The usage of SD cards has increased exponentially in recent years. They help us expand the storage capacity of our smart devices or transfer data, but they are also prone to many storage-related issues. For instance, a malfunction in the SD card or the presence of bad sectors can lead to unexpected data loss and other logical errors.
Don't worry; we've created this comprehensive guide to help you fix bad sectors on your SD card, covering all possible options. This article is mainly targeted at Mac users, so you can apply the methods below and try them on your macOS device. So, how do you repair and recover a Mac SD card with bad sectors? First, look for signs and symptoms of a bad sector on the SD card:
A standard SD card can hold up to 2 GB of data, while a high-capacity (SDHC) card can hold up to 32 GB. An extended capacity (SDXC) card can hold up to 2 TB.
Like other smart storage devices, an SD card relies on flash memory to store data. Thus, an SD card consists of specific memory blocks that you can call “sectors.” While dealing with an SD card, any sector can get damaged and become inaccessible. Such damaged or corrupt sectors are sometimes referred to as “bad sectors” on a storage device, like an SD card or hard drive.
Bad sectors can affect any hard drive, including the one built into your macOS computer. It's important to know how to minimize the chances of developing bad sectors and keep your hard drive healthy. If your SD card has developed bad sectors and is damaged because of it, you can recover it and your data with a Mac.
However, if you're on Windows, you can follow this article instead:
[2023 Guide] Repair Damaged or Formatted SD Card Without Data Loss
Here are the best methods to repair a damaged SD card without losing data. Follow the guide to recover data from a corrupted SD card and make it readable again on Windows 10/8/7.
When should you be concerned about bad sectors? If your operating system is able to work around them and run normally, bad sectors are usually nothing to worry about. However, if they're increasing in number and causing your OS to freeze, immediate action is required.
When your SD card has bad sectors, the first thing you should do is recover permanently deleted files from Mac trash. Data loss might occur during the repair process, so backing up your files beforehand is crucial. As bad sectors accumulate, data loss issues will eventually occur sooner or later.
We also have a video guide on how to recover data from an SD card on a Mac, featuring the top 5 Mac data recovery software including Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. Check it out here:
You may seek help from the following two best solutions for Mac SD Card File Recovery:
Since there was no real-time backup, it's time to recover data from the bad sectors. Usually, data on an external HDD with too many bad sectors becomes inaccessible and won't open properly. Fortunately, the files are still on the SD card. You can quickly recover data from an inaccessible HDD, USB flash drive, or SD card using the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool.
To recover an SD card with bad sectors, download the Mac Data Recovery Wizard and follow these steps:
Step 1: Select the SD card
Note: Before you recover data, it's recommended that you click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar to back up your SD card to prevent further data loss. After backing up the SD card, the software can restore data from the SD card backup. Then you can remove the SD card and use it again.
Step 2: Filter out lost data from the SD card
When the scan is finished, all the files will be displayed in the left pane of the scan results. Find the photo, video, or other file you want.
Step 3: Preview and recover the data
Preview the SD card data and select the files you want, then click on the “Recover” button. To prevent overwriting of data, do not save the recoverable files to the SD card itself.
In some cases, commercially available data recovery software might not be able to retrieve data from a damaged SD card. If this happens, you may need to seek the help of a professional data recovery service.
If you failed to scan and recover data from your SD card with tools or other SD card recovery software on Mac manually, don't panic. You can still opt to try a professional data recovery service.
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Bad sectors refer to logical damage on a storage device or file system. The underlying physical data is usually recoverable with software or a data recovery service. We'll show you how to perform bad SD card recovery on a Mac using one such method.
Inserting the SD card incorrectly can cause it to not connect fully to the port, making it appear broken. The device may also be unable to read or detect a protected SD card due to driver issues or compatibility problems. In this case, your only option is to try connecting the SD card to another device on your Mac.
