SD cards are often used to back up important files and information. When you suddenly find that your precious SD card is refused by the computer and you cannot access the SD card anymore, it can be frustrating. The SD card has become a RAW state for some reason. No worries! In this situation, you haven’t lost your data in this RAW SD card yet, and there are still some useful ways to recover files from RAW SD card.
In this article, we will show you the RAW SD card recovery step-by-step guide for continued usage. Keep reading and pick the one suitable for you!
RAW SD Card Overview: What May Cause It?
A RAW SD card typically means a storage device that hasn’t been formatted with a specific file system or contains data in a raw, unprocessed format.
Severe virus attacks, sudden shutdowns, or improper removal may lead to the corruption of your SD card’s file system, and the computer will be unable to interpret the data stored on the SD card. At this moment, the file system of your SD card is recognized as RAW, making the data inaccessible.
Here are several factors that can cause a RAW SD card:
- File System Errors: If the SD card is removed improperly from the computer, file system errors can happen on the SD card, eventually causing it to become RAW SD card.
- Virus or Malware Infection: Virus or malicious software may infect your SD card, leading to corruption of the RAW SD card.
- Incompatibility Issues: If you format your SD card using devices that are incompatible with the file systems or settings, it may also contribute to RAW SD card.
Note: Physical damage to the SD card and extended use can also cause data corruption and result in a RAW file system. In this situation, you have to contact the manufacturer of the SD card, or get help from a professional repair shop.
1. Recover Files from RAW SD Card Without Formatting
Generally, if your SD card is not physically damaged by external force, professional software for SD Card Recovery can help you recover files from the RAW SD card without formatting, such as FonePaw SD Card Recovery, which has been tested by millions of users.
It provides professional scanning modes that can discover files even on the RAW SD card and you can preview the files before recovery for free. Its security and efficiency are no doubt. What’s more, its user-friendly interface will enable you to quickly recover files from RAW SD card and more.
Highlighted Features of FonePaw SD Card Recovery:
- Recover data from RAW SD card as well as flash drive and hard drive
- Scan and preview your files in the RAW SD card for free
- Restore files including photos, videos, audio and other 30+ types of files
- Beginner-friendly operation interface, and guaranteed security
- Compatible with Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 and MacOS 10.7 or later
How to Recover Files from RAW SD Card with FonePaw:
Step 1: Download FonePaw SD Card Recovery and install it on a PC. Then, connect your device with the RAW SD card to the PC or insert the RAW SD card into a memory card reader to connect with the PC.
Step 2: Launch the software on your PC; choose the file type you want to recover and choose the RAW SD card under “Removable Devices”.
Step 3: After scanning, it will take a short time to show you the files on the RAW SD card. Finally, recover the files you want by clicking the “Recover” button.
Note: If you cannot find the files that you want to recover, click the “Deep Scan” button to find more files buried deeply. When the recovery is done, the program will display the interface below. All the files you need are recovered now!
2. Fix RAW SD Card for Continued Usage
Through the method above, you can recover files from the RAW SD card with SD Card Recovery Easily. Then, to make your RAW SD card usable again, just format it. In this part, we will introduce how to fix RAW SD card for continued usage in Windows and MacOS computers.
Fix RAW SD Card on Windows
The easiest way to format the RAW SD card on Windows is using File Explorer. Here’s how:
Step 1: Launch “File Explorer” on your Windows PC and find the RAW SD card you want to format.
Step 2: Right-click to select “Format” from the pop-up menu.
Step 3: Click “Start” to begin the SD card formatting process and wait.
Fix RAW SD Card on Mac
If you have a MacOS, you can use the built-in file system repair tool on your Mac, which is called “First Aid”. Here’s the guide:
Step 1: Navigate to “Applications” > “Utilities” > “Disk Utility” to open the Disk Utility application.
Step 2. Find your RAW SD card from the list of storage devices. Then, click the “First Aid” button.
Step 3. Select “Confirm” and “Run” to fix errors on the RAW SD card. Once it is completed, you’ll see a drop-down.
Final Words
In conclusion, this article introduced a professional way to recover files from RAW SD cards using FonePaw SD Card Recovery. Furthermore, we also provided two effective ways to format the RAW SD card on Windows and Mac. Based on the information given, the best option is to use FonePaw software to recover your data quickly and securely before formatting. Get started with FonePaw now!