Support external cards memory 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, it crashed for some reason, and as a result, the OS did not detect the 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
A problem most often encountered by those who like to connect a device to a PC and, instead of safely removing it, simply unplug 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 an 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.
Having problems on your Android phone or any other with a memory card? Can't read data from it or your Android phone/tablet doesn't detect it?
You can repair a damaged micro SD card if it is damaged using a computer, check it for errors, or completely reformat it.
In general, the fact that the SD card is not readable is not something unusual. If you have a lot of data stored on it and you use it extensively on your phone, there is always a chance that you might have trouble reading the content.
But this does not mean that the card should be thrown away immediately. There is always a chance to restore the SD card.
If you fail to fix the memory card, you can restore the files on the damaged memory card -
Sometimes the solution may be to check the file system for errors in saved files, repair bad sectors, format the card, or complete removal section (map structure) and its re-creation. Below we will look at all these solutions.
How can I restore the functionality of an external SD card?
To fix a damaged SD card you will need:
- computer or laptop running Windows;
- any way to connect an SD card directly to a computer.
You can connect it to your computer using an adapter - if not, you can buy a USB card reader.
Method one - repairing a damaged file system CHKDSK
If your device says sd card is damaged, here's what you can do. The first and easiest way is to use windows tool for recovery system disk, that is, CHDSK.
This tool is from Microsoft and is only available on Windows computers. CHKDSK does this without deleting any files, so you won't lose any card data.
First, connect the SD card directly to your computer or laptop and launch “My Computer” or “This PC” (Windows 8 and later).
In the list of drives, find the included SD card and note which drive letter it was assigned to. For the purposes of this guide, let's assume the card has been assigned the letter "D".
Press combination Windows keys+ R to bring up window Windows startup. In the run window enter the following command to enable command line:CMD.
A new command prompt window will appear. Now you must enter the appropriate command that will scan the memory card and fix the errors on it. The command looks like this:
Chkdsk D: /f
Of course, instead of "D:", write your drive letter (don't forget the colon). Press the "Enter" button to start scanning.
After scanning, you can check your memory drive and see if everything is working.
Method two - formatting a damaged SD card
The second way to fix a damaged SD card is to format it by deleting all data. This option can help if CHKDSK failed to check and you are still having problems (for example, errors reading individual files).
Of course, you will lose all your data, but chances are that formatting will fix the card.
To do this, connect the drive to your computer, and then call up “My Computer” or “This Computer.” In the list of drives, find the connected SD card and click on it right click mice.
Select "Format" in context menu. A new format window will appear for the specified drive (SD card in this case).
Click the "Default Allocation Size" button and make sure "FAT32" is selected as the file system.
You can format with the “Quick Format” option selected, but to get more accurate results I recommend that you uncheck this box - formatting will take much longer, but is done more carefully, which can help solve problems with the card.
After formatting, reinsert the card into your smartphone, tablet, digital camera or other device you are using and make sure the card is working properly.
Method three - completely delete all partitions and re-create them again
An SD card is no different from a regular disk - it can have one or more partitions. By default there is always only one section.
You can format the card in such a way as to completely remove the partition and leave it unallocated.
It's called low level formatting. Please note that this will also permanently delete all data on the memory card.
After formatting you can create new section. This often helps when the memory card appears as "RAW" after connecting and does not show any partitions that can be accessed.
For this formatting you can use a program called “HDD Low Level Format Tool" You can download it below.
Connect the drive to your computer and then run the low level detection tool hard drive.
You will see a list of all your drives on your computer, including the connected one external storage. Find your SD card in the list and select it.
Make sure you choose correctly. Once selected, click Continue and go to the Format this device tab.
The card will be completely formatted and all partitions will be deleted. This will now be a clean, undistributed surface.
That's not all - the card is in such a state that it will be useless. Now go to the Start menu and find the Tools folder Windows administration", and in it select "Computer Management".
A new window will appear. In it, select “Disk Management”. A new window will appear displaying all drives, both internal and external, connected via USB.
Find your drive, the surface of which is displayed in black. Right-click on the black unallocated area and select New Simple Volume.
You will see a wizard that will guide you step by step through the process of creating a partition. You don't need to change anything, just click Next. Pay attention to the File System field and make sure that FAT32 is selected instead of NTFS.
Confirm the creation of the new partition. Your micro SD card will now appear in the My Computer window with a drive letter automatically assigned. You can disconnect it from your computer and connect it to your phone or tablet. Good luck.
Developer:
http://hddguru.com/
OS:
Windows
Interface:
English