If the card reads fine on another device, then the issue isn't with your Mac, but with the SD card itself. If the damaged SD card can't be read by other devices, try these fixes.
To prevent data loss, you can clone the SD card to a new drive before it completely fails. The target HDD should be the same size or larger than the original external HDD. First, connect both HDDs to your Mac.
Step 1: Click on Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
Step 2: Select the new drive from the sidebar, then click Restore.
Step 3: Next, select the “Recover” option and choose the problematic external hard drive.
Step 4: Choose Recover.
Wait for Disk Utility to finish cloning. When it's done, click “Finish.”
Use Disk Utility to repair bad sectors
The good news is that macOS comes with a built-in program called Disk Utility that has a feature named First Aid. This tool can help you fix any issues that may appear on the connected drive, including SD card data recovery.
After connecting the SD card to your Mac, follow these steps to fix a damaged SD card with bad sectors:
Step 1: First, from the Finder's main menu, choose Go and then Utilities.
Step 2: Tap or double-click the Disk Utility app icon to launch it.
Step 3: Select your SD card from the list of connected and recognized drives.
Step 4. On the device screen, select “First Aid” at the top and tap “Run.”
The application will start scanning and attempt to fix any issues it finds. After you've done this on your Mac, try using the SD card again to see if the issue persists.
One of the simplest fixes to bad sectors on an SD card is to format the SD card. The only problem is that formatting an SD card deletes all data. But it will solve any issues related to storage corruption, such as bad sectors.
Step 1: Connect the damaged SD card to your Mac and launch Disk Utility.
Step 2. Select “SD Card” from the left sidebar and then click on the “Erase” button.
Step 3: Name the SD card, select a format, and then click “Erase” to confirm.
If after running First Aid, your SD card still shows signs of bad sectors, you can use the Mac Terminal to look for errors. However, since this method relies on command lines, the process is a bit more complicated, so proceed with caution.
Here's how to check and fix an SD card on a Mac by opening Terminal:
Step 1: First, launch the Terminal app from the Utilities folder within your Applications folder on your Mac.
Step 2. Next, run the command: diskutil verifyvolume /Volumes/[SD CARD DRIVE LETTER]/
If any issues are found, run the following command: diskutil repairvolume /Volumes/[SD\ Card\ Drive\ Letter]/
Step 4: Choose the "Repair Disk" option.
Dealing with a damaged SD card with bad sectors can be nerve-wracking. While you might not be able to recover a lot of data from such a device, the methods mentioned in this article should come in handy.
You could use a data recovery software tool to retrieve the data and fix the card. However, it's recommended that you replace the SD card. There's a chance the issue could reoccur, and getting a new memory card will prevent unnecessary worry. When it comes to salvaging lost data from your old, damaged SD card, a tool is your best option.
After getting to know the 5 methods to recover bad sectors on SD card on Mac, you may have more questions. Check here to see if your answer is included:
How do I fix bad sectors on my original SD card?
You can fix bad sectors on a RAW or corrupted SD card using the following methods:
To fix RAW SD card and recover lost data from a bad sector SD card, you can use the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool.
**2. How can I protect my SD card from damage?**
Be careful when sharing the card or using it on unfamiliar devices – you can easily pick up a virus that could damage your card and cause data loss. Use a reputable antivirus program on your Mac, and minimize exposing your card to machines that may not be as secure as your own.
Don't remove the SD card directly from the device or computer. Eject it safely through the operating system to minimize the risk of damaging the card.
How to Repair Damaged SD Card on Mac without Formatting in UTF-8?
Try using Disk Utility's “First Aid” feature to repair the damaged SD card. We detailed this process earlier in the article. If your Mac is acting abnormally and you've tried everything else, resetting the NVRAM and SMC might be worth a shot. These components often cause software-related issues that can be resolved with a simple reset.
4. How do I know if Linux has corrupted my SD card?
To do this, use the badblocks command with the -n option (to run in a non-destructive read-write mode) and -v (for verbose mode).