Summary

By Joy

Is there any way to open an SD memory card without formatting? An SD card in a camera/phone/mobile may request formatting when it turns into a RAW file system. Watch this video for a memory card recovery.

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iCare Data Recovery for SD Card Recovery

SD Card Data Recovery without Formatting

Here, you may want to know ways to format sd card without losing data when sd or micro sd card wants to be formatted? Or when the computer asks you to format the disk in drive before you can use it? Try the following tool to bring data safe from the corrupted sd card.

Important note: It is safer to recover an SD card on a computer than on an Android phone.

Step1. Download, and run the data recovery software; insert sd card to Windows via a card reader, and then select 'Deep Scan Recovery' in the software to start recovery.

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select recovery mode

Step2. Select the SD card and let the software scan for lost files.

wait while scanning

Step3. Preview found files and recover the ones you need onto another place (hard drive volume, usb flash stick etc. other than the memory card itself)

preview found photo

Use CMD to convert SD card FAT32 without formatting

If the system asks you to format the sd card before use it, it probably means your device becomes raw file system, then you can convert the raw file system to healthy file system with CMD command prompt.

Raw file system can not be recognized by Windows, so it will ask you to format it before you can use it. You just need to convert the file system into FAT32 or NTFS, your SD card can be fixed.

Step 1: Run CMD.

Convert memory card with CMD diskpart

Step2: Type“format K: /fs:fat32”(K is the drive letter of your SD card)

Convert memory card with CMD diskpart

This process is similar to formatting, because it will also delete all your data on the device, so if you need the data, recover them before you use this solution.

Do Not Want to Format? Try Chkdsk to Repair Damaged File System

Converting is formatting, if you do not want sd card to be formatted, repair it with Windows chkdsk to get damaged file system corrected.

Check file system error for sd card (This function is provided in Windows OS as free file system repair utility for all kinds of memory card.)

Video - How to repair file system error for sd card with chkdsk

What's the option? Restore data at first and then format sd card safely.

Video - how to convert sd card fat32 without losing data

Recommendation: Windows cannot complete format on SD memory card>>

Will Formatting Erase All Files on SD Memory Card?

formatting would erase all files

The truth: Formatting an sd card will delete all data on Android phone/camera. Data can be recovered with special sd card recovery tool if the erase data were not overwritten by new files.

Our advice: Stop using the sd card immediately to avoid data overwritten, then there is chance for a successful sd card recovery.

Why SD Card Requests for Format?

SD card needs format due to damaged file system which shown as RAW, unknown or unsupported. Below are some situations in which an SD memory card need to be formatted: