{"id":63292,"date":"2026-11-05T01:09:56","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T01:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/?p=63292"},"modified":"2026-11-05T01:09:56","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T01:09:56","slug":"sd-card-suddenly-stopped-working-how-to-fix-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/sd-card-stopped-working.html","title":{"rendered":"SD Card Suddenly Stopped Working (How to Fix It)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You connected your trusty old SD card to your PC, hoping to copy some pictures off of it for editing. Except Windows refused to read the SD card. It may show you an error when you try accessing it, or fail to detect the SD card altogether. This issue isn\u2019t uncommon. Sometimes, a simple reinsert fixes the problem. If it doesn\u2019t, and it looks like the SD card has stopped working, this guide will hopefully help you get it working again, or at the very least, help you get back your precious photos and videos from it.<\/p> \r\n<p>All the methods listed in this guide have been tried and tested by our team of in-house experts that deal with such issues on a daily basis.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-info\" role=\"alert\">The first step is figuring out where the problem lies: is it a simple connection issue, or is the SD card physically and logically damaged? Once that\u2019s confirmed you can take the appropriate measures to fix the problem. Let\u2019s get started.<\/div>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why_did_my_sd_card_stop_working_and_what_should_i_do_first\"><\/span>Why Did My SD Card Stop Working and What Should I Do First?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>There are two broad reasons behind an SD card that suddenly stopped working:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><b>The SD card is logically damaged:<\/b> It\u2019s possible that your SD card is physically fine, but there\u2019s a logical (software-related) issue preventing Windows from accessing it. Maybe the SD card\u2019s file system is corrupt, or simply unsupported by Windows, because of which it\u2019s not visible in File Explorer. SD cards approaching the end of their lifespan often run into such issues.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>The SD card has physical issues:<\/b> Windows won\u2019t read your SD card if the physical connection is faulty: like a problematic USB port, SD card reader, or SD card slot. It\u2019s also possible that the SD card itself is physically damaged. This includes damage due to heat, water, or just plain blunt force. In this case, first inspect your card physically to see if there are any dents, cracks, or missing contact pins.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>The table below will guide you towards the right fix(es) for your specific case.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-warning\" role=\"alert\"><b>Important:<\/b> Don\u2019t straight away format the SD card, perform partition repair, or run CHKDSK on it if it contains files you care about. First <a href=\"#data_recovery\">recover your files<\/a> from it using a data recovery tool.<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"table_wrapper table_heading\"><p><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><b>Possible cause<\/b><\/td>\r\n<td><b>What it looks like<\/b><\/td>\r\n<td><b>What to try in this guide<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Bad card reader, adapter, or USB port<\/td>\r\n<td>The SD card disconnects frequently, doesn\u2019t show up at all, or shows up once in a while<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#basic_first_checks\">Basic First Checks<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Dirty contacts or loose connection<\/td>\r\n<td>The card only shows up when inserted a certain way, or randomly disconnects<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#basic_first_checks\">Basic First Checks<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Missing drive letter<\/td>\r\n<td>The SD card appears in Disk Management but not in File Explorer<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#drive_letter\">Assign or Change the Drive Letter<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Driver problem after an update<\/td>\r\n<td>The SD card stopped working after a Windows update, driver update, or after running a driver updating app<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#roll_back_driver\">Roll Back the Driver<\/a> if the SD Card Stopped Working After an Update<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>USB power management issue<\/td>\r\n<td>The SD card\/card reader disconnects when it\u2019s idle, after sleep, or during long transfers<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#usb_power_settings\">Check USB Power Settings<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>File system corruption<\/td>\r\n<td>Windows asks you to format the SD card, it <a href=\"\/howto\/raw-sd-card-recovery.html\">appears as RAW<\/a>, or files\/folders appear broken<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#data_recovery\">Recover data first<\/a>, then Repair File System Errors With <a href=\"#chkdsk\">CHKDSK<\/a> or <a href=\"#format_SD_card\">Format the SD Card<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Lost or damaged partition<\/td>\r\n<td>The SD card\u2019s space shows as unallocated, has the wrong partition layout, or a volume has disappeared<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#testdisk\">Recover a Lost or Deleted Partition<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Read-only or write-protected state<\/td>\r\n<td>You can open files but can\u2019t copy, move, format, or save anything to the SD card<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#read_only\">Fix a Read Only SD Card<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Incompatible file system or compatibility issue<\/td>\r\n<td>The card works on Windows but not on a camera, dashcam, or other devices<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#format_SD_card\">Format the SD Card<\/a> after backing up or <a href=\"#data_recovery\">data recovery<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Physical damage or failing flash memory<\/td>\r\n<td>The card is not detected anywhere, shows 0 bytes, heats up, freezes devices, or keeps failing after formatting<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#data_recovery_service\">Contact a Data Recovery Center<\/a> or replace the SD card<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Worn-out, or unreliable SD card<\/td>\r\n<td>The SD card shows the wrong size, corrupts new files, or stops working again shortly after formatting<\/td>\r\n<td><a href=\"#format_SD_card\">Format the SD Card<\/a> only as a test. Replace it if the problem persists<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><\/div>\r\n<h2 id=\"basic_first_checks\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"basic_first_checks_before_you_try_any_tools\"><\/span>Basic First Checks (Before You Try Any Tools)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>Attempting more complex fixes on an SD card that\u2019s not working because it\u2019s simply not connected properly is a waste of time. So, first rule out any connection-related issues. There are multiple things that can lead to a bad connection: a malfunctioning USB port, dirty contacts, a malfunctioning SD card reader, or physical damage to the SD card.