How to Recover Files From a Corrupted SD Card For Free

Does your SD card act weird? Throwing errors or prompts to format it? Files suddenly missing? Or maybe it doesn’t even show up in File Explorer like it used to? These are all signs of corruption. While your specific case may have slightly different symptoms, the process for data recovery from a corrupted SD card usually follows a similar path.

Historically, corrupted SD card recovery has been one of the most popular topics on our site, and we’re giving this guide a major update to make sure it meets today’s standards—both ours and the industry’s.

DIY Corrupted SD Card Data Recovery Basics

So, if you don’t have a backup of the files that were on your SD card, the only option left is data recovery software. These tools are designed to retrieve lost, deleted, or inaccessible data from memory cards (and other storage devices).

But here’s the catch: your computer has to detect the card for the SD card data recovery tool to do its job. If you don’t see your SD card in File Explorer, it doesn’t automatically mean the computer isn’t detecting it. It could just be a visibility issue or a logical error. So, let’s tackle that first.

Right-click the Start menu and select Disk Management. Look for your SD card in the list of connected drives. If it appears with the correct size, that’s a good sign—it means the system recognizes it, and you should have no issues running a scan. If the card shows up but doesn’t have a drive letter, that could explain why it’s missing in File Explorer. This is a common issue, and the fix is simple. We’ll show you how to assign a new drive letter later in this article.

If the card doesn’t appear at all in Disk Management, that’s not a great sign. It could mean there’s a connection issue or physical damage to the SD card.

But don’t jump to the worst-case scenario just yet—this could just be a connection issue. Try these quick fixes:

• Try a different SD card reader or use a different USB port for the current one.
• If you’re on a desktop PC, plug the card reader into a USB port on the back of your system if you have one. These ports usually connect directly to the motherboard.
• Test the card on another device, to confirm whether it’s the card or the reader causing the issue.

If switching hardware doesn’t help and the SD card still doesn’t show up, you’re likely dealing with physical damage or internal failure. In this case, you may need to turn to professional damaged SD card recovery services. These services use advanced equipment to extract data, even from SD cards that seem dead. However, they can be expensive, so weigh the importance of your lost data against the cost.

5 Steps To Recover Data From a Corrupted SD Card

Ok, so we’ll assume your computer detects your corrupted SD card. Now it’s time to move forward with the recovery process. Here are 5 steps you can follow to retrieve files from a corrupted SD card.

First, you’ll need a reliable SD data recovery tool. There are plenty of options, like Disk Drill, Recuva, or PhotoRec. For this guide, we’ll demonstrate the process on Windows using Disk Drill. Why Disk Drill? It delivers excellent results with FAT32 and exFAT file systems—common on SD cards—and handles a wide range of file types (for the cases when the file system is badly damaged). Plus, it offers a byte-to-byte backup option, which we’ll explain separately in the next steps.

Step 1: Download and Launch a Data Recovery App

With your card plugged into your computer, the next step is getting the corrupted SD card recovery software ready. Head over to the official Disk Drill website to download the program. This guarantees you’re getting the latest version straight from the source, without worrying about malware or outdated files. Once it’s downloaded, run the installer and follow the simple instructions. It’s quick and doesn’t require any complicated settings.

After installation, launch Disk Drill. You’ll see a list of all connected storage devices, including your computer’s internal drives, external drives, and your SD card.

Step 2: Create a Byte-to-Byte Backup (Optional)

As we mentioned earlier, Disk Drill includes an additional feature that can be invaluable when you restore a corrupted SD card—a Byte-to-Byte Backup. This feature creates a full copy of your SD card in its current state. This includes all existing, lost, or deleted data, as well as corrupted areas. This backup is helpful because it allows you to retrieve corrupted SD card data from the image file rather than directly from the SD card. It’s especially useful if the card is in bad shape or if you’re worried it might fail completely during the recovery process.

Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need enough free space on your computer or external storage for the backup file. The backup image will be the same size as your SD card. For example, if your SD card is 32 GB, you’ll need at least 32 GB of free space to create the backup.

If you’re short on free space or confident that your card is stable, you can skip this step and move on to scanning the card directly. But when in doubt, a backup is always the safer choice.

To create a Byte-to-Byte Backup in Disk Drill:

1. Look for the Byte-to-Byte Backup option on the left-hand panel.
2. Select your SD card from the list of connected devices.
3. Click Create Backup and choose a location with enough free space to save the image.

Once your Byte-to-Byte Backup is ready, you can scan it instead of the original SD card. To do this, you’ll need to mount the backup file in Disk Drill:

1. Go back to the Data Recovery tab in Disk Drill, where all storage devices are listed.
2. Scroll to the bottom and click on Attach Disk Image.
3. Browse for the byte-to-byte backup file you just created and select it.

