SD cards serve to expand the storage of our devices, mobile phones, cameras, computers, etc. They are very useful, there is no doubt, it's just that, sometimes, you may find that SD card not working on any device. A frustrating problem, but one that has several solutions that you can try before giving up your card.
Check the physical condition of the SD card
Inspect the physical condition of the SD card. Check that has no visible damage, such as cracks, bumps or bent pins on the metal part. If the SD card has obvious physical damage, there's not much you can do, and you'll need to consider replacing it.
Test the card on different devices
Sometimes the problem is not with the SD card, but with the device you are trying to use it on. Try with insert SD card into different devices, like other phones, cameras or computers. If the card works in some other device, the problem could be with the SD slot of the original device.
Clean SD card contacts
Dust or dirt on the metal contacts of the SD card can prevent it from working properly. Use a soft, dry cloth or eraser to carefully clean the contacts. After cleaning them, insert the card back into the device to see if this resolves the issue.
Use a card reader
If the SD card does not work on any device and none of them recognize it, try use a card reader connected to a computer. Sometimes the card reader may recognize the card when the device's SD slot does not.
Check if the system recognizes the SD card
If the SD card is not visible in file explorer, but the operating system recognizes it, you still have a chance to recover it. On Windows, you can check this through Device Manager. Access it by right clicking on the start menu, choose Device administrator and search Disk drives. If your SD card appears there but not in file explorer, it may be corrupt and you need to repair it.
Repair SD Card Using Command Prompt (CMD)
When you confirm that the SD card is recognized by the system, you can try to repair it using the command prompt in Windows:
- To open this symbol, search cmd in the start menu, right click on it and choose Run as administrator.
- Then write diskpart and press Enter. Later he writes list disk to view all connected units.
- Identify your SD card in the disk list.
- Write select diskX (where "X" is the number corresponding to your SD card) and press Enter.
- To clear logical errors on the card, type clean and press Enter.
- Close the command prompt when the process is finished.
Format the SD card
After performing the above step, the SD card may need to be formatted. Do like this:
- Open Disk Manager from the Start menu.
- Locate your SD card, it should appear as not assigned.
- Right click on it and choose New Simple Volume.
The wizard will give you instructions to format the card. Select a format compatible with your device, such as FAT32 or exFAT.
Use data recovery software
If the formatting has worked, but you need to recover the data that was on the SD card, you can use specialized software such as Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard or similar. These programs recover lost or deleted files.
Consult with a professional
You followed all these steps, but still the SD card is not working, it could have a internal physical damage. In that case, it is best to take it to a professional specialized in data recovery, who can offer you a better chance of recovering the information.
And if the professional cannot help you either, consider replace SD card for a new one.