<\/p>\r\n<p>Here\u2019s what you should do:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>&#x26d3;&#xfe0f;&#x200d;&#x1f4a5; Before anything else, look for any bends, cracks, or warping on the SD card\u2019s casing. Check if the damage seems superficial, i.e., limited to the casing and not the internal circuitry. If yes, you can try and salvage any data from the SD card on your own. If not, contact a professional data recovery service. Avoid re-inserting the SD card directly in an SD card slot or a camera as chipped plastic from the casing may damage the host device.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>&#x1f50e; Look at the gold contacts on your SD card and check for signs of oxidation and dirt. Clean these contacts gently with a dry microfiber cloth and re-insert the SD card into the reader.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>&#x1f4bb; If the SD card remains undetected, try connecting the SD card reader directly (not via a hub\/dock) to another USB port on your computer. On a desktop PC, use a port that\u2019s on the motherboard (at the back of the PC case). If the SD card still doesn\u2019t work, connect it to another PC and re-check.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Regarding detection of the SD card, the File Explorer doesn\u2019t really tell you if your Windows can <em>detect<\/em> the SD card, it tells you if it can <em>read<\/em> it properly. A better way to check detection is Disk Management:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Press Windows Key + R, type <b>diskmgmt.msc<\/b> and press Enter.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Look for your SD card in the list of storage drives.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>If the SD card appears with its correct storage capacity, it means the card is largely okay and you can proceed with the remaining fixes in this guide.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-warning\" role=\"alert\"><b>Note: <\/b>If the SD card doesn\u2019t appear in Disk Management or is listed with an incorrect storage capacity after trying the fixes above, <a href=\"#data_recovery_service\">contact a professional data recovery service<\/a>. Attempting DIY fixes on such a card may damage it further.<\/div>\r\n<h2 id=\"data_recovery\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_to_recover_data_from_an_sd_card_that_stopped_working\"><\/span>How to Recover Data from an SD Card that Stopped Working<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>If your SD card appears in Disk Management with its correct storage capacity, it means that Windows can largely detect it, even if it\u2019s not visible in File Explorer. We suggest recovering your files before attempting to repair an SD card that stopped working because a lot of the fixes are destructive and result in deleted files.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-success\" role=\"alert\"><a href=\"\/memory-card-data-recovery.html\">SD card recovery program<\/a> like Disk Drill can recover your files even if the <a href=\"\/howto\/recover-corrupted-sd.html\">SD card is corrupt<\/a>, shows up as RAW, is otherwise inaccessible, or has a partially damaged file system. You can recover files that were deleted earlier as long as they aren\u2019t overwritten by new data.<\/div>\r\n<p>The recovery process itself is quite straightforward:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><a href=\"\/download.html\">Download Disk Drill<\/a> and install it.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Connect your SD card to your PC and launch Disk Drill.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select the SD card from the list of storage devices, and click <b>Search for lost data<\/b>.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63298 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/disk-drill-home-screen.jpg\" alt=\"Disk Drill home screen.\" width=\"1545\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/disk-drill-home-screen.jpg 1545w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/disk-drill-home-screen-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/disk-drill-home-screen-500x306.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/disk-drill-home-screen-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/disk-drill-home-screen-1536x939.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1545px) 100vw, 1545px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Disk Drill may prompt you to choose between a <em>Universal Scan<\/em> and an <em>Advanced Camera Recovery<\/em>. Stick to a <em>Universal Scan<\/em>, but if the recovered videos turn out to be corrupt, select <em>Advanced Camera Recovery<\/em> in a subsequent scan.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Once the scan completes, click the required file type to filter the results, or click on <b>Review found items<\/b> to view all recoverable files.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63297 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/review-found-items-disk-drill.jpg\" alt=\"Scan underway screen in Disk Drill.\" width=\"1545\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/review-found-items-disk-drill.jpg 1545w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/review-found-items-disk-drill-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/review-found-items-disk-drill-500x306.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/review-found-items-disk-drill-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/review-found-items-disk-drill-1536x939.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1545px) 100vw, 1545px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Expand the <b>Existing<\/b> section to see currently stored files on the SD card. You can expand the <b>Deleted or lost <\/b>and <b>Reconstructed<\/b> sections to view files that were deleted earlier.<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-63295 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recovery-sections-dd.jpg\" alt=\"Data recovery sections in Disk Drill.\" width=\"1545\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recovery-sections-dd.jpg 1545w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recovery-sections-dd-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recovery-sections-dd-500x306.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recovery-sections-dd-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recovery-sections-dd-1536x939.