There is no data or data on the SD card. Android does not see the microSD flash drive (memory card). SD card classes and formats
From time to time, an error may occur on users' SD cards, in which the camera begins to display messages indicating that there is no free space left, although the photographer knows that it is empty. If you have this exact situation, then you have come to the right place and our article will help you fix the drive problem.
Let's look at a couple of examples from user stories to explore the topic in more detail.
Case one.
The user deleted some images from the SD card on the laptop and when he installed it back in Sony camera Alpha, she informed him that the drive could not be used because it was full. However, when I try to view the content, the device does not show images.
Case two.
A user with the same camera had a similar situation, but in reverse order. First, the error appeared on the camera and only then, when I tried to connect the card to the computer, the operating system was unable to open the contents of the drive.
If your camera's SD card suddenly encounters a full problem, you might be wondering about the possible causes.
- 1) There are invisible or hidden files, so the SD card appears full, although at first glance there is nothing on it.
- 2) Formatting error. You may have removed the card at the wrong time, causing the file system to crash.
- 3) Camera problem.
Solution one. Show and export hidden files
Step 1. Export and recover hidden files from SD card.
The first thing to remember in this situation is that you should not panic if you lose access to the information stored on the drive. Unfortunately, in the standard list of software Windows software There are no utilities capable of restoring files, so you will have to resort to specialized third-party software.
Starus Photo Recovery will become good choice for both beginners and professional photographers. The application allows the user to forget about the risks of losing important images from weddings and other important events due to a failure on the SD card.
1. Connect the card to your computer. Launch the Starus Photo Recovery file recovery program and select the drive you want to scan from the list provided.
2. Select the analysis type according to your needs. Quick Scan will allow you to conduct a lightning-fast assessment of the drive by finding all the latest files on it. Full analysis will help you perform a deep scan of the SD card and find even the oldest files that you may have already forgotten about.
3. If you wish, you can specify Extra options search, thereby excluding unwanted or unnecessary files from the list.
4. Wait for the scanning process to complete and carefully examine the results. In the presented list of files, you can find the images needed for recovery with a preview option in the window on the right. In addition to the photo itself, Starus Photo Recovery provides the user with the opportunity to see the file creation date, format and resolution in pixels.
5. Having decided on the images that need to be restored, select the ones you need and click Further(by default, all found files are selected). Select the most convenient method from the four offered and complete the data export process.
Step 2: Show hidden files on SD card.
1. Open start menu and enter in the dialog box Control Panel or open it in the right menu.
2. Toggle option View to mode Category and open the menu Design and personalization.
3. Open Folders settings.
4. In the window that appears, open the tab View, scroll down the list of options and select active Show hidden files, folders and drives.
5. Click Apply And OK to save your changes.
Solution two. Format the SD card correctly
1. Connect the SD card to your computer.
2. Open My Computer and find the damaged drive in the list on the left.
3. Click on the name right click mouse and select Format.
4. Select file system NTFS and start the formatting process.
We recommend that you read all possible ways SD card recovery and Flash drives in the article How to recover a damaged flash drive or SD card
Good day everyone!
Today, the popularity of SD flash drives, I think, is not inferior to USB flash drives. Judge for yourself: phones, tablets, cameras, camcorders - SD flash drives (sometimes called SD cards) are used everywhere!
In general, I must admit that SD cards are quite capricious devices, and it is not uncommon that the computer does not recognize or does not see it. In these cases, usually, we immediately remember that the flash drive contains important photos, files, data - which simply need to be 100% returned and restored! ☝
In this article, I will give the most common reasons for the invisibility of an SD card by a computer (laptop), as well as recommendations for eliminating them. I hope my modest advice will be useful to someone.
Many users confuse one point (although it is not key, it will help in solving the problem). I will show it using the example of one user question.
I took a card from my phone (microSD) and inserted it into my new device, but he suggested formatting it.
Then I brought her back to old phone, but he also wanted to format it. My laptop also does not see this card and offers to format it. What to do? Help me get data back from a flash drive.
Case in point. The laptop sees your flash drive and even offers to format it - i.e. it doesn't understand that there is data on it, it can't recognize your flash drive, it can't read the file system (in this case the file system is marked as RAW).
