SD Card Corruption Reasons & How to Prevent SD Card Corruption

SD Card Corrupted Meaning

SD card corrupted usually means that the SD card’s file system or the files stored on it are corrupted. Additionally, the SD card may not work properly due to physical damage, such as a cracked card or bad contacts.

When the SD card is corrupted, you may not be able to access files on the card or write new files to the card. Some error messages such as SD card is damaged, SD card is blank or has unsupported file system, etc. may appear when you open the card.

What Causes SD Card Corruption

Many reasons can lead to memory card corruption, and listed below are the common factors:

• The SD card is of low quality and prone to physical or logical damage.
• Removing the SD card from a computer, camera, or other device without ejecting it properly or pulling it out while reading or writing data can lead to file system corruption.
• The SD card is physically damaged due to improper storage, such as being dropped, submerged in water, or exposed to extreme temperatures.
• Viruses infect the SD card, corrupting or deleting files on the card.
• Excessively frequent write operations on the SD card shorten the life of the SD card, especially for cards with low erase and write cycles.
• …

How to Prevent SD Card Corruption

While it is important to take steps to prevent SD card corruption, the safest way to ensure your data security is to back it up. For SD card backup, you can manually transfer important files to another file storage media, upload files to OneDrive, Google Drive, etc., or use the professional file backup tool, MiniTool ShadowMaker. It not only can back up files but also can back up partitions for free within 30 days.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Next, pay attention to the following tips for avoiding memory card damage.

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Tip 1. Purchase High-quality SD Card

Purchasing high-quality SD cards can prevent damage from the source to a certain extent. High-quality SD cards usually have longer lifespans, faster read and write speeds, and better compatibility. In addition, they usually have better resistance to physical damage, such as waterproofing and shockproofing. Especially if you use SD cards for multiple write scenarios such as dashcams and surveillance, it is recommended that you choose high-durability SD cards from well-known brands.

Tip 2. Store SD Card Safely

Even high-quality SD cards can be easily bent or have their internal circuits damaged due to squeezing, dropping, etc. In addition, dust, dirt, and moisture entering the SD card may also cause the metal contacts to malfunction. Therefore, it is very important to properly place the SD card and store it in a dry, cool, and dust-free environment to prevent SD card damage.

Tip 3. Avoid Virus Infection

Some viruses may delete or hide files on the SD card, turn folders into shortcuts, or even change the file system of the card. To prevent the SD card from being infected by viruses, try not to insert it into public computers or even unfamiliar devices. In addition, you can also use Windows Defender or other antivirus software to regularly check for viruses. Moreover, turning off AutoPlay (Settings > Devices > AutoPlay) can also effectively prevent the SD card from automatically executing virus programs.

Tip 4. Eject SD Card Properly

No matter what device you use your SD card on, it is important to remove it properly. Before removing it, make sure no files or programs are using it. For computers, use the safe removal feature; for cameras or phones, turn off the device before removing the SD card.

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Tip 5. Check SD Card Health Regularly

Regularly checking the health of the SD card can help detect possible file system failures in advance and repair them in time. This can prevent the SD card from being severely damaged or the data from being completely lost.

To check SD card health, you can use the built-in error-checking tool:

1. Open File Explorer and go to the This PC section.
2. Right-click your SD card and choose Properties.
3. Go to the Tools tab and click Check to check for file system errors.

Alternatively, you can use professional partition management software, MiniTool Partition Wizard, to perform a surface test. It scans the status of each sector and marks error-free disk blocks in green and error-prone disk blocks in red.

Download MiniTool Partition Wizard Free and launch it.

MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

On its home page, select the SD card, and then click Surface Test from the left menu bar. In the new window, click Start Now.

Furthermore, this partition manager also supports checking and fixing file system errors for the SD card.

This is all about how to avoid SD card corruption.

Additional Information: How to Recover Corrupted SD Card

How to fix corrupted SD card and rescue your files? You can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery to recover files and then format the card from File Explorer or by using MiniTool Partition Wizard.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery supports file recovery from SD cards in various situations, such as file system damage, the card becoming RAW, and the card being inaccessible. The free edition is capable of restoring 1 GB of files without a penny.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

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Conclusion

In a word, this article focuses on how to prevent SD card corruption from aspects such as purchase screening, daily use, storage methods, etc. I hope you will never be troubled by disk corruption or data loss.