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1545px) 100vw, 1545px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select the files you want to recover. You can sort your files by size, date modified, or even search for them by name to find what you want faster. Keep an eye out for the file preview that appears on the right side of the window. A high-quality preview indicates higher chances of data recovery whereas a missing preview usually means the file can\u2019t be recovered.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Once you\u2019ve finished selecting, click the <b>Recover<\/b> button.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63296 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-of-recoverable-files-dd.jpg\" alt=\"List of files in Disk Drill.\" width=\"1545\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-of-recoverable-files-dd.jpg 1545w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-of-recoverable-files-dd-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-of-recoverable-files-dd-500x306.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-of-recoverable-files-dd-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-of-recoverable-files-dd-1536x939.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1545px) 100vw, 1545px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Choose a recovery destination for the files and click <b>Next<\/b>. <img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63294 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-recovery-destination-dd.jpg\" alt=\"Recovery destination prompt in Disk Drill.\" width=\"1545\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-recovery-destination-dd.jpg 1545w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-recovery-destination-dd-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-recovery-destination-dd-500x306.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-recovery-destination-dd-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-recovery-destination-dd-1536x939.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1545px) 100vw, 1545px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Disk Drill will recover the selected files. The Windows version of Disk Drill can recover up to 100 MB worth of files for free. Further recovery requires the Pro version of the tool.<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-63293 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recover-complete-screen-dd.jpg\" alt=\"Data recovery complete screen in Disk Drill.\" width=\"1545\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recover-complete-screen-dd.jpg 1545w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recover-complete-screen-dd-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recover-complete-screen-dd-500x306.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recover-complete-screen-dd-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/data-recover-complete-screen-dd-1536x939.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1545px) 100vw, 1545px\" \/><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-warning\" role=\"alert\"><b>Note:<\/b> If the SD card is showing signs of corruption, it\u2019s best to <a href=\"\/help\/dmg-iso-backup.html\">create a byte-to-byte copy of it using Disk Drill<\/a>. This is basically a disk image or soft copy of the SD card that you can mount and scan in Disk Drill anytime, even if the original SD card fails. Also, scanning a disk image prevents the added stress of a data recovery scan on an already failing SD card.<\/div>\r\n<p>While Disk Drill is my tool of choice for SD card recovery, by no means is it the only SD card recovery program on the market. If you\u2019d like to compare options, go through our guide to the <a href=\"\/howto\/best-sd-recovery-software.html\">best SD card recovery apps<\/a> tested by our QA team.<\/p>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_to_fix_an_sd_card_that_suddenly_stopped_working\"><\/span>How to Fix an SD Card That Suddenly Stopped Working<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>There are several ways you can fix it. To make your life easier, we\u2019ve listed the fixes in increasing order of complexity and risk, keep in mind that fix that works ultimately depends on why your SD card stopped working and the symptoms its showing.<\/p>\r\n<h3 class=\"title_sc_bg\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"method_1_assign_or_change_the_sd_card_drive_letter\"><\/span><span class=\"title_shortcode_bg\">Method 1:<\/span> <span id=\"drive_letter\">Assign or Change the SD Card Drive Letter<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f914; <b>Difficulty level:<\/b> Easy<br \/>\r\n&#x1f50d; <b>Best for symptoms:<\/b> The SD card doesn\u2019t appear in Windows Explorer even though it\u2019s visible in Disk Management.<\/div>\r\n<p>Each partition\/storage drive on Windows has a unique drive letter (C:, D:. E:, etc.). In rare cases, Windows can assign the same drive letter to two of them resulting in a drive letter conflict, or fail to assign a drive letter at all. If this happens, you won\u2019t be able to access the SD card. To restore access, you need to manually change the SD card\u2019s drive letter or assign one to it using Disk Management.<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Search for \u201cdisk management\u201d in Windows Search (Windows Key + S) and click on the <b>Create and format hard disk partitions<\/b> option in the search results.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Right-click on the SD card from the drive list and click on <b>Change Drive Letter and Paths<\/b>.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63301 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-paths-context-menu.jpg\" alt=\"Change drive letter and paths option in the context menu.\" width=\"1548\" height=\"961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-paths-context-menu.jpg 1548w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-paths-context-menu-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-paths-context-menu-500x310.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-paths-context-menu-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-paths-context-menu-1536x954.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1548px) 100vw, 1548px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>To assign a new drive letter, click the <b>Add<\/b> button. Else, click <b>Change<\/b> to change the existing drive letter to another one.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63300 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-prompt.jpg\" alt=\"Change drive letter pop-up window.\" width=\"1548\" height=\"961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-prompt.jpg 1548w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-prompt-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-prompt-500x310.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-prompt-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-drive-letter-prompt-1536x954.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1548px) 100vw, 1548px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select a new drive letter from the drop-down menu and click <b>OK<\/b>.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63299 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/assign-drive-letter-drop-down.jpg\" alt=\"Drive letter drop-down menu.