Recover MicroSDHC 32GB card

Hi all,

I’m facing an issue with my 6 months old SD card and I need help to recover some of my pictures/videos.

My 32GB MicroSD has become corrupted in my phone. I have attached it to my laptop (running Windows 7) but its requesting I format (to be more precisely I had to use an USB card reader in order to be recognized by Windows/Linux as the common adapter didn’t work). 

I have ran chkdsk /r but it returns an error saying my SD card is now a RAW file system (error “Chkdsk not available for RAW”). It was a FAT32, so it seems to be corrupted and became RAW file system.

Using the SD FORMATTER V3.1 (https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/)) it says that are available to “format” just 30.81 MB and not 32 GB. Of course I didn’t format it till now.

I tried using different recover’s software in the market but without success.

I’ve already contacted SanDisk and after just 5 minutes of talk they said my memory card is broken and need to change it. Also they offered an international company called LC TECHNOLOGY to recover my data but they are charging an amount of 275 USED to “try”. I paid 140 EUR for this memory card relying on SanDisk reliability and trust. However, I feel like I bought a generic brand as my problem was “just another damaged memory card which need just to be change”.

Any help on this would be highly appreciated.

Thank you,

Any idea, please?

There’s nothing anybody here could to what SanDisk Tech Support has already told you. If the card is bad (and they said it was), they will replace it for you under warranty. Yes, professional recovery services are expensive and there’s no guarantee of success. And unfortunately no waranty, from SanDisk or any other manufacturer covers this cost under their warranty.

Sorry, wish I had better news or a silver bullet for you. :cry:

Try a photo recovery software. There are so many effective software available on the internet.  Select one of them and try to recover your photos and video files. 

sorry to say but I think checkdsk is a bad idea which you should not run on the SD card which is corrupted, you should not use the memory card before you recover your data.

Anyway, the reason I reply is that I had the same situation, I saw the memory card needs to be formatted error on my Sanddisk SD card and I was also in the situation where there’s quite some important family photos on my SD card and I want to recover photos. I searched the Internet and found some tutorial, went through them one by one and there’s one helped me, you can find it from link below

Fix SD card not formatted error and recover data

The tutorial tells me to not use the memory card when you see memory card error happens, and connect the memory card to computer with a card reader. In your case, hope that you can still recover photos and videos, at least some if not all.

Iam sorry to hear that, man. Have you check the chip of the card is good or not? If yhen chip is good ,I think some sector of the card memory has somethong wrong, and the data maybe still exist, you can try to use Card Data Recovery program, whihc is good for corrupted card data recovery. It won’t hurt you to have a try to use the trial versiong to see if the application can read your card and the data is there. know more about it here: corrupted card data recovery

I also have similar problem last time, my SD card asks for format when I try to access it. But I found this memory card recovery solution after searched on Internet:

how to fix memory card error and recover data

you may try it as it it easy to follow and works well for me.

dont worry, you may try this sd card data recovery guide that helped me last time:

How to recover files from SD card

hope this helps you get back your lost files.

$39.95? Smells like

to me. :angry:

And as such has been reported!

You can try to recover deleted, formatted and lost files with this files recovery program. It’s good but not free.

Besides, you can also try freeware like Recuva and PhotoRec.

In case if you have formatted your micro SD card unintentionally, then each of the files can be retained by use of Remo Recover.

Hi all, I have a similar problem with the same product: SDSDQUA-032G, while I carried my smartphone, will restart and stop to recognize the microSD, try to recover formatted from a reader card with windows 7 from windows XP and none recognizes, is as dead as it is not detected the device nor my smartphone. I have only 6 months of use.
I still keep the original box or blister and adapter.
live in the region of Venezuela.

Hola a todos, tengo un problema similar con el mismo producto: SDSDQUA-032G, mientras cargaba mi smartphone, se reinicio y dejo de reconocer la microSD, trate de recuperar el formato desde una card reader con windows 7 y desde windows XP y ninguno lo reconoce, es como si estuviera muerta ya que no es detectado el dispositivo ni tampoco mi smartphone. solo tengo 6 meses de uso.
aun conservo la caja original o blister y adaptador.
vivo en la region de Venezuela.

Hey, reckor Have you restored your SD card data successfully, just like me? In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I also got a RAW camera SD card and all the stored photos and videos were inaccessible. After reading many related threads and articles, I knew that I could restore them all back with the help of a data recovery program and formatted this card latter for fixing its RAW files system problems. So, by following these suggestions, I just tried three data recovery freeware like Recuva, iCare Data Recovery free and 4Card Recovery and finally restored all my wanted data back at the aid of this link: http://sd-card-raw.blogspot.com/2013/11/recover-data-from-raw-sd-card.html I hope my experiences can give you some clues.

In this situation you may need a recovery app to help you a lot. You may also send your card to the repair shop, but is it worthy or not? I think it will wast my time. Here is a post maybe helpful for you: http://usbdatarecovery.net/mac-file-recovery-is-not-difficult-using-third-party-software-to-perform-it/

I also find a new link of related data recovery information here:

http://www.4cardrecovery.com/howto/sd-card-raw-drive-not-formatted-error.html

I hope it will help you somehow.

I also find a new link of related data recovery information here:

http://www.4cardrecovery.com/howto/sd-card-raw-drive-not-formatted-error.html

I also find a new link of related data recovery information here:

Hey, reckor Have you restored your SD card data successfully, just like me? In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I also got a RAW camera SD card and all the stored photos and videos were inaccessible. After reading many related threads and articles, I knew that I could restore them all back with the help of a data recovery program and formatted this card latter for fixing its RAW files system problems. So, by following these suggestions, I just tried three data recovery freeware like Recuva, iCare Data Recovery free and 4Card Recovery and finally restored all my wanted data back at the aid of this link: 

http://www.4cardrecovery.com/howto/sd-card-raw-drive-not-formatted-error.html

I hope my experiences can give you some clues.

I’ve got exactly the same problem, a dead 32GB Ultra microSD for my mobile phone, It became unstable few days before. Finally it dead inside the phone.

When I plug the card to my PC, through the built-in card reader, it shows nothing.

After that, I try another card reader and it shows RAW format and only 30MB for its size, I tried to use Data Recovery software but they fail to find anything. I am a IT guy, and this is not my first time to rescue memory card. I do that more then 10 times every year (for my friend). 

This case is so rare because the card size changed from 32GB to 30MB!!! It seems that it is a physically damage.

When I want to gave up, I try some stupid method… That is try all the card readers I have…  Finally, I’ve found one of my card reader WORKS!!! :slight_smile: The card magically readable and I can copy all of my files out.

The brand of my card reader is ELECOM  MR-A004BK  (It is a so-call Japanese brand, but made in China)

I suspect that the memory chips are weaken after a peroid of time, and not readable by some card reader. In my case, it is not a logical error since I can read the card with ANOTHER card reader without recovery software.

So… in case you have a simular case, try all the card readers you have. Buy some card reader cost you nothing…(compare to those recovery company)

Data recovery from a memory card is very easy using any data recovery software. You have to attach your memory card to a laptop in which you have to install Amrev data recovery softwar e and just scan and recovery your lost photos. The recovery from sd card or memory card depends on the type of recovery like either you have deleted your photos or formatted your card. try the trail version of any data recovery software then purchase when satisfied.

Try to restore your data using an updated backup fiel, if oyu don’t have backup of your data then the only one way to recover your data i.e. professionally designed data recover software. This tool is recommended only when you don’t have backup of your card because by simply restoring them one can restore their data.