Basically, it involves using the chkdsk and attrib commands to repair the disk and reveal hidden files, respectively. Many guides begin what is known as the ‘CMD recovery method’. You will often be prompted to format the card when first inserting it into a new device. When you format an SD or micro SD card you remove the previous file management system and replace it with one which is compatible with the device that will use the card. Formatting appears to delete the contents of the card, but in reality, only removes access by implementing a new filesystem. You should immediately use data recovery software to save the old files before they are overwritten and gone for good. For this reason, you should refrain from using a card that has undergone an accidental format if you wish to recover its contents. Initially, the formatted disk or card will still contain the files and folders that were saved to the device before formatting occurred.Īt this point, data recovery software can still restore the data from the formatted media. Subsequent use of the device will overwrite this data and make it impossible to recover. Logical links that previously enabled the files to be accessed are deleted.

Different file systems are employed by various operating systems, necessitating this process.įormatting disk-based storage media places a new file management system on the device so data can be saved in a way that can be understood by the operating system.

In cases where you are changing the operating system that will be used with a device, you may need to reformat the disk.

Newly obtained storage media needs to be formatted before you can store data on it.

What is Formatting & What Happens When You Format an SD Card?įormatting is a process through which digital storage media is prepared for use by an operating system. Therefore, make sure that you stop using the SD card until you have recovered your files.

The longer you use the card before attempting recovery, the poorer your chances of actually retrieving your data are.

But every time you store a new file on the SD card, it overwrites the previous data still present in the background. If you have just formatted your SD card, the data is completely intact.

Recover formatted sd card