\" width=\"1548\" height=\"961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/assign-drive-letter-drop-down.jpg 1548w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/assign-drive-letter-drop-down-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/assign-drive-letter-drop-down-500x310.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/assign-drive-letter-drop-down-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/assign-drive-letter-drop-down-1536x954.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1548px) 100vw, 1548px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click <b>Yes<\/b> on the confirmation prompt.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h3 class=\"title_sc_bg\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"method_2_roll_back_the_driver_if_the_sd_card_stopped_working_after_an_update\"><\/span><span class=\"title_shortcode_bg\">Method 2:<\/span> <span id=\"roll_back_driver\">Roll Back the Driver if the SD Card Stopped Working After an Update<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f914; <b>Difficulty level:<\/b> Easy<br \/>\r\n&#x1f50d; <b>Best for symptoms:<\/b> You run into errors accessing the SD card after you updated Windows, or ran a driver updating app.<\/div>\r\n<p>If you\u2019re a long-time Windows user, you\u2019re probably aware that Windows updates can often throw things off-kilter on your system. Programs and features that were working before start throwing up errors. These issues can extend to your SD card too, as happened to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/WindowsHelp\/comments\/1kithf3\/my_pc_wont_read_my_sd_card_after_updating_to\/\">one Reddit user<\/a> whose SD card stopped working on his PC after a Windows update, but worked fine on other non-updated computers. In such cases, the culprit is most likely a problematic driver update for the SD card reader, and not the core Windows update itself. Thankfully, you can roll back problematic driver updates using Device Manager.<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Press Windows Key + R to launch the Run app. Type <b>devmgmt.msc<\/b> in the text box and press Enter.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Expand the <b>Disk Drives<\/b>, and <b>Universal Serial Bus Controllers<\/b> sections and look for your SD card reader. It should be in one of them.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Right-click the SD card reader and choose <b>Properties<\/b>.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63303 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usb-driver-properties.jpg\" alt=\"Properties option of a USB driver in Device Manager.\" width=\"1548\" height=\"961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usb-driver-properties.jpg 1548w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usb-driver-properties-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usb-driver-properties-500x310.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usb-driver-properties-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usb-driver-properties-1536x954.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1548px) 100vw, 1548px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click on the <b>Driver<\/b> tab.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click on the <b>Roll Back Driver<\/b> option and confirm.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63302 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rollback-driver-option.jpg\" alt=\"Roll Back Driver option in Properties.\" width=\"1548\" height=\"961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rollback-driver-option.jpg 1548w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rollback-driver-option-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rollback-driver-option-500x310.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rollback-driver-option-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rollback-driver-option-1536x954.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1548px) 100vw, 1548px\" \/><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h3 class=\"title_sc_bg\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"method_3_check_usb_power_settings\"><\/span><span class=\"title_shortcode_bg\">Method 3:<\/span> <span id=\"usb_power_settings\">Check USB Power Settings<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f914; <b>Difficulty level:<\/b> Easy<br \/>\r\n&#x1f50d; <b>Best for symptoms:<\/b> The SD card frequently disconnects and freezes, often during long transfers.<\/div>\r\n<p>Windows has several power-saving features built-in, and one of them is the USB Selective Suspend feature. It is likely enabled on your system, especially if you\u2019re using a laptop. While it doesn\u2019t typically cause any problems, it can interfere with some SD card readers, causing random disconnects and freezes, making the SD card look like it stopped working. Disable this setting and see if the SD card begins working again.<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Type \u201ccontrol panel\u201d in Windows Search (Windows Key + S), and click the <b>Control Panel<\/b> app from the search results.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>In Control Panel, go to <b>Hardware and Sound &gt; Power Options<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click <b>Change plan settings<\/b> next to your currently selected power plan.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63306 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-plan-settings.jpg\" alt=\"Change plan settings option in Power Options.\" width=\"1581\" height=\"995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-plan-settings.jpg 1581w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-plan-settings-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-plan-settings-500x315.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-plan-settings-768x483.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-plan-settings-1536x967.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1581px) 100vw, 1581px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click on <b>Change advanced power settings<\/b>.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63305 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-advanced-power-settings.jpg\" alt=\"Change advanced power settings option in Power Options.\" width=\"1581\" height=\"995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-advanced-power-settings.jpg 1581w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-advanced-power-settings-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-advanced-power-settings-500x315.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-advanced-power-settings-768x483.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/change-advanced-power-settings-1536x967.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1581px) 100vw, 1581px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Expand <b>USB settings<\/b>, and then expand the <b>USB selective suspend setting<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Set both <b>Plugged in<\/b> and <b>On battery<\/b> options to disabled.