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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Inaccessible SD card
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Showing posts 1 - 13 of 13, (reverse)
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 11/07/2023 08:25:54 AM · #1
H E L P Pls
I have just returned from a trip and one of my SD cards is not accessible. It is not "seen" by either my Mac nor the PC. I have tried 1 different card readers - nothing. Like I had not inserted it at all.

Does anybody know any "rescue" programs?
The ones I looked at were for lost data. My guess is this is a card issue? I don't know.
Pls, pls help.
Thank you
 11/07/2023 08:32:53 AM · #2
If you put the card in the camera, can you view any of the photos on the card? If yes, try hooking the camera up to the computer and accessing the card that way.
 11/07/2023 08:36:49 AM · #3
Just tried.
No :-( Says "card cannot be accessed. Reinsert/change the card or format card with camera"
 11/07/2023 08:44:35 AM · #4
Are all of the contacts (copper looking strips) clean on the card? Make sure there isn't something (debris, etc.) on it.
 11/07/2023 08:48:13 AM · #5
Originally posted by glad2badad:
Are all of the contacts (copper looking strips) clean on the card? Make sure there isn't something (debris, etc.) on it.


Any suggestion what the safest way would be to try and clean them?
 11/07/2023 08:57:58 AM · #6
Originally posted by kasaba:

Any suggestion what the safest way would be to try and clean them?

Alcohol and a lint free swab or paper towel.
11/07/2023 09:07:39 AM · #7
Originally posted by kasaba:
Originally posted by glad2badad:
Are all of the contacts (copper looking strips) clean on the card? Make sure there isn't something (debris, etc.) on it.


Any suggestion what the safest way would be to try and clean them?


Or a soft pink pencil eraser. Rub gently, then take a clean cloth and brush/wipe off any particles.

If cleaning the contacts does not work, then recovery software may be worth a try. If it is truly a hardware failure it may not be possible to recover data, but in many cases what looks to be a hardware failure is really just file system corruption. Often, most or all of the data is still accessible.
 11/07/2023 11:13:51 AM · #8
I have nothing to add to that except "Good luck!"...
 11/07/2023 11:26:07 AM · #9
And once you rescue your data (thinking positively here), destroy that card.
 11/07/2023 11:45:30 AM · #10
It happened to me years ago. With a bit of help from DPC I got my photos back but the metadata was messed up so I couldn't use them for challenges. I'm not sure if the program in that thread still exists.

As for destroying the card, how old is it? Mine was relatively new and I was able to return it.
 11/07/2023 12:28:15 PM · #11
ARGHHHH While cleaning the card I noticed it actually is cracked along the seem of the 2 halves :-(. I have been reading on the net that recovery can only be done by professionals - any other info from your side?

SO angry. It had my whole first 2 days of my trip on it and some of my dog photos :-(
 11/07/2023 12:29:59 PM · #12
Originally posted by GinaRothfels:
It happened to me years ago. With a bit of help from DPC I got my photos back but the metadata was messed up so I couldn't use them for challenges. I'm not sure if the program in that thread still exists.

As for destroying the card, how old is it? Mine was relatively new and I was able to return it.


Thanks Gina, I checked that program, it is now discontinued :-(. I also don't think it would have coped with physically damaged files.

Funny enough my card is also a Lexar Profesional (only 16 GB thank goodness, but still very sad I probably lost all those pics
 11/08/2023 05:13:12 AM · #13
How important is this to you?

I have an amazing micro electronics guy, but he's expensive. Would probably be $500-1000 to repair this and read the photos off of it for you.

But, I don't think even data recovery houses can do what needs to be done. There will be broken internal traces that need x-rayed, then carefully spliced with external wires. It's one hell of a process, but can be done, even on SMDs like that.
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