Disk Drill will add the backup to the list of devices, and you can proceed to scan it just like you would with the SD card itself.

Step 3: Scan the SD Card (or Its Backup File)

The next step is to run the scan. Select your corrupted SD card from the list in Disk Drill (or its backup if you didn’t skip Step 2) and click the Search for Lost Data button. Disk Drill will start analyzing the card or backup to locate deleted, lost, or inaccessible files.

During the scan, you’ll see a progress bar along with categories of files that have been found, such as Pictures, Videos, Documents, and more. You have a couple of options at this stage.

You can wait for the scan to finish and then click on Recover All to retrieve files from the corrupted SD card without sorting through individual categories and save everything that was found to a safe location. This is the quickest way to recover all files.

Alternatively, you can click on a specific category, like Pictures, Videos, or Audio, right away to see what has already been found while the scan is still running. If you prefer a broader view, click Review Found Items to see every file type that has been discovered so far.

Step 4: Filter and Preview Found Files

Once you open the list of found items in Disk Drill, you might notice that the files are organized into subcategories like Deleted or Lost, Existing, and Reconstructed. Here’s what each of these means:

• Deleted or Lost: These are files that were intentionally or accidentally deleted or became inaccessible due to corruption. They usually retain their original names and folder structures if the file system isn’t too badly damaged.
• Reconstructed: These are files recovered from raw data fragments. They appear here when the file system is severely damaged, and Disk Drill had to identify the files based on their internal signatures (the unique data patterns that define file types). While they might not have original names or folder locations, they’re often the only way to recover files in extreme cases.
• Existing: These are files that are still on the SD card and would normally be accessible if the card wasn’t corrupted.

Disk Drill gives you several ways to narrow down your search. If your SD card has a ton of files, these can save you a lot of time.

On the left-hand panel, you’ll see categories like Pictures, Videos, Documents. You can filter by these broad groups or dig into subcategories. For example, under Pictures, you can choose specific file types like JPG, PNG, or RAW formats. This way, you only see the files you’re interested in.

You can also filter by size, date, or recovery chances. Disk Drill ranks files with High, Average, or Low recovery chances. A High rating means the file is likely intact and should recover without issues. A Low rating means the file is damaged or incomplete.

For even more precision, use the search bar at the top. You can search by file name (if it was preserved), part of a name, or file extensions. For example, .zip will pull up only compressed files, .mp3 will show audio files, and .raf will show Fuji RAW image files from cameras.

In cases where file names are missing or unhelpful, Disk Drill’s preview feature can be of help. When you click on a file, a small preview will appear on the right side of the screen. If that’s not enough, you’ll also notice an eye icon—it will open a full preview of the file. Disk Drill will play or display the file, as long as your OS can open it natively or with an installed viewer. This makes it much easier to confirm that the file is what you’re looking for, even if the original name or folder structure is gone. By the way, if the file is previewable, that’s a 100% guarantee it can be recovered without any issues.

Step 5: Select and Recover Files to a Safe Location

Now that you’ve filtered, previewed, and identified the files you want to recover, it’s time to save them to a safe location. This step is straightforward. Just check the boxes next to the files or folders you want to recover. You can choose individual files, entire categories, or even everything Disk Drill found. Once you’ve made your selection, click the Recover button.

When prompted, choose a destination folder. It’s important to save the recovered files to a different location, not back to the SD card. For example, use your computer’s internal storage or an external hard drive. Saving files to the same card risks overwriting other recoverable data, and will make it impossible to recover those files later.

Once the corrupted memory card recovery finishes, Disk Drill will offer to open the folder in File Explorer so you can immediately check the files you just saved. The process is simple and as intuitive as it gets, which is exactly why we chose this tool for our demo—not to mention its recovery track record and safety.

That said, if you feel like Disk Drill isn’t quite what you’re looking for we have a list of Disk Drill alternatives that might suit your needs better. Check it out, there are plenty of other tools out there, so you’re bound to find one that fits your needs.

How to Make a Corrupted SD Card Usable Again After Data Recovery

Now your files are safe, but that’s only half the story. A corrupted SD card is still an issue, and you’ll need to fix it if you want to use it again. Here are three options that are likely to help, depending on your situation. At the start of each method, we’ll mention when it’s most suitable to use.

Option A: Assign a Drive Letter

This is the simplest fix. If you opened Disk Management like we showed you earlier and noticed that your SD card doesn’t have a drive letter—no G:, F:, or whatever it used to be—this is the reason it’s not showing up in File Explorer.