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Click on <b>Apply<\/b>, then <b>OK<\/b>.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63304 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/USB-selective-suspend-settings.jpg\" alt=\"USB Selective Suspend setting in Advanced power settings.\" width=\"1581\" height=\"995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/USB-selective-suspend-settings.jpg 1581w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/USB-selective-suspend-settings-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/USB-selective-suspend-settings-500x315.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/USB-selective-suspend-settings-768x483.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/USB-selective-suspend-settings-1536x967.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1581px) 100vw, 1581px\" \/><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>If you\u2019re on Windows 11, it\u2019s worth going to <b>Settings <\/b>(Windows Key + I) &gt; <b>Bluetooth &amp; devices<\/b> &gt; <b>USB<\/b> and disabling the <b>USB battery saver<\/b> setting there as well.<\/p>\r\n<h3 class=\"title_sc_bg\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"method_4_repair_file_system_errors_with_chkdsk\"><\/span><span class=\"title_shortcode_bg\">Method 4:<\/span> <span id=\"chkdsk\">Repair File System Errors With CHKDSK<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f914; <b>Difficulty level:<\/b> Medium<br \/>\r\n&#x1f50d; <b>Best for symptoms:<\/b> The SD card is performing slower than usual, the filenames are garbled, and there are random read\/write failures.<\/div>\r\n<p>CHKDSK is Windows\u2019 in-built utility for finding and repairing filesystem errors on storage devices. It\u2019s a decent utility but it can sometimes cause data loss by deleting or overwriting corrupt index records and the Master File Table ($MFT). It also converts orphaned file fragments into .chk files. While <a href=\"\/howto\/recover-files-deleted-by-chkdsk.html\">data recovery after CHKDSK<\/a> is possible in some cases, save yourself the trouble and first recover your data using a data recovery tool, then run CHKDSK.<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Type in \u201ccmd\u201d in Windows Search (Windows Key + S) and right-click on <b>Command Prompt <\/b>&gt; <b>Run as Administrator<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>chkdsk X: \/r<\/b> and press Enter. Replace <b>X<\/b> with the SD card\u2019s drive letter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63307 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chkdsk-command.jpg\" alt=\"The CHKDSK command syntax.\" width=\"1530\" height=\"987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chkdsk-command.jpg 1530w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chkdsk-command-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chkdsk-command-500x323.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chkdsk-command-768x495.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1530px) 100vw, 1530px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Wait for CHKDSK to complete, and then reboot your PC.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h3 class=\"title_sc_bg\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"method_5_recover_a_lost_or_deleted_sd_card_partition\"><\/span><span class=\"title_shortcode_bg\">Method 5:<\/span> <span id=\"testdisk\">Recover a Lost or Deleted SD Card Partition<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f914; <b>Difficulty level:<\/b> Hard<br \/>\r\n&#x1f50d; <b>Best for symptoms:<\/b> The SD card\u2019s showing up as unallocated but with its correct storage capacity, not showing up in your PC\u2019s file explorer, or there\u2019s a missing volume that was there earlier.<\/div>\r\n<p>A common logical issue on storage drives is a lost or deleted partition. This doesn\u2019t mean that the partition and its data is completely gone. More often than not, it\u2019s the result of a damaged partition table which tells your PC where the partition is, resulting in the space showing up as empty or RAW.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>A tool called <a href=\"\/howto\/testdisk-review.html\">TestDisk<\/a> can find and <a href=\"\/howto\/sd-card-usb-partition-recovery.html\">recover lost SD card partitions<\/a>, then write the recovered structure back to the partition table, making your SD card as well as its contents accessible again.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-warning\" role=\"alert\"><b>Note:<\/b> While TestDisk is a very capable tool, it\u2019s entirely terminal-based and as a result, not very user-friendly. It\u2019s easy to select the wrong partition or parameters, and overall just make unintended changes to your drive. Here too, it\u2019s better to be safe than sorry and recover your files beforehand.<\/div>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cgsecurity.org\/wiki\/TestDisk_Download\">Download TestDisk<\/a> and extract the archive.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Run the <b>testdisk_win.exe<\/b> file from the extracted folder. Since TestDisk lacks a GUI, you\u2019ll need to navigate using the keyboard\u2014use the Arrow keys to highlight options, and press Enter to select them.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Choose whether you want to create a log file or not, and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63313 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/log-creation-td.jpg\" alt=\"Log creation screen in TestDisk.\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/log-creation-td.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/log-creation-td-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/log-creation-td-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/log-creation-td-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select your SD card, and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63311 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/drive-selection-td.jpg\" alt=\"Drive selection screen in TestDisk.\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/drive-selection-td.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/drive-selection-td-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/drive-selection-td-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/drive-selection-td-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Choose the partition table and press Enter. TestDisk auto-detects this, so it\u2019s best to just press Enter on this screen, unless you\u2019re sure the disk uses some other partition table than the one highlighted by TestDisk.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63314 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/partition-table-td.jpg\" alt=\"Partition table selection screen in TestDisk.\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/partition-table-td.