD cards on your device and blow it thoroughly. Then insert the card back into the device and see if the memory card can be read.
Violation of the file system of removable media
- As with any other removable storage device, microSD card a file system is installed that serves for sorting and quick search data stored on the card. If the file system is damaged, then when the phone tries to recognize the memory card, a critical error will occur or the card will not be read at all.
- You can restore the file system by formatting microSD cards. However, this method is only suitable if there is no important information, since during the formatting process all data from the memory card will be deleted.
Incompatibility of the memory card with the device
- It is quite logical that older models of smartphones and tablets do not function well with microSD cards new generation. However, even modern devices may fail when reading the memory card. Most often, the reason for this is the fact that a card with more memory is inserted into the device than is provided by the phone.
- For example, if your smartphone ( Samsung Galaxy S6) supports memory cards with a capacity of no more than 128 GB, and you insert into it microSD card volume 256 GB, the device will simply refuse to recognize this media. The only solution is to use a smaller memory card.
The phone's SD memory card is not detected: is it possible and how to restore the memory card?
If your phone does not recognize microSD card and you have tried all the methods described above to solve this problem, then most likely the removable media has serious physical or software damage.
Software corruption
In case of software damage, full formatting will help solve the problem. microSD cards, which was briefly mentioned above. You can carry out this procedure from your phone, but if the card is not detected by the device, then it is physically impossible to do this.
In this case, you will need a laptop with a built-in slot for microSD cards or USB card reader. Formatting Procedure
Step 1.
- Connect your microSD card to your computer and wait a while. If the PC recognizes it, expand the menu " Start" and select the line " Computer».
- In the window that appears, click on your microSD card right-click and select the line " Format».
Step 2.
- A window with formatting settings will appear in front of you. microSD cards. In the column " File system"The computer automatically sets the option " FAT32", which is recommended for most flash drives. However, if you plan to store it on your microSD card files whose size exceeds 4 GB, change the parameter to " NTFS».
- Also, by default, the computer marks the line “ Quick formatting" Since you are faced with the task of restoring functionality microSD cards, and not just delete the files stored on it, then you need to remove the marker from the line “ Quick formatting».
- To continue, click on the " Begin" and in a small pop-up window with a notification that all data has been deleted from the drive, click on the button " OK».
Step 3.
- After a short period of time ( 5 – 15 minutes) a window will appear on the screen notifying you that the formatting process is complete.
- Remove microSD card from your computer, install it on your phone and check if it works.
Physical damage
- In the event that damage microSD cards are physical in nature, then the possibility of its restoration depends on the degree of damage. If you are knowledgeable about technology, you can try to disassemble it yourself and check the contacts for integrity.
- If you do not have the proper knowledge, you can contact the service with the problem. However, repair microSD cards It’s not worth the money that specialists will ask you for the work. Cheaper to buy new map memory.
How to recover data, deleted files from a phone's SD card: recovery using Windows
If your microSD card corrupted by software, but you don’t want to resort to formatting to save the data on it, there are several ways to restore it. It’s worth saying right away that none of these methods gives a 100% guarantee that the recovery will be successful, but it makes sense to try.
IMPORTANT: If after exiting microSD cards If you have performed the formatting procedure, then the files stored on it cannot be restored using this method.
So, as in the case of formatting for recovery microSD cards and the data stored on it, you will need a computer with a built-in slot or a card reader. Recovery procedure Windows carried out as follows:
Step 1.
- Connect your microSD card to your computer, expand the menu “ Start" and go to the section " Computer».
- In the window that opens, right-click on the icon that appears there. microSD card and in the list that appears, select the line “ Properties».
Step 2.
- In the window with card information that opens, go to the “ Service" and in the section " Disk check» click on the button « Run check».
- The computer will start scanning your microSD cards for errors. After completing this procedure, remove the card from the computer, put it in the phone and check for functionality. All data on the card after this procedure must be saved without changes.
- If the phone again fails to recognize the card, reinsert it into the computer and copy all the files stored on it to another removable drive.
How to recover memory card and data from phone memory card? Restoring the Microsd phone memory card: programs
Recovery method microSD cards and the data stored on it by means Windows Quite simple, but ineffective. Even if it is possible to restore removable media in this way, it is far from certain that all the data on it will remain safe and sound. The success of recovery directly depends on the program card used for resuscitation.
Today there are a great many such programs on the Internet and almost all of them work on the same principle. Therefore, having understood one of them, you can easily restore microSD card and with the help of others.
According to numerous user reviews, the best utility for recovery of flash drives and memory cards is considered R.Saver. This resuscitation program is famous not only for its versatility and quality, but also for its convenient operation. Its main advantage is the ability to recover data even from formatted removable media. Download R.Saver possible from a popular portal SoftPortal By this link.
Recovery procedure microSD cards using the program R.Saver carried out as follows:
Step 1.
- Download utility R.Saver and extract the contents of the archive into a separate folder. The program does not require installation. The launch file is contained in the archive.
- Paste microSD card into a special slot on the computer or use a USB card reader, then run the utility R.Saver.
- In the main utility window on the left side there is a list of all removable storage media connected to the computer. On the right side of the main window there is a column with detailed information about each of the carriers.
- Select yours with the left mouse button microSD card and click on the button Scan", located at the top of the main program window.
Step 2.
- The process of scanning the media will start to determine if there is data on it. The duration of this process depends entirely on the total volume of your microSD cards. Typically, scanning a card the size of 8 GB goes away about 15 – 20 minutes.
- As soon as the scanning process is completed, a window with a list of found data will automatically open. Select the file you need and click on the " Save selection».
- You can also save several elements at once by clicking on them with the left mouse button while holding down the " Ctrl».
Step 3.
- At the last stage, the utility will ask you to specify the path to save the recovered data. In the window that opens, select the appropriate folder, click on the button Save" and wait for the copying process to complete.
Additional Information
- In the event that your microSD card was physically damaged, to recover data from it, you can contact a special service, where, for a fee, specialists will recover all possible data from the card. Unfortunately, if information storage sectors have been damaged, it is not possible to recover data from them.