Micro SD Card vs SD Card (Differences)

What is a microSD card? What is an SD card? What's the difference between them? A microSD card is a removable flash memory card used for storing information. It is the smallest memory card available. It's also known as a TF card, TransFlash, or microSD. An SD card, on the other hand, is a proprietary non-volatile memory card format developed by the Secure Digital Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The most noticeable difference between them lies in their physical appearance. An SD card has standard dimensions of 32mm x 24mm x 1.4mm, while a microSD card measures just 15mm x 11mm x 1mm.

Micro SD card vs SD card

Read also: TF Card vs SD Card

While they may differ in appearance, capacity, and branding, they are all slim data storage devices. Their specific form factor makes them an ideal portable storage solution for small devices. They have greatly facilitated our lives. However, sometimes your micro SD card or SD card can get corrupted, resulting in unexpected data loss. For instance:

"Last week, I visited my friend and her newborn baby. I took lots of pictures of the baby. But when I got home and connected the micro SD card to my computer, I couldn't open it. This error made all the files on the card inaccessible. If anyone knows how to deal with this issue, please let me know."

How to Recover Data from My Micro SD Card (Recommended Ways)

These days, most digital devices use micro SD cards and SD cards to expand their storage capacity so that users can save pictures, video files, music files, and more on them. These miniature storage devices have gained huge popularity among global users. However, with extensive usage, the disaster of accidental data loss is quite common. No matter how many precautions you take to prevent such mishaps, there might come a day when you fall prey to it.

In such cases, the Tools Data Recovery Wizard becomes crucial to help you retrieve data containing important information. Here, we recommend using Tools Data Recovery Wizard, a reliable data recovery solution that offers an excellent method to restore data from micro SD cards. It boasts several notable features:

    - It can recover deleted, formatted, damaged, or lost data. - It also retrieves pictures, images, photos, and videos from Micro Secure Digital cards. (Supports over 1000 file types) - Its wizard-driven user interface lets you easily restore files from external hard drives or micro SD memory cards. - It supports all major brands, including SanDisk, Kingston, PNY, Lexar, Transcend, PQI, and more.

Read also: [Top 10 SD Card Data Recovery Software](/data-recovery/sd-card-data-recovery-software.html)

Now, you can proceed with the video and the step-by-step instructions to retrieve data from micro SD card.

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Step 1: Select the SD card to scan

  • Download and install the Tools Data Recovery Wizard on your Windows computer.
  • Connect your SanDisk/Lexar/Transcend SD card to the computer in the right way.
  • Launch the Tools SD Card Recovery software. On the left, select "SD Card Recovery". All connected drives will be displayed here. Choose your SD card and click "Scan".
Select the SD card and click “Scan”. Select the SD card and click Scan

Step 2: Check the scan results

    • Wait for the scanning process to finish.
    • Select one or more file types to display, like pictures or videos.
    • Click "Preview" to check if they're the files you want.
Recover Lost Photos

Step 3: Recover Data from SD Card

  • Preview the recovered files and click "Restore."
  • Select a location different from the original SD card to save the restored files.
Recover Lost Photos

Can a Micro SD card become damaged or corrupted?

The answer is an absolute yes. Any device can have issues. Be it an SD card, micro SD card, mini SD card, or any other kind of memory card – they can all run into problems. You can tell that your micro SD card or SD card is corrupted, damaged, or faulty if you experience the following symptoms:

    • Error messages appear, such as "Card Error" or "Damaged Card."
    • Files are missing. Most of your photos or other files on the SD card have vanished.
    • It's unrecognized. It shows up as "No Media" in Disk Management on Windows, or it doesn't show up at all.
    • The camera screen goes black. You can't do anything on the camera.
    • Unknown files appear on the SD card. This could be due to a virus that caused unknown files to appear.

If your SD card or micro SD card exhibits any of these symptoms, you'll know that your SD card or Micro SD card is failing. You'll need to take steps to fix your micro SD card.

How to Repair a Damaged SD Card Without Losing Data

Before getting to the solutions, you should know the reasons. Why does your micro SD card have issues? There are several reasons that cause memory card corruption and lead to the above symptoms:

    • Suddenly removing the memory card from a camera, computer, or smartphone while data transfer or write operation is in progress
    • Accidentally deleting all data (music, photos, videos) from the memory card
    • Virus attack or bad sectors on the card
    • Using the same card with multiple devices
    • Other unknown reasons

To address your damaged SD card issue, I have eight recommendations. SD card owners should attempt the troubleshooting methods sequentially, depending on the severity of the damage.

Also Read: 8 Ways to Fix a Corrupted/Damaged SD Card

    • Try a different card reader, adapter, or USB port
    • Run Windows troubleshooting tools
    • Change the drive letter assignment
    • Run CHKDSK to fix bad sectors on your SD card
    • Reinstall the SD card driver
    • Format a RAW SD card
    • Format a half-full SD card
    • Create a new partition on unallocated space for your SD card

After solving the problem, remember these tips to protect your micro SD card and SD card:

  • Backup SD Card Data in Advance
  • Do not remove the memory card while turning on or off the camera or any other device.
  • Avoid removing the memory card while saving or viewing photos.
  • Don't shoot or view new photos with low battery.
  • Never replace the SD card when the camera is on.

Conclusion

Whether you lost data due to a damaged or formatted SD card, you can recover it with the help of tools like Data Recovery Wizard. Make sure to stop using the card and remove it from your camera or phone. Next, download and install the data recovery software on a computer to retrieve your files. To prevent data loss, it's a good idea to back up your files regularly – daily, weekly, or monthly. That way, you can always restore your data, no matter what happens.