This often happens due to:
- file system failure on the flash drive;
- Windows cannot read a file system it is unfamiliar with (for example, this often happens with disks connected to a TV - it can reformat them into its file system, but then Windows does not see them).
By the way, many people make one mistake when connecting microSD to a computer: when inserting the card into the adapter, they do not push it all the way in (see photo 1 below). As a result, the PC simply does not see anything when connecting the SD adapter.
Checking the flash drive: fixing file system errors
In this case, you can try to restore the functionality of the flash drive and all the files on it using the error checking and correction utility - chkdsk (built into Windows).
To do this, do not agree with Windows offer about formatting the media (screenshot above), but simply 👉 (The easiest way: press Win+R, then type CMD and press Enter, see screenshot below).
Checking the disk/flash drive
An example of recovery is shown in the screenshot above. After such a simple procedure, the flash drive returned to its working condition and functions normally to this day. 👌
When the check is successful, usually command line reports something like: "Windows checked the file system and found no problems. No further action is required".
Typically, if there was a small file system failure, then chkdsk it will be eliminated and the flash drive will become readable (after this procedure, both a phone and a laptop can read it).
Now what if chkdsk didn’t help, but you need to restore the files from the flash drive... 👇
Recovering files from a flash drive
If after trying to fix Windows errors still intends to format it (that is, the OS sees it, but does not recognize it) - then first of all, I will recommend that you restore files from it (if, of course, you need them).
Once you format the flash drive, it will be more difficult to recover data from it (and if new files are written, it will be completely impossible!).
For data recovery there is special programs. I will list some free and popular ones in the table below.
3 free programs for data recovery
| Recuva On the official website |
R.saver On the official website
|
Pandora Recovery On the official website |
Advantages:
|
Advantages:
|
Advantages:
|
In principle, you can use any of the recovery utilities. Easier for beginners is Recuva, which has a master who walks you through the entire procedure step by step from A to Z.
The screenshot below shows my scanned HDD V Recuva on the subject of searching for old deleted pictures, photos. Many of the deleted files were found and restored (a green circle opposite the file is a good sign, which means the program highly evaluates the possibility of recovery).
Important point: When restoring files, restore them to another medium! ☝ That is if you want to recover a file from a flash drive, save it to your hard drive (if you save to the same flash drive that was scanned in the program, the restored file will overwrite other unrecovered data). Such is the tautology...
In general, the recovery procedure requires another rather lengthy article (to dot all the 👀s).
Formatting a flash drive
Option #1
If you don’t need the data on the flash drive or you have already restored it, but Windows still continues to ask you to format the media (that is, microSD card) - just agree...
Option No. 2
You can also format the flash drive by going to "My computer"/"This computer" (screenshot above) :
- First click on SD card right mouse button and in context menu select " Format";
- Next, select the file system (I recommend starting from what file system is supported by the device in which it worked / will work. As a rule: FAT 32, exFat);
- Click the button "Begin"(Windows will ask you if you really want to format the media - agree...) ;
- If everything went as normal, you will see a message that formatting is complete (each step is shown in the screenshot below).
Option #3
If in " " your flash drive is not visible, or Windows cannot format the media - you need to use a special one. utilities for working with such flash drives.
How to format an SD card in HDD Low Level Format Tool:
Letter conflict: drive letter change
In general, when you connect any drive (including a flash drive), Windows automatically assigns a letter to this drive (for example, F:).
But there is such a “glitch” that a letter is assigned incorrectly: for example, one that is already in the system - as a result: a conflict occurs and your flash drive is invisible! 👀
Therefore, if the flash drive is invisible, the first thing I recommend doing is going to " ": look at the drive letter and change it (it is possible to format the media).
1) To do this, first press the buttons Win+R , to line "Open" enter the command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2) Next, find in the list the disk (microSD card) that is not displayed (not visible) for you. Right click on it (sign-1 on the screen below) and select from the context menu "Change drive letter or drive path" .
1) If in “Disk Management” the desired flash drive is not listed, proceed to the next subsection of this article.
2) If the file system is marked as RAW, the flash drive must be formatted (more on this at the beginning of this article).
Change drive letter
3) In the next step, press the button "Change"(number 1 on the screen below), then set the slider to "Assign drive letter (A-Z)" and choose some unique letter (the one that is not in the system).
You agree with the changes made. Sometimes, you may need to restart your computer (laptop).
