“My PC did not detect my SD card, so I formatted it. I immediately realized that I accidentally formatted hundreds of pictures and videos stored in the card, without saving them to another drive first. I am losing my mind here. Is there a way to recover photos and videos from formatted SD card?”
Formatting an SD card simply deletes every single file, including the hidden internal or junk files. It is the best way to clear or reset an SD card and is a process you cannot undo; that’s why it’s important to back up all the data you want to save before formatting.
However, if you accidentally or intentionally formatted the SD card like in the above scenario without backing up your data, there are some ways to mitigate the damage and recover formatted SD card data.
This blog explains a step-by-step guide to recovering photos and videos from formatted SD cards. You will even learn some useful tips to avoid data loss from SD cards.
Can photos be recovered from a formatted SD card?
Yes, photos and videos can be recovered from a formatted SD card. However, the success of SD card recovery depends on whether the card has been overwritten.
If you just formatted your SD card, your photos and video files will remain intact, for now. But if you store new files on your SD card, it will overwrite the previously lost data still present in the SD card. Therefore, stop using the formatted SD card until you have recovered your files. If you look for a solution on how to recover a formatted SD card, you’ll run into guides that begin with the ‘CMD recovery method.’ This recovery involves two tools: CHKDSK and ATTRIB command.
Limitations of the CMD Recovery Method
The CHKDSK command is a Windows utility that scans the storage device for logical file system errors and attempts to fix them. However, running the CHKDSK command on a formatted SD card will not recover your data.
Similarly, the ATTRIB command sets or displays a file and folder’s read-only, hidden, and archive attributes. But it cannot display or restore files lost during formatting.
Recover Formatted SD Card with Stellar Photo Recovery?
No matter how you format your SD card, you can recover photos and videos from a formatted SD card using professional photo recovery software like Stellar Photo Recovery.
Stellar Photo Recovery is the best tool to efficiently scan your formatted SD card to recover deleted photos and videos with their original name and date timestamp. This tool can recover deleted photos, videos, and audio of any file format from SD cards of digital cameras, camcorders, drones, Android phones, etc.
Benefits of Using Stellar Photo Recovery Software to Recover Formatted SD Card Data
- Recover lost/deleted photos and other media files from corrupt, inaccessible, formatted SD or memory cards.
- Restore deleted media files from BitLocker encrypted SD cards on the Windows system.
- Retrieve accidentally lost/deleted photos, audio, and video files across all major file types.
- Recover deleted photos/videos from HDD, SD Cards, SSD, 4K Hard Drives, and USB Drives.
- This software quickly restores hundreds of media files of any format simultaneously.
- It recovers RAW file formats of popular DSLR cameras, such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.
How to Restore Photos from A Formatted SD Card?
Step 1: Insert Formatted SD Card to Your Computer
Connect your formatted SD card into the Mac or Windows system using an SD card reader or a USB adapter.
Step 2: Launch the Stellar Photo Recovery
Download, install and launch the Stellar Photo Recovery software on your system.
Step 3: Select the Location to Run the Scan
Select your formatted SD card from where you want to recover data. Click Scan.
Step 4: Scanning Lost Photos &Videos
The software will initiate scanning of SD card, and a screen with the scan progress will appear.
Click Stop if you wish to stop the current scan process.
Step 5: Preview and Recover the Lost Photos & Videos
Once the scanning is complete, you can see a list of recoverable photo files. Use the preview feature to ensure the recovered files are intact and of the expected quality.
If you are satisfied with recoverable photo and videos select the files you want to restore and click Recover.
Step 6: Save Recovered Photos & Videos
Next, click Browse to select a suitable location to save recovered photo and video files. Click the Start Saving button to initiate the saving process.
Tips & Tricks to Prevent Photo Loss from SD Card
- Take regular backups of your SD card data.
- Use only reputable brands’ SD cards.
- Don’t eject the SD card while it is in use.
- Use the write-protect function on SD cards.
- Don’t use the same SD cards on multiple devices.
- Use only a trusted card reader or USB adapter to avoid connectivity issues.
- Avoid exposing your SD card to water or extreme temperatures.
Conclusion
Irrespective of the reason behind the SD card formatting, you may recover data from it. But formatted SD card recovery can be quite challenging. The safest way is to use powerful photo recovery software, such as Stellar Photo Recovery, to efficiently extract data from corrupt, broken, or formatted SD drives. Moreover, the success of formatted SD card recovery using Stellar Photos Recovery tool depends on the condition of your SD card, data overwriting, and the amount of time that has passed since data loss, if any.
