If your SD card suddenly stopped working and your computer doesn’t recognize it anymore, it sounds like there might be a couple of issues at play. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help troubleshoot and possibly recover your important data.
First, you’ll want to try a basic approach. Insert your SD card into a different card reader as sometimes the problem is with the reader itself and not the card. If a new reader or another USB port resolves the issue, great! If not, proceed with the next steps.
Step 1: Try Another Device or OS
- Sometimes the issue might be specific to your current computer’s OS. Try inserting the SD card into another computer or use it in a different device like a camera or smartphone that supports SD cards. This can help determine if the issue is with the card or the computer.
Step 2: Check Disk Management
- On a Windows PC, go to Disk Management (Right-click on ‘This PC’ > ‘Manage’ > ‘Disk Management’). Look for your SD card here. If it appears but isn’t recognized or doesn’t show up properly, it might be a partition issue.
Step 3: Use Disk Drill to Recover Data
- If Disk Management shows issues or if the card is detected but not accessible, it might be time to use a dedicated data recovery tool. Disk Drill is a highly recommended option for this. You can download Disk Drill and follow the instructions to scan and recover data from the SD card. The software is user-friendly and designed to recover lost or corrupted files.
Step 4: Run Chkdsk Command (For Windows Users)
- Open Command Prompt with administrative privileges and type
chkdsk X: /f(Replace ‘X’ with the drive letter assigned to your SD card). This will check the SD card for any file system errors and fix them if possible.
Step 5: Final Resort – Reformatting the SD Card
- If none of the above steps work and you’re able to recover the data using Disk Drill, consider reformatting the SD card as the last resort. This will wipe all data, so ensure you’ve backed everything up. Go to Disk Management, right-click on your SD card, and select ‘Format’. Choose the file system (FAT32 for most SD cards) and proceed.
Additional Tips:
- Back Up Regularly: Regularly back up your important data to prevent panic in such situations.
- Check for Physical Damage: If the card has visible damage, professional recovery services might be your only option.
- Avoid Overuse: SD cards have a limited read/write cycle, so avoid overusing a single card for prolonged periods.
Hopefully, these steps help you recover your data. If your SD card continues to fail after this, it might be time to replace it entirely.