MicroSD cards have almost become as important as the internal storage of any smartphone. Not only is it used for saving media files, but it can also be formatted to become a part of internal storage so that applications can be installed. If your SD card is damaged, read on to see how to repair a corrupted SD card on an Android phone.
How do you know the SD card is damaged? Here are some signs that could alert you to a damaged SD card.
- An error message reading “No SD card detected”
- Mounting SD card repeatedly before it mounts properly
- An error message saying you need to format SD card
- Slow performance
- Missing or unreadable files
Before trying any of these solutions, you can insert the SD card on another smart device and see if it works. If it works, you have your data safe. But if it does not, then you have to read up on how to repair a damaged SD card in your Android device. This article will show you how to fix a corrupted SD card on an Android phone.
How to repair a corrupted SD card in an Android phone
Format SD card
If you have removed and reinserted your card and it still won't work, you have to format the card. Perhaps the SD card has picked up some virus or bug, and in this case, a simple format can help. If you are curious about how to fix a corrupted SD card in Android without losing data, you can try using Data Recovery Software on your PC. Insert the SD card into the card reader and extract your data for backup. After the backup, you can proceed with the format
How to fix a corrupted SD card using an Android phone
Here is how to repair a damaged SD card on Android, if you do not have a computer within reach. You can only use this method if your Android phone can detect the memory card.
- Launch Settings on your Android phone
- Navigate downwards and click on Storage
- Under portable storage, you should see your SD card listed. Tap on the three-dot icon beside it
- Among the options, select Format. You may see a warning alerting you that all your data will be erased.
- Click okay to confirm the format. This is how to fix corrupted SD cards using Android phones.
How to fix a corrupted SD card using a computer
If your Android phone continues to give you an error message that it is unable to detect the SD card, you need to use a computer to format the SD card.
- Connect/insert the Android SD card into your PC. Use the card reader, or an external USB card reader to connect it to the PC
- On your PC, open the File Explorer
- Locate the SD card among the removable disks
- Right-click on it
- Select Format.
- Reset the SD card's file system to FAT 32click Start to start formatting the card.
- When the formatting process is completed, click OK
Another question some people ask is whether there are methods to fix damaged SD cards without formatting using an Android phone. If your SD card only has a minor bug, a quick scan with the PC can probably address it so that you don’t need to fix it. In the case of a scan, your files remain safe. Follow the same steps but click on quick scan instead of format. You can also use a Deep scan to scan and fix issues on your corrupted SD card if a quick scan does not work.
For corrupted SD cards, you have to format them. A quick scan is not sufficient to fix a corrupted SD card.
How to fix a corrupted SD card without formatting it
There are some SD Card Repair solutions on the Play Store for Android phones and the internet for your PC. If you decide to repair your SD card instead, look for a trusted one with good reviews and try it out.
Replace it
If formatting the SD card does not fix it, you may have to replace it. Again, you will
A new SD card should cost between $4 to $10 depending on the storage size and the quality you decide to settle for. Ensure that you purchase a reliable and genuine SD card from an accredited dealer. SD cards are quite sensitive, and if you are going to be storing important information on them, you should get something good and durable. You can use the Carlcare app to check the service centers near you where you can purchase a reliable SD card.
Conclusion
We have shared different methods on how to repair corrupted SD cards in Android phones, mostly through formatting. Once formatted, all the files are lost and this is why you should do a backup before formatting.
How can I recover data from a corrupted SD card on my Android phone?
There is no way to recover the data once you have formatted the corrupted SD card. However, if you did a backup or file transfer on a computer, you may be able to transfer it back after formatting. It is okay to do a quick scan of the files, before copying them back to your SD card. The scan will help delete any bugs or viruses that might have caused the damage in the first place.
If your SD card is already bad and unreadable, there are some recovery software you can use on a PC to recover some of your files before formatting it.
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