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/partition-table-td-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/partition-table-td-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/partition-table-td-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select <b>Analyse<\/b> and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63308 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/analyse-option-td.jpg\" alt=\"Analyze option in in TestDisk.\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/analyse-option-td.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/analyse-option-td-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/analyse-option-td-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/analyse-option-td-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select <b>Quick Search<\/b> and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63316 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/quick-search-td.jpg\" alt=\"Quick search option in TestDisk.\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/quick-search-td.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/quick-search-td-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/quick-search-td-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/quick-search-td-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>TestDisk will display a list of partitions. Each partition will have a <b>P <\/b>(Primary), or <b>D<\/b> (Deleted) prefix before it. You can cycle through the prefixes using the Left and Right Arrow keys\u2014make sure the partition you want to recover has a <b>P<\/b> prefix before it. Press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63315 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p-prefix-td.jpg\" alt=\"Prefix selection screen in TestDisk.\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p-prefix-td.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p-prefix-td-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p-prefix-td-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p-prefix-td-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>(OPTIONAL) In case you didn\u2019t find the relevant partition, select <b>Deeper Search<\/b> and follow Step 8 again.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63310 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/deeper-search-tf.jpg\" alt=\"Deeper search option in TestDisk.\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/deeper-search-tf.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/deeper-search-tf-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/deeper-search-tf-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/deeper-search-tf-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Select <b>Write<\/b> and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63317 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/write-option-td.jpg\" alt=\"Write option in TestDisk\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/write-option-td.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/write-option-td-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/write-option-td-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/write-option-td-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Press <b>Y<\/b> to confirm.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63309 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/confirmation-prompt-td.jpg\" alt=\"Confirmation screen in TestDisk.\" width=\"1490\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/confirmation-prompt-td.jpg 1490w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/confirmation-prompt-td-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/confirmation-prompt-td-500x302.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/confirmation-prompt-td-768x463.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>TestDisk will recover the lost partition.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h3 class=\"title_sc_bg\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"method_6_fix_a_read-only_sd_card\"><\/span><span class=\"title_shortcode_bg\">Method 6:<\/span> <span id=\"read_only\">Fix a Read-Only SD Card<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f914; <b>Difficulty level:<\/b> Medium<br \/>\r\n&#x1f50d; <b>Best for symptoms:<\/b> You can read your SD card\u2019s contents but can\u2019t write to it or modify its files.<\/div>\r\n<p>You\u2019re probably familiar with the physical lock switch on your SD card which enables read-only mode. But, there can be other <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/answers\/questions\/5783441\/windows11-sd-connected-storages-are-read-only\">reasons why your SD card is in read-only mode<\/a> and you need to address them before you\u2019re able to modify its contents.<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Search for \u201ccmd\u201d in Windows Search (Windows Key + S), right-click on <b>Command Prompt<\/b> and click <b>Run as Administrator<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>diskpart<\/b> and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63319 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command.jpg\" alt=\"Diskpart command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1501\" height=\"979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command.jpg 1501w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command-500x326.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command-768x501.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1501px) 100vw, 1501px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>list disk<\/b> and press Enter to display all the storage drives connected to your PC. Note the disk number of your SD card because you\u2019ll need it in the next step.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63320 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command.jpg\" alt=\"List disk command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1507\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command.jpg 1507w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command-500x318.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command-768x489.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>select disk X<\/b> and press Enter, replacing X with your SD card\u2019s disk number (1, 2, 3, etc.).<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63321 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command.jpg\" alt=\"Select disk command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1507\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command.jpg 1507w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command-500x318.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command-768x489.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>attributes disk clear readonly<\/b> and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63318 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/attributes-clear-readonly-command.jpg\" alt=\"Attributes command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1507\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/attributes-clear-readonly-command.jpg 1507w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/attributes-clear-readonly-command-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/attributes-clear-readonly-command-500x318.