SD Card Error: "The Volume Does Not Contain a Recognized File System"

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Ugh, getting the error “The volume does not contain a recognized file system” when trying to access my SanDisk card.

This card was working fine before and has mainly been used in my Sony camera. Nothing unusual happened that I’m aware of — no drops, no sudden power loss. But after inserting it into my PC, Windows won’t let me open it and just shows that error.

I already checked SanDisk’s official guide. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really go into much detail. Should this card be replaced, or are there any other troubleshooting steps worth trying first? Any suggestions would be really helpful. TYSM.

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@Arlo2026 That means your file system is damaged or lost. You can try to repair or recovery your data.

Have you checked our knowledge base articles?
( Get Support for Your SSDs and Flash Products | Sandisk )

Try this these.

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Try reformatting your SD card.

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This issue is usually caused by a corrupted file system, outdated /faulty drivers, or logical damage to the SD card. When Windows cannot properly read the file system structure, it may display the error message “The volume does not contain a recognized file system.” To resolve this problem on a Windows computer, try the following solutions.

  1. Run the SFC (System File Checker) command

Corrupted or missing Windows system files can interfere with how external storage devices—such as SD cards, USB flash drives, or external hard drives—are detected and accessed.

Open Command Prompt as administrator

Run the following command:

sfc /scannow

Wait for the scan to complete, then restart your PC. This tool will automatically scan for and repair corrupted system files.

  1. Use Windows built-in error checking tool

Windows includes a basic disk repair utility that can detect and fix minor file system errors.

Open File Explorer → Right-click the problematic SD card and select Properties → Go to Tools → Error checking → Check

If errors are found, Windows will attempt to fix them automatically.

  1. Run the CHKDSK command

CHKDSK can repair minor file system issues and scan the SD card for bad sectors that may be causing read errors.

Open Command Prompt as administrator

Run the command below (replace X with the actual drive letter, such as F):

chkdsk X: /f /r

The /f parameter fixes file system errors, while /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable data.

  1. Update the USB or storage driver

Outdated or corrupted drivers may also cause Windows to incorrectly identify the SD card’s file system.

Open Device Manager

Expand Disk drives or Universal Serial Bus controllers

Right-click the related device and choose Update driver

After updating, unplug and reconnect the SD card

  1. Recover important data and reformat the drive

If the file system is severely damaged, repair attempts may fail. In this case, recovering your data should be the priority. Use reliable data recovery software to retrieve important files first. Once recovery is complete, reformat the SD card to a compatible file system (such as NTFS or exFAT) so it can be used again.

Also read: Fix The Volume Does Not Contain A Recognized File System in Windows

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I’ve run into this with a Canon-used SanDisk card before, and it doesn’t always mean the card is dead. I’d avoid formatting it for now. Try checking it in the camera again or on another computer, and see if Disk Management detects it. Sometimes the file system just gets corrupted and can still be recovered before replacement.

This guide might help you fix this SD card error.

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That error usually means the card’s file system got corrupted, not necessarily that the card is physically dead. The most important thing right now is not to format it and not to save anything new to it.

Try the card back in your Sony camera or a different card reader first. Sometimes Windows is the problem, not the card. If it still won’t open, use a recovery tool like Stellar Photo Recovery to pull your files off. Skip CHKDSK for now, since it can overwrite data you might still recover.

Once your files are safe, format the card in the camera. It will fix all your card issue.