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If you want to know how to Recover Deleted Files From SD Card, read this article from beginning to end. Why? Because we talk about three SD card recovery methods that all Mac users can try for free to get back lost photos, videos, audio files, documents, and other data from corrupted, formatted, erased, or damaged memory cards.
Along with tried-and-true recovery methods, we also give you helpful tips to make sure you don’t make rookie mistakes that could cause you to lose your data. You can get back deleted files because they are still on your SD card, waiting to be written over by new files.
Formatting can quickly fix many problems with corrupt partitions and damaged sectors, but it won’t help you get files back from an SD card that you’ve already deleted. In fact, it can make it harder for them to get better, so don’t do it at all costs. Instead, follow the steps in this article.
How to Recover Deleted Files From SD Card
Recover data from SD card with Time Machine backup
- Connect the external hard drive containing Time Machine backup to your Mac.
- Click on the Time Machine clock icon in the menu bar and select Enter Time Machine. If you don’t see the Time Machine icon, you go to the Apple logo > System Preferences > Time Machine and tick the checkbox Show Time Machine in Menu bar.
- Select the folder in the Finder window which last contained the deleted files. The desktop folder will be displayed by default if you don’t open any Finder folder before entering Time Machine.
- Find the items you want to restore using the onscreen up and down arrows or timeline at the right edge of your screen for older versions.
- Select the item to recover and press the Spacebar to preview.
- Click Restore to complete the recovery.
Use SD Card Recovery Software
- You can download Disk Drill for free and use it to preview all recoverable files.
- Disk Drill is a native Mac application that supports the latest version of macOS running on Mac computers with Apple silicon.
- Using Disk Drill, you can recover hundreds of file formats from all storage devices that can be recognized by your Mac.
- Included with Disk Drill are several useful tools that you can use to manage your files and prevent data loss.
- Disk Drill has received countless positive reviews from professional reviewers as well as regular users.
Using Command Prompt
- Connect your SD card with the PC via a card reader.
- Type cmd into the Windows search bar > select “Run as administrator” to launch it
- Type the following command: attrib -h -r -s /s /d C:\*.* > press enter to execute it. C is the exampled drive letter, and you are supposed to replace it with the drive letter of your own SD card.
- After the procedure done, restart your computer and open the SD card. You might see the deleted files again.
Using Terminal
- Download and install PhotoRec on your Mac.
- Insert the SD Card to your Mac or connect them with a card reader.
- Launch the program with Terminal, you need to enter Mac password to continue.
- Select the SD Card where you want to restore deleted files on Mac, press Enter.
- Choose Partition type and press Enter.
- Choose File System and press Enter.
- Choose the output folder to save the restored files from SD card and press C to start the process. Then check the folder to view the recovered SD Card photos or other files.
FAQs
Can an SD card be recovered?” Yes, whenever an SD card becomes inaccessible or formatted, the stored data gets lost. However, all files remain in the same position on the card and can be recovered by data recovery software.
Windows cannot add a recycle bin on the SD card. Also, an SD card doesn’t have a recycle bin, it only functions as a local drive where you can store your data and files. Thus, to recover deleted photos from an SD card, use Recoverit data recovery software, or apply the method explained above.
Actually, deleted pictures are not physically removed from the storage card immediately. They stay where they were until their space is cleared up for new data. In other words, the pictures you deleted on SD card are still available to access if you act soon enough.
Deleting individual images from the card using your camera will scramble the file allocation table (FAT); liken the FAT to the directory system on a computer. Instead of deleting on the card, wait to download files to your computer or backup drive, then delete files once they reside on another device(s).