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/attributes-clear-readonly-command-768x489.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Reboot your PC and see if the SD card becomes writable.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-success\" role=\"alert\"><b>Note:<\/b> You can fix a read-only SD card in Disk Drill too: right-click the SD card in the drive list of Disk Drill, and select <b>Remount volume in read\/write mode<\/b>.<\/div>\r\n<h3 class=\"title_sc_bg\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"method_7_format_the_sd_card\"><\/span><span class=\"title_shortcode_bg\">Method 7:<\/span> <span id=\"format_SD_card\">Format the SD Card<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"alert alert-secondary\" role=\"alert\">&#x1f914; <b>Difficulty level:<\/b> Medium<br \/>\r\n&#x1f50d; <b>Best for symptoms:<\/b> The SD card works on Windows, but not on other devices like a dashcam, DSLR, or drone which means that it\u2019s formatted to an incorrect file system. It also works in cases where the SD card is showing signs of file system corruption.<\/div>\r\n<p>Formatting the SD card should be your last resort, after exhausting all the options above. However, it wipes all the data from your SD card. Data recovery may be possible after a quick format, but not after a full-format, so tread carefully: it\u2019s best to recover your data beforehand. Additionally, if you plan on contacting a data recovery service, skip this method altogether.<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Search for \u201ccmd\u201d in Windows Search (Windows Key + S). Right-click on <b>Command Prompt<\/b> and choose <b>Run as Administrator<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>diskpart<\/b> in CMD and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63324 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command-cmd.jpg\" alt=\"Diskpart command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1501\" height=\"979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command-cmd.jpg 1501w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command-cmd-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command-cmd-500x326.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/diskpart-command-cmd-768x501.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1501px) 100vw, 1501px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>list disk<\/b> and press Enter. Note the disk number of your SD card.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63326 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command-cmd.jpg\" alt=\"List disk command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1507\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command-cmd.jpg 1507w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command-cmd-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command-cmd-500x318.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/list-disk-command-cmd-768x489.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>select disk X<\/b> and press Enter, replacing X with the disk number of the SD card (1, 2, 3, etc.)<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63327 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command-cmd.jpg\" alt=\"Select disk command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1507\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command-cmd.jpg 1507w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command-cmd-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command-cmd-500x318.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/select-disk-command-cmd-768x489.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>clean<\/b> and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63322 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/clean-command-diskpart.jpg\" alt=\"Clean command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1507\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/clean-command-diskpart.jpg 1507w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/clean-command-diskpart-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/clean-command-diskpart-500x318.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/clean-command-diskpart-768x489.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>create partition primary<\/b> and press Enter.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63323 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/create-partition-primary.jpg\" alt=\"Create partition primary command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1507\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/create-partition-primary.jpg 1507w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/create-partition-primary-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/create-partition-primary-500x318.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/create-partition-primary-768x489.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Type <b>format fs=exFAT <\/b><b>quick<\/b> and press Enter. We recommend the exFAT format because it\u2019s a file system that works across cameras and computers.<img class=\"border-gray border-radius 10 aligncenter wp-image-63325 size-full border-radius-10\" src=\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/format-command-diskpart.jpg\" alt=\"Format command in the Command Prompt.\" width=\"1507\" height=\"959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/format-command-diskpart.jpg 1507w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/format-command-diskpart-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/format-command-diskpart-500x318.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/format-command-diskpart-768x489.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px\" \/><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Close CMD once the format completes.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h3 class=\"title_sc_bg\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"method_8_contact_a_data_recovery_service\"><\/span><span class=\"title_shortcode_bg\">Method 8:<\/span> <span id=\"data_recovery_service\">Contact a Data Recovery Service<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p>A professional data recovery service has the highest chances of recovering your data, but it can be prohibitively expensive. But, we do recommend it as a last resort in case none of the methods above worked for you or you have data you want to recover at any cost. It\u2019s also your only plan of action if your SD card isn\u2019t visible in Disk Management (or it\u2019s visible, but with an incorrect storage capacity).<\/p>\r\n<p>Here\u2019s what to expect when using a data recovery service:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>First, do your research and pick the <a href=\"\/howto\/best-data-recovery-services.html\">best data recovery service<\/a> you can afford. Contact them via phone or email (most services have a 24\/7 emergency hotline).