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27 May 2019  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
SD card can expand the storage capacity for phones. Many files, such as pictures, texts and videos, can be saved in it. When prompted “Blank SD card” or “Unsupported SD card”, the phone cannot read the SD card. In this essay, we will tell you how to solve this problem.



Many users complain about the error “SD card is blank or has unsupported file system” in Samsung Galaxy S5/S8 or other Android devices. Then, the SD card will be unreadable. If you want to recover the SD card data, you need a tool to help you.
sd card has unsupported file system
First, we should figure out why SD card is blank or has unsupported system, and then we can solve the issues objectively.

Part 1: Reasons of SD Card is Blank or Has Unsupported File System?

You may get this error if you are in these situations:

1. Faults in custom Android phones
Users’ feedbacks tell us that this error easily happen in some phone models. Basically, these phones are shipped with the custom Android operating systems, such as EMUI, OxygenOS and LineageOS. Those who are using the basic version – Stock Android seldom confront with the issue.

2. Dirt on contacts/faults on the slot
The oxidized contacts or the dirt on the contacts of the SD card can affect the connection between SD card and the device. Besides, if the SD card slot is faulty, it is hard to connect with the device, too.

3. Damaged file system
The SD card file system will be damaged if you plug it in/out incorrectly, or it is attacked by virus. Then the phone will get the error “unsupported SD card”.

4. Format the SD card to the file system unsupported by Android
Some file systems like FAT32, EXT3 and EXT4 are generally supported in Android, even exFAT in the newly introduced ones. Unfortunately, if you format the SD card to the file system unsupported by Android, the card will be detected as a blank one.

5. Hidden files
This error also happens in the card that has ever been used in various devices. Sometimes, the SD card will be carried with some hidden files that are detected as unreadable in Android.

As we’ve known why the error happens, we go to fix the SD card. The first step is to recover the SD card data with the third-party tool – Renee Undeleter.

Part 2: How to Recover Data from Blank or Unsupported SD Card?

Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

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3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

Steps:

① Download and install Renee Undeleter.

② Use a card reader to connect the SD card to the computer. Then launch Renee Undeleter and select [Fast Partition Scan].

data recovery in renee undeleter
③ Select the target SD card, and then click [Next].
④ Select [Fast scan] or [Deep scan] and click [Next] to scan the SD card. The scanning time depends on how many files should be scanned.
select fast scan mode in renee undeleter
⑤ As the scan is finished, preview and check the target files. Then click [Recover].
select the target files to recover in fast partition scan
⑥ Finally, select the output destination and save the files.
select the destination to save the recovered files in renee undeleter to restore sd card to full capacity
Now, all data inside the card has been retrieved. We can go to the next step, fixing the SD card.

Part 3: How to Remove the Unsupported SD Card Error?

Solution 1: Reboot the phone

The background processes will be reset if you reboot the phone. This method is applicable to fix some system errors. So, please try to reboot the phone at first.

Solution 2: Clean the slot and reinsert the SD card

First, shut down the phone. Try to eject the SD card and clean the slot with the alcohol cotton buds. By these attempts, your phone may finally read the SD card.

use alchohol cotton buds to clean unsupported sd card

Solution 3: Run CHKDSK to fix errors

CHKDSK is the command to fix the disk error in Windows. It may help you fix the blank or unsupported SD card.

Steps:

① Use a card reader to connect the SD card to the computer and check the letter of the SD card.

② In Cortana (for Win. 10), type [cmd] to search Command Prompt and righ-click to select [Run as administrator].

run command prompt as administrator in start menu
③ Insert [chkdsk n:/f]. n is the letter of the SD card and f is the order to fix the card. Then press Enter to run
type chkdsk to fix the corrupted sd card
④ Plug the SD card in the phone and check whether it can work.

Solution 4: Check hidden files on the SD card

Follow these steps to check and delete the hidden files on the SD card：

① Use a card reader to connect the SD card to the computer.

② Press [Win + R] to open Run. Then, type [control folders] and press Enter.

press the keys win+r
type control folders in run
③ In File Explorer Options, go to the tab [View] and check [Show hidden files, folders and drives]. Finally, click [Apply].
check hidden files in file explorer options
④ After that, open the SD card. View whether there are some new files. If yes, delete them.
delete hidden files
⑤ Now, plug the SD card in the phone to check. If the solution fails, please try the next one.

Solution 5: Format the SD card to the other file systems

As we all know, Android doesn’t support NTFS. If you format the SD card to such file system, it will be blank or unsupported in Android. At this moment, you need to format the SD card again to the other file systems, such as FAT32, EXR3, EXT4 or exFAT.

Steps:

① Connect the SD card to the computer with a card reader.

② Right-click at the SD card to select [Format].

recover data from formatted sd card select to format sd card if you dont't know how to repair a undetected micro sd card
③ In the formatting window, select a file system supported by your Android phone, such as FAT32, EXT3, EXT4 or exFAT. Check [Quick format] and click [Start].
how to format the SD card or reformat a hard drive