[Q] How to recover crashed SD card?

[ibookje]

After deleting some files on my SD card, my nightmare happened: my SD cards shows no files while they are still there!

The memory list shows that the crad is still half full, but in the File Explorer they don't show up... :roll:


How can I recover my files from my SD card?
BTW, I use a Mac so if possible please take that in mind. But a Windows solution is fine too.

Thanks!

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Any of the data recovery solutions for Windows should work - I've used LSoft's Active Data Recovery somewhat successfully. However, chkdsk for Windows does pretty much the same thing and is free, with the proviso that it renames all files to *.chk, which means you've got to check each file individually for it's original content.

[pocketpcadmirer]

Before running the various data recovery apps, please use a card reader to check whether the files are readable by explorer of your desktop computer.
If it does, then simply make a copy of those files under a particular directory of your computer. Format the card and recopy the files

Otherwise, use the data recovery apps as suggested by hishamh

Sunny

[ibookje]

Before running the various data recovery apps, please use a card reader to check whether the files are readable by explorer of your desktop computer.
If it does, then simply make a copy of those files under a particular directory of your computer. Format the card and recopy the files

If I use a card reader, it sees the card as a removable drive as usual. But the drive is seen as empty, while in doing a properties check, I can see that the drive is hal full!

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Don't panic - this is a fairly common occurence unfortunately. What's happened is that the FAT - File Allocation Table - on your card has been corrupted. What this means is that your file's are still there, it's just that the record of where each file is has been lost. What data recovery tools do is perform an actual physical check rather than relying on the file system to find your files.

One big caveat - do not write anything to that card, or you could significantly degrade any chance of recovering your files.

[ibookje]

Don't panic - this is a fairly common occurence unfortunately. What's happened is that the FAT - File Allocation Table - on your card has been corrupted.

One big caveat - do not write anything to that card, or you could significantly degrade any chance of recovering your files.


Well, that's a big relieve.

But... there has been one writing action after it happened. I realised this so I removed my card and bought a new SD card to use. I still want to recover a couple of files on my old card. The writing has probably degraded the chance of getting ALL the files, but that's all right (?), I only need some files.

[globaloffice]

From a Windows box I've had great luck with this:

http://www.oo-software.com/en/products/oodiskrecovery/index.html

Regards,
Roger

[pocketpcadmirer]

Try Flash Card recovery (http://www.panterasoft.com/file-recovery/)

Sunny

[ibookje]

Try Flash Card recovery (http://www.panterasoft.com/file-recovery/)



These programs only look for picture files. I'm looking for programs which can fix the FAT.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

I'm sorry if I misled you, but I don't think there are any programs that can fix a corrupted FAT - the best you can do is just recover your files, if that. The card can then re-formated for use.

[jag]

Hello:

Since I have had problems with almost every SD card I have bought, I went looking for a solution. I have used Getdataback several times, and have always been able to recover everything. It even can recover deleted files. :lol:
There is a version for FAT and a version for NTFS (for XP). I have used both, since I also had problems with my hard disk once.
Since I use this program, I am now relieved that I will not lose the info, if I act fast with this program, and stop using the card, so I will not overwrite. I think you can recover files even after formatting, but I am not sure.

Good luck! 8O