<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Describe your SD card\u2019s condition in detail: when it stopped working, how old it is, the physical condition, the make and model, etc.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The data recovery service will typically ask you to courier the SD card, or drop it off at a drop-off point.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>They will then analyze the SD card and get back to you with how much data can be salvaged and the cost.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Decide if you wish to proceed further. If you give them the go-ahead, they will recover your data and send it to you on a new storage drive.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>To recap:<\/p>\r\n<p>When dealing with an SD card that stopped working \u2192 First perform basic checks like cleaning dirty contacts, switching ports, and checking if the SD card appears in Disk Management with its correct storage capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>If it does \u2192 Recover your data first and then try to repair it using the fixes described above.<\/p>\r\n<p>If it\u2019s not visible in Disk Management (or it appears with a wrong storage capacity) \u2192 Contact a professional data recovery service. Since these can be expensive, consider replacing the SD card if the data isn\u2019t all that important.<\/p>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"faq\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<div><section itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 0px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"headingq1\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-q1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-q1\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_the_quickest_fix_if_my_sd_card_suddenly_stopped_working\"><\/span>What is the quickest fix if my SD card suddenly stopped working?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-q1\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"headingq1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>There\u2019s no single quickest fix in this situation. You will need to figure out what caused it to stop working, and then attempt the relevant fix. However, if it\u2019s detected in Disk Management with its correct storage size and you don\u2019t care about the data on it, just do a quick format to give it a clean slate.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 0px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"headingq2\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-q2\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-q2\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why_is_my_sd_card_not_working_on_my_phone_if_it_works_fine_on_my_computer\"><\/span>Why is my SD card not working on my phone if it works fine on my computer?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-q2\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"headingq2\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>It\u2019s likely formatted using a file system that your phone doesn\u2019t support (like NTFS). To fix this, format the SD card to a file system like FAT32, or exFAT as they are more widely supported across devices.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 0px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"headingq3\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-q3\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-q3\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_i_fix_an_sd_card_that_suddenly_stopped_working_on_android\"><\/span>How do I fix an SD card that suddenly stopped working on Android?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-q3\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"headingq3\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>There are several things you can do in this case:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Eject the SD card and clean its contacts and the slot on your phone, then reinsert it.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Update your Android device to the latest version.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Inspect the SD card for damage, especially around the contacts.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Format the SD card on your Android phone. This will delete all data from it.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div style=\"border-bottom: 01px solid rgb(213, 217, 217);\" class=\"panel panel-default faq-block\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" role=\"tablist\">\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\" role=\"tab\" id=\"headingq4\">\r\n                <div class=\"panel-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n                    <a class=\"toggle-link transition-all collapsed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-item-q4\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse-item-q4\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why_did_my_micro_sd_card_stop_working_after_only_a_few_uses\"><\/span>Why did my micro SD card stop working after only a few uses?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>                   \r\n                    \t<svg class=\"transition-all panel-toggle\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\r\n                            <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\r\n                                <path d=\"M7,7 L7,0 L9,0 L9,7 L16,7 L16,9 L9,9 L9,16 L7,16 L7,9 L0,9 L0,7 L7,7 Z\" fill=\"#000000\"><\/path>\r\n                            <\/g>\r\n                        <\/svg>\r\n                   <\/a>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div id=\"collapse-item-q4\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"headingq4\" aria-expanded=\"false\" style=\"\">\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\r\n                <p>A brand new micro SD card that randomly stopped working after a few uses is likely defective. There\u2019s nothing you can do except get it exchanged. Additionally, intensive usage of an SD card that\u2019s not meant for such usage will wear it out quickly: buy the correct SD card for your use case.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You connected your trusty old SD card to your PC, hoping to copy some pictures off of it for editing. Except Windows refused to read the SD card. It may show you an error when you try accessing it, or&#8230;","protected":false},"author":7899,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2634],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-63292","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sd-card-flash-drive-recovery-tips"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>SD Card Stopped Working? Use These Quick Fixes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This article covers 8 proven solutions in case your SD card suddenly stops working, and explains how to avoid losing your data in such a situation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/sd-card-stopped-working.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SD Card Stopped Working? 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