How to recover data from a faulty memory card

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If the SD card doesn't work, it doesn't always mean that important information has been lost. Experts can handle this.

There are many articles on the topic of data recovery from SD cards, but most of them are about software methods designed for a working device.

What to do if the SD card:

not seen;
not readable;
not defined;
does not work;
broke.

Or Windows says "Insert disc".

First, you still need to check if the memory card is really dead.

To see how it is determined (if at all), you need to right-click on "My Computer" → "Manage" → "Disk Management".

When data recovery is relevant: SD-card in "Removable devices" is not detected in any way

And it happens that instead of the actual volume of N GB, the system sees 31 MB.

When data recovery is relevant: the system does not see the true volume of the media

Below is even more interesting. The volume of an SD card is defined as 7 GB, while 128 GB memory chips are soldered from it. That is, there is no memory, but the controller reports that it is.

Programs won't help here. To recover data, you will have to open the case, unsolder the memory chip, read on the programmer and restore information from the image.

Unfortunately, such an operation cannot be performed at home - only if you purchase equipment that costs 40-80 thousand rubles.

Solder the memory chips with a hot air soldering station. They come in cases of different designs - with "legs" or "dimes".

To recover data, memory chips are soldered

In recent years, more and more often they bring memory cards in a monolith case for recovery. So in the slang of repairmen is called an SD card, where the memory and controller chips are in the same case, hence the "mono".

Recovery from "monoliths" is more difficult than from conventional memory cards, since you have to solder the conductors under a microscope. And to find out where to solder, you must first take an X-ray.

Next, we read the memory chips with the programmer.

How data recovery is performed: NAND chip reader

Further, using special software, we collect pieces of information into a single whole.

The fact is that the data is not written to the microcircuits explicitly, but is scattered across all the cells in small parts, according to a certain algorithm. This is done to evenly wear out all memory cells.

Based on the results of the analysis of the image, the algorithm and other mathematical operations with the data become clear. We shaman our software and at the output we get precious photos or video files.