Memory Card Corrupted?

SarahG · 19 Oct 2012

Hello,

I am running Windows 7 64-bit on an HP Pavilion dm4 1265dx.

Tonight I was going through and editing pictures I took on my Nikon DSLR. It was working fine until all of a sudden my card reader crashed and wouldn't read the 8GB Sandisk SDHC card anymore.

I tried restarting but my computer wouldn't start up again unless I took the memory card out of the slot, as in the "Starting Windows" screen played but the sign-in screen wouldn't come up until I took the card out. It has repeated this performance at least 3 times since then when I've tried rebooting for various reasons in trying to fix this, I always have to take the card out before it will start up. Normally if I'm not using my camera I just leave the memory card in the card reader and my computer will start up without an issue.

When I insert the card into the card reader, it plays a sound that means it recognizes a new device has been inserted but autoplay doesn't come up. If I take the card out it makes the device removed sound. Also, while the card is in, it has been causing performance issues with my computer as well; Chrome crashes often, Control Panel is extraordinarily slow, and my Symantec virus protection tells me that it is turned off even though I haven't turned it off.

When I insert the "bad" card into my camera, it says that the card may be damaged and to insert another one. I was just using it earlier tonight to take pictures!!! None of the prongs are bent and the lock slide isn't in lock position.

What I don't get is how it can be working fine for months and be working fine tonight and then all of a sudden be unrecognizable. What should I do? I have a lot of important pictures on this card but I would really rather not send it to a data recovery place...

ICIT2LOL · 20 Oct 2012

Hello Sarah looks like the card has had the Richard my friend one thing you could try I suppose are one of those shops you go to get to get pics printed off try it in one of their machines if it works ok then I would be doing a chkdsk on the machine Disk Check if the card doesn't work in the shop machine well it looks like you may have lost the work. How old is the card Sarah and has it been exposed to extremes of temps etc ?

Just as matter of interest have you had a very close look at the contacts on the card? I use those and usually 4GB ones and have never had this happen and just for the record mine never makes that sound inserting them or taking them out.

SarahG · 20 Oct 2012

I've tried doing a chkdsk on it but that's pretty much impossible as it doesn't come up on my computer at all. It makes the device inserted sound but no new drive letter or icon comes up in My Computer. I happen to know that my card reader is drive G so I tried just doing a chkdsk on drive G but it won't do it. I type it in and the command prompt window just closes.

I've had the card since late April or early May and no I don't think it's been exposed to extreme temperatures. Like I said, most of the time it sits in my computer when I'm not taking pictures with it and the most extreme temperature I've taken photos in is like 90 degrees for 20 minutes (I hate hot weather).

The contacts are pristine and shiny, no dust.

Mark Phelps · 20 Oct 2012

You could try downloading and installing the trial version of RecoverMyFiles from Runtime Software. That can recovery files from damaged filesystems -- one that will prevent the disk from mounting properly. I did that recently on an SD card that was damaged by my Samsung smartphone overheating. But ... that said, nearly all the files on the card had been trashed, as evident by the zero filesizes. However, you can scan the card for free and see if the app is able to recover anything. You have to buy it to actually do the recovery.

ICIT2LOL · 20 Oct 2012

Well Sarah sorry I couldn't help my friend just try what Mark has suggested or maybe Recuva from piriform might be of use but I am thinking the chip itself has had TKOD because it is not showing up in Computer.

Recuva - Download < free version

But that is just IMHO.

As an afterthought I did see somewhere that one could freeze (literally) a HDD overnight (your card would not take that long of course ) and then recover files from it when it had gone bung but that theory was rejected by most but well what have you got to lose.

I still think you should try it in another machine even if only to also rule out your card reader not being the culprit but again thats just IMHO. However the fact that the camera is telling you it is KO'd then something is wrong with the chip in the card.

NeverSayDie · 20 Oct 2012

Hi

Trying another machine is a great idea. Sometimes, I have gotten lucky with these by inserting them into the camera and then plugging the camera into the computer and then you can grab the data one last time before it is gone for good.

I have an old Canon PowerShot A590 that seems to read bad cards better than anything else. I keep it around specifically for when clients come to me with situations like yours and we need to decide whether or not to send it out for an expensive recovery attempt.

James

ICIT2LOL · 20 Oct 2012

NeverSayDie said:

Hi

Trying another machine is a great idea. Sometimes, I have gotten lucky with these by inserting them into the camera and then plugging the camera into the computer and then you can grab the data one last time before it is gone for good.

I have an old Canon PowerShot A590 that seems to read bad cards better than anything else. I keep it around specifically for when clients come to me with situations like yours and we need to decide whether or not to send it out for an expensive recovery attempt.

James

Thank you James I suppose another camera for that matter too what has Sarah got to lose anymore than she stands to lose now?