But you can get your files from an SD card on macOS or Windows by using a newbie-friendly piece of software.
Recovering Files with SD Card Recovery Software
Make sure you find out what kind of damage was done to the card first. If it’s physical, all you can do is to send it to a recovery company. Specialists will try and extract the survived data. Be prepared, though, because you’ll need a lot of money since some companies send HDDs and SD cards to their labs in other cities.
1 Recovering Files with SD Card Recovery Software1.1 Step 1: Stop Using the Card1.2 Step 2: Find the Right Software1.3 Step 3: Recovering Files Using Software
If you’re sure the damage is logical, meaning the card was attacked by a virus or the file system has failed, you can do a lot more yourself.
Step 1: Stop Using the Card
Your files aren’t really deleted yet. If you see the card isn’t working properly, don’t try to take new pictures or videos. Your old files are still there, you just can’t see them because the system doesn’t recognize them. If the card is partially operational, you can accidentally overwrite the old files that may still be there. So, take the card out and put it in a reader you can later connect to your PC or laptop.
Step 2: Find the Right Software
The next step is finding a quality program to recover files from the memory card. The proper wizard knows how to recover data from external hard drive on Mac, how to revive an SD card, and much more. The recover processes for the files from a card and from an external drive are very similar, after all. Your job is to choose a good one, and for that, here’s what you should do: 2. Find review platforms and see what regular users write about the programs that caught your eye most often; 3. Read professional reviews and how-tos as well; 4. Find out the features, cost, whether the manufacturer offers a demo-version or at least a free scan; 5. Choose your favorite, install it, upgrade if needed, and here you go.
Step 3: Recovering Files Using Software
After you’ve found and/or purchased the desired software, it’s time to get those files back! There are different programs, but they usually need the same steps from you:
- Connect the card reader to a PC or laptop;
- Run the program and let it scan the space;
- See if it finds any files that you need;
- Check if all the files are in place;
- Restore them to a folder on your PC/laptop. Choose a program that has a user-friendly interface and lots of useful features. Those may be several types of scan and file recovery, backups, a check for malware, and much more. While software that needs more skills may be cheaper, it’s easy to get lost while using it. So, opt for the best regular user option. Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/embed/LRuj7FYAFeY Nobody is completely secure when it comes to hardware or portable storage mediums. They wear out, fall off tables, get damaged by malware. And if your SD card doesn’t have a standard recovery program in the package, make sure you choose a suitable wizard just in case.