You can assign a new drive letter without any risk to your files, so this method is completely safe to try before data recovery. However, since this is rarely the issue, we’ve included it here with other repair methods.

Here’s what to do to recover corrupted SD card functionality:

1. Press Win + X and select Disk Management from the menu.
2. In the Disk Management window, find your SD card in the list of drives.
3. Right-click on the SD card entry in the list. This action opens a context menu.
4. Click on “Change Drive Letter and Paths” from the context menu. This opens a new window where you can add, change, or remove the drive letter.
5. Click the “Change” button. This action opens another window where you select a new drive letter for your SD card.
6. Choose a new drive letter from the dropdown menu. Select a letter that is not currently in use by another drive on your computer. Click “OK” to confirm your selection.
7. A warning message may appear, indicating that changing the drive letter can cause programs that rely on the current letter to stop working. Click “Yes” to confirm the change.
8. Open File Explorer and check if the SD card now appears with the new drive letter. You should be able to access the card and its contents if the issue was related to the drive letter.

Option B: Use the CHKDSK Command

The Check Disk (CHKDSK) command in Windows is a built-in tool that scans your SD card (or any other drive) for errors and fixes them. To repair a corrupted SD card, we’ll use the /r parameter. This not only fixes errors but also looks for bad sectors and marks them as unusable, preventing future issues.

How to run CHKDSK on your corrupted SD card:

1. Open the Start menu. In the search bar, type cmd to find the Command Prompt.
2. When Command Prompt appears in the search results, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
3. In opened windows type chkdsk E: /r. Replace E with the drive letter of your SD card (e.g., G: or F:).
4. Press Enter, and CHKDSK will start analyzing the SD card. This can take some time to complete.
   ⚠️

   Let CHKDSK run uninterrupted. Do not close the window, eject the SD card, or shut down your computer while the process is running. Interrupting the scan can lead to further corruption or even permanent damage.

5. Once CHKDSK completes, it will display a summary of its findings. This includes the number of errors fixed, bad sectors identified, and any remaining issues.

Option C: Format the SD Card

Formatting is a solution used to fix a wide range of non-physical problems, such as corruption or file system errors. It erases your SC card and puts a new, clean file system in place. It comes in two forms: quick format and full format.

Technically, you can recover data after formatting your SD card—if you use quick format—but your chances are much better if you recover the files before it.

How to format your SD card:

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Disk Management from the list.
2. Once you’ve identified your SD card, right-click it and select Format from the context menu. A pop-up window will appear with formatting options.
3. Choose file system. Select FAT32 for cards up to 32 GB or exFAT for larger cards.
4. You can assign a name to your SD card in the Volume Label field (e.g., “MySDCard”). This step is optional.
5. If you want to perform a Full Format, uncheck Perform a quick format.
6. Click OK to confirm. You’ll see a warning that formatting will erase all data on the SD card, click OK again to start the process. Formatting usually takes just a few seconds for smaller cards and a couple of minutes for larger ones. Once done, a message will confirm that the format was successful.

After formatting, your SD card is clean and ready to use. Copy a few files to and from it, or try using it in its original device, like a camera or smartphone, to confirm it works properly.

If the problem persists, it’s a sign the card may be on its way out, and it might be time to replace it.

Final Words and Tips

If you managed to retrieve files from your corrupted SD card but found some of them not opening, don’t stop here. This is a common issue, especially if you used the SD card after data loss or if a device error caused incomplete recordings. This often happens with video files, like those from cameras, where a power failure or interruption leads to corruption. If this happened to you, there are a couple of things you can try.

For videos, you can use free online tools like Clever Online Video Repair. It’s designed to recover damaged or incomplete video files. However, you’ll need a working video file from the same camera as a healthy reference to help repair the corrupted one. For a step-by-step guide, check out our dedicated article on video repair.

If the issue is with photos, there are great online resources to help. Communities like r/AskPhotography offer advice from experienced photographers who’ve dealt with similar problems. Sources like DiskTuna can also help with corrupted photo files. For example, their article, Recover Data from Corrupted RAW Photos is super helpful for working with RAW formats like CR2, NEF, and ARW. It explains how to extract embedded JPEGs from damaged RAW files. If that’s your case, this guide is worth checking out.

Need help? If you run into obstacles with the recovery steps—our community is here to assist you. Feel free to reach out, and we’ll do our best to help you troubleshoot. Just make sure to include as much detail as possible, like the type of SD card, the issues you’re experiencing, and what you’ve tried so far. The more information you provide, the easier it will be for us to guide you toward a solution!

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