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3 June 2024  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
Learn why your SD card files are not showing on your mobile phone or PC and find effective solutions. Optimize your storage experience today.



Table of contents

table iconI. The reason why the files on the SD card are not displayed
table iconII. Use Renee Undeleter to recover lost data from SD card
table iconIII. Detailed introduction of SD card repair method
sd card files not showing

I. The reason why the files on the SD card are not displayed

1. The file is hidden

In order to solve the problem that the SD card files are not displayed, you first need to check whether the files on the SD card are hidden due to virus infection or other reasons, resulting in the files not being displayed.
Open File Explorer, switch to the View tab, check Hidden items, and the hidden files on the SD card will be displayed. If SD card files (such as photos) cannot be displayed in the Android mobile phone album, you can also click here to see why.
file explorer hidden items

2. The method of inserting the SD card is improper or there is a problem with the card reader

If the SD card is not inserted correctly or there is an issue with the card reader, the phone or computer may not recognize the SD card, preventing file display. Safely remove the SD card, insert it correctly, or replace the card reader to connect to the computer.
After checking the reasons for the above two aspects, if the SD files are still not displayed, then these files may have been accidentally deleted or infected with a virus.

3. Accidental deletion or virus

Accidental deletion is a common cause of data loss. To prevent this, regularly back up your SD card. Viruses can also cause file loss by automatically deleting files. To address this, connect the SD card to a computer via a card reader and use anti-virus software to scan and remove the virus.

4. SD card failure

When the SD card fails, the files in it may also be lost. This phenomenon often occurs in those SD cards that have reached the end of their service life or are of low quality.
If the SD card files you cannot find are important files, you can use the following methods to restore them, and then check and repair the SD card failure.

II. Use Renee Undeleter to recover lost data from SD card

1. What is Renee Undeleter?

Renee Undeleter is designed to restore system data files. Whether you’ve accidentally deleted important files, emptied the recycle bin, or formatted a disk/storage, this tool retrieves lost data. It includes four modules: Fast Partition Scan, Whole Partition Scan, Whole Disk Scan, and Image Creation, addressing all data loss issues comprehensively.
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Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan;

Supported file types Image, video, audio, text, email and so on;

Image creation Create a partition image to read and back up data;

Supported devices SD card, SDHC, SDXC, USB flash drive, hard disk and computer.

Easy to use Recover data by 3 steps;

Multiple scan modes Fast partition/whole partition/whole disk scan;

Supported devices SD card/USB/hard disk.

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2. How to recover lost SD card data with Renee Undeleter?

Step 1: Connect the SD card to the computer using a card reader. Download, install and open Renee Undeleter, and select (Whole Partition Scan).
Note: Do not install Renee Undeleter in the disk where data is lost to avoid data overwriting.
select whole partition scan in renee undeleter to recover deleted video from sd card
Data Recovery Functions:

  • Fast Partition Scan – Retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.
  • Whole Partition Scan – Recover files from inaccessible or formatted partitions.
  • Whole Disk Scan – Analyze and scan the entire partition for data recovery.
  • Image Creation – Create an image to back up the current partition state.
Step 2: Select the SD card partition where the data is lost and click (Next).
Renee Undeleter Whole Partition Scan
Step 3: After the scan is over, select the files you want to recover and click the (Recover) button. Note: Ensure that you save the recovered files to different disks to prevent data overwriting, and refrain from saving them back to the original storage location, such as the SD card.
preview and select the files to recover in renee undeleter

III. Detailed introduction of SD card repair method

1. Check the system file error of the SD card

Check and repair the SD card using Windows’ built-in file system error checking. If the SD card is not displayed in File Explorer, perform this operation in Disk Management.
Specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the SD card to the Windows computer through a card reader.
Step 2: Open the file explorer, right-click on the SD card, select (Properties) > (Tools), and click (Check) under “Error checking”.
sd card properties
fix a damaged Android SD card
Step 3: Click (Scan and Repair Drive). If errors are found, restart the computer to repair the file system.
scan drive

2. Format the SD card

Formatting an SD card can fix many problems. If the SD card is not displayed in the PC file explorer, please right-click the (Start) menu and enter (Disk Management) to format the SD card.
Specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the SD card to the computer via a card reader.
Step 2: Open File Explorer, right-click on the SD card drive, and select (Format).
sd card formatted in this pc
Step 3: Choose an option from “File System”. Select FAT32 if the SD card is 32GB or smaller; select exFAT if the SD card is larger than 32 GB.
Step 4: Click (Start) to start formatting the SD card. Then reconnect the SD card and check if the problem is resolved.
Format the SD card

3. Use Chkdsk to repair damaged SD card

As long as the SD card is not physically damaged and the computer has a way to recognize the SD card, then you can use the Chkdsk tool to fix logical errors. Note: This method will clear the data in the SD card, please back up important files first.
Specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the SD card to the computer through a card reader.
Step 2: Search for (cmd) in the computer search box, right-click (command prompt), and select (Run as administrator).
run as administrator
Step 3: In the command prompt, enter chkdsk H: /f (H: is the SD card drive letter, /f is the repair parameter), and press Enter. The repair process duration depends on the damage severity and storage size. Exit Command Prompt when complete.
TipsIf this command does not repair the SD card, try the chkdsk H: /r command. The /r parameter finds bad sectors and restores readable information, including the functionality of /f with additional analysis for physical disk errors. Click here for other repair methods and daily maintenance recommendations.