If the problem was related to an incorrectly specified drive letter, the flash drive will become visible and will work as normal...
SD card classes and formats
SD card SD cards are different - they differ not only in volume and manufacturer, but also in size, class (working speed), generation. All this, of course, can affect the visibility of the SD flash drive in the card reader...
SD Card Sizes
There are three form factors of SD cards: SD, miniSD, MicroSD (differ in size). Cards are used in a variety of portable devices: phones, cameras, video cameras, tablets, etc.
MicroSD cards are the most widely used (due to their compact size they can be inserted even into a miniature phone or MP3 player).
To connect a microSD card to a laptop or computer, a small adapter is always included with it (see photo below).
Typical information on the SD card
Manufacturer : No comments here. The only thing is that when you buy an SD card for yourself, I recommend choosing well-known manufacturers: SanDisk, Transcend, Sony, etc.
SD card type
| SD card type | Description |
|---|---|
| Card size: from 128 MB to 2GB; Initial file system: FAT16; |
|
SD High Capacity |
SDHC card capacity: from 4 GB to 32 GB; Initial file system: FAT32; Because SDHC works differently than standard SD cards, the new format is not backwards compatible with SD card readers. Note: card readers released after 2009. must support SDHC format. |
SD Extended Capacity |
SDXC capacities from 64 GB to 2 TB (or ~2000 GB); Initial file system: exFAT; Card readers on laptops before 2009 do not support SDXC cards. SDXC cards will work in SDHC compatible readers (not SD) if the operating system on the computer supports exFAT (Windows 7, 8, 10). |
 Ultra High Speed |
UHS is an addition to the original SD specification interfaces. When the card and card reader support UHS, it will be achieved maximum speed(up to 50 MB/s - UHS-50; 104 MB/s - UHS-104). Otherwise, the card reader and card will use the slower, maximum available SD speed. There is no compatibility issue between UHS cards and non-UHS devices. |
Important! Compatibility table of card readers and SD card types
In principle, on each card reader (on the packaging with it) it is indicated which cards it supports. Naturally, if you insert more new map- he simply won’t see it, and you won’t be able to read it. The table below will show you the compatibility of card readers and SD card types.
| Card reader, phone, camera, etc. | Supported memory cards |
|---|---|
| SDXC
|
|
| SDHC | |
| SD |
Card class (speed)
Typically, SD cards do not indicate operating speed (in MB/s, although sometimes this is indicated), but the class of the card. Using the tables below, you can find out what speed your card will support.
👉 Important
The higher the speed, the more expensive the card. Some devices require a specific card class (for example, to the camera, otherwise video recording will be slow or not at all)- so be careful with this moment!
Speed class
UHS speed class
| UHS Class | Minimum Speed |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10 MB/s |
| 3 | 30 MB/s |
Capacity, card size
The bigger, the better. True, try to proceed from real needs: if you need to store a dozen or two photos, then maybe there is no point in overpaying and taking a high-capacity card?
Lack of drivers
It is quite possible that your flash drive is not displayed due to the fact that the drivers for the card reader are not installed.
In this case, the card reader itself does not work, which means it will not read the SD card. Usually, the flash drive is not visible in "Disk Management" , and in " Device Manager" - a question mark will light up next to the device (means there are no drivers).
There is no driver (that's why the flash drive is not displayed...) - Device Manager
How to enter Device Manager
- Through the control panel (Windows 7, 8, 10);
- Call menu "Run", to do this press Win+R and enter devmgmt.msc, press OK.
In Device Manager, look at the tab "USB controllers" it should just have something like "Realtek USB 2.0 Card Reader" (see screenshot below 👇). There should be no question marks or red icons lit in front of the device.
If you do not have a device (card reader) in the lists, and there are unknown devices with question marks (example - ) - most likely you simply do not have a driver.
There are several ways out:
PS
A few more tips:
This is where I end this article.
Reading time: 3 min
What to do if Android does not see the microSD flash drive? This question often worries owners of smartphones and other gadgets, regardless of manufacturer and cost. Problems of obtaining data from a DVR or installing software on a tablet or smartphone can be solved independently if you know the main causes of the malfunction and how to solve them.
