Repair RAW SD Card with Validation Method

To completely fix RAW SD card without losing data, follow the three quick steps below:

Step 1. Run chkdsk H: /f /r to fix RAW SD card without formatting.

Step 2: Run SD Card Recovery software to retrieve data from RAW SD card.

Step 3. Format the RAW SD card to NTFS or FAT32 file system.

Why does an SD card become RAW?

When an SD card or other storage device turns RAW, Windows will prevent you from accessing the drive and prompts you to format the SD card with an error like “You need to format the disk before using it”. This is because the RAW file system is an unrecognized file system by the computer. Generally, there are several reasons that cause an SD card's file system to become RAW:

• Your SD card's file system might be damaged or corrupted
• Your memory card might be missing a file system
• The current file system of your SD card is not recognized by your computer
• Your SD card was not formatted with a file system correctly

This issue could be caused by virus attacks, wrong operations on the storage media, failed formatting, and so on. While it's annoying to be unable to open and access a RAW SD card, it's actually quite easy to fix RAW drives.

2 Ways to Fix RAW SD Card Without Losing Data

If you want to fix a RAW SD card without formatting, try running the CHKDSK command. If CHKDSK doesn't work, you can easily fix a RAW formatted SD card with a verified method.

Method 1: Repair RAW SD Card with Formatting (Without Losing Data)

It makes sense to format the SD card to fix the RAW SD card error since formatting will assign a new file system to your SD card, making it usable again. However, formatting will erase all existing files on the SD card. This is why you need to perform RAW SD card recovery first.

You cannot access files on RAW devices. But the Data Recovery Wizard tool can. It helps you recover data effectively from RAW SD card, USB flash drive, external hard drive, disk partition, etc. in a few simple steps. After performing RAW SD card data recovery, you can format the RAW SD card for repair without fear of losing data.

Recover Data from RAW SD Card:

Step 1. Connect your SD card, memory card or CF card to the computer and launch the Memory Card Recovery on the computer. The SD card will be shown in the "Device" area. Select the SD card and click "Scan" to start searching for lost data.

Step 2: The software will automatically start scanning. This scan is very powerful and can find all lost files, even those that have lost their file names. When the scan is complete, you can find your deleted items in the tree view on the left panel. If you are looking for a specific type of file, such as photos, documents, videos, or emails, click the "Filter" button.

Step 3. You can preview the contents of files by double-clicking them. After selecting the files you want, click “Recover” to restore them to a secure location on your computer or an external storage device.

If a data recovery software is unable to recover your RAW files, you can still use a RAW data recovery service tool to retrieve your data.

Original Data Recovery Service Tool

Click here to contact our experts for a free assessment

Consult with our Data Recovery Tool experts for one-on-one manual recovery service. After a free diagnosis, we offer the following services:

• Repair damaged RAW drives without formatting
• Data recovery from RAW drives, including BitLocker encrypted drives
• Recover RAW partitions, RAW USB, RAW flash drives, RAW external hard drives, and more

Format SD card:

Insert your SD card into your computer using an SD card reader.

Step 2: Open File Explorer and right-click your SD card. Select “Format.”

Step 3: In the new window, set up your file system and click Start.

Step 4: Click "OK" on the warning window to begin formatting your SD card.

Method 2: Repair the SD Card Without Formatting

CHKDSK comes to rescue only when $MFT (Master File Table) on the device is intact. If it's corrupted, you'll receive an error message “The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives.”

Warning: The CHKDSK command will permanently erase all data on the disk. Make sure to back up your data before using the Data Recovery Wizard to recover all of your files from the RAW SD card.

Step 1: Click on "Start," and type in cmd.

Step 2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 3: Type the following command: chkdsk H: /f /r

