My SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB card worked perfectly for months, but after safely ejecting it from my laptop last night, it’s now completely unrecognized by any device.
In Canon R6: Shows “CARD ERROR” instantly.
In Windows Laptop:
Disk Management lists it as “No Media” or “Unallocated.”
File Explorer hangs when I try to access it.
Sometimes prompts “You need to format the disk” (I did NOT format!).
The card looks pristine, so I guess there’s no physical damage. Is this a firmware issue? The card was last used in-camera.
Eddied:
SD Card Model: SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC™ UHS-I, 128GB (SDSDXXD-128G-GN4IN)
Devices Used: Canon EOS R6 (camera), HP Envy Laptop (Windows 11), Anker USB 3.0 Card Reader
I totally get how frustrating this must be—especially since the card was working fine earlier. From what you’ve described (showing “No Media” in Disk Management, “Card Error” in the Canon R6, and File Explorer hanging), it sounds like the card’s internal controller or file system might’ve gotten corrupted.
Don’t format it or try writing anything new to it. Instead, try scanning it with a recovery tool—I’d suggest using something like Windows data recovery software (you can start with the free version just to scan and check if your files are detectable). Also, if you haven’t already, try a different card reader or system, just in case it’s a hardware compatibility thing.
Look, “No Media” in Disk Management basically means the controller’s a toast. Doesn’t matter if it looks pristine; it’s dead inside. You can try all the card readers you want, but if it’s not showing up, no software on Earth is going to magically fix it.
But if detects then use the Stellar Recovery tool.
As @helly suggested, your situation likely means the SD card’s internal controller has failed, not the actual memory. Try using a different card reader, USB port, or another computer to see if it can be detected. You can also use tools like PhotoRec or ChipGenius to check if the card is still recognized at a low level. If no device or software can detect it, the damage is probably beyond home recovery. In that case, a professional data recovery service is your only option.