How the problem manifests itself
The malfunction manifests itself as follows: after replacing the micro-SD card, after rebooting, flashing or simply turning on the device, the gadget does not see the flash drive or its contents. As a result, data or installed software is lost, the camera and programs begin to write information to internal memory devices. The latter quickly becomes clogged, there is no space left for recording OS service information, and the gadget loses performance and begins to freeze.
As a result, if the internal memory is small, it becomes impossible to work without a memory card.
To fix the problem, you need to determine the cause of the breakdown. Very often it is possible to eliminate a defect yourself, without going to a workshop.
The phone does not see the flash drive due to formatting problems
The partition table can become corrupted on any file system (NTFS, ExFat, Fat32). As a result, Android cannot read files written to SD. Most often this happens when the user tries to format the memory card himself and performs incorrect actions. Another option is to insert a card with a different file system, for example, from a camera. You can restore the card's functionality by formatting it again. This can be done either with the phone itself or another Android device, or using a computer with a card reader.
The menu of some phones allows you to format the SD card by selecting the appropriate item in the settings. If it is not there, you can reboot the phone, enter “Recovery” mode and format the file system of the card by selecting “Wipe cache partition”.
Important: errors when working with the device in “Recovery” mode can lead to the loss of all data and even inoperability of the OS. Therefore, inexperienced users should not use this method.
It is easier and safer to format flash drives on a computer. To do this, you need a card reader and a formatting program (standard, built into the OS, or any other). You need to remove the flash drive from the device, insert it into the card reader and format it in exFAT or FAT32 format. After formatting, Android should begin to “see” the flash drive. If this does not happen, the problem is more serious.
The memory card has failed
Flash memory has a limited number of read-write cycles. In addition, the device may be damaged due to microcracks on the board or under the influence of static voltage. In this case, after installation in the card reader, the computer does not detect the flash drive. It is also not readable on other devices.
It is impossible to restore a damaged memory card or the data on it. This cannot be done either from the Android device itself, or by connecting it to the computer as a flash drive via USB, or from the computer via a card reader. All that remains is to purchase a new flash card compatible with your device.
Important: sometimes, due to a board malfunction, phones and tablets can “burn” memory cards. Therefore, if a short time after replacing the flash drive it fails again, it is necessary to diagnose the Android device.
Memory card and Android devices are not compatible
A smartphone or tablet may not see the flash card if it is simply not designed to work with modern storage media. When there is a suspicion that the card does not correspond to a tablet or phone, then you should try to read it on a computer with an adapter for memory cards. If the gadget does not see the card, but the computer does, the reason is incompatibility.
All gadgets have restrictions on the maximum size of the memory card: 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB. This happens if, for example, you bought a 64 GB card, but the limits of your smartphone (tablet) are 32 GB.
Another option is that the flash drive is made to a technical specification that is unknown to your device. In this case, the gadget does not recognize it. Therefore, before buying a memory card, you need to study the documentation of your tablet or phone to buy an SD card of the appropriate size and type.
In addition to incompatibility, device damage or software failure may occur. In this case, the computer will also see the flash card, but the phone (tablet) will not.
Software error
In this case, the gadget either does not see the memory card at all, or certain programs do not see it. If you know, the card is empty, although it shows that the space is occupied, the problem is in the settings or performance of the OS and software of the phone (tablet). If Android does not see the SD card in applications, but does see it in recovery, try looking at the settings first. It is possible that the save path for applications is not set to the card, but to the internal memory. Fix it.
Another solution when only one application does not see the card is to reinstall or update it, and also check its own settings.
Important: often the phone OS begins to see the inserted card only after a reboot. If the flash card is not visible without rebooting, and then works fine, nothing else should be done.
When the above does not help, you should try updating the firmware of your tablet (phone). Often after updating the OS to more new version the device starts working correctly with the SD card.
Broken SD card slot
If the smartphone does not see a flash drive installed from another smartphone, it matches technical requirements device, the problem is in the smartphone itself. In this case, you can try to insert the card so that the contacts in the phone fit tightly to its tracks. To do this, you should try to clean and bend them a little. If the problem is not with the contacts, but with damage to the controller or card slot, all that remains is to send the gadget for repair or replace it with a new one.
For example, the HTC srochnyi-remont.ru workshop repairs all models of this manufacturer, as well as other brands. Look for a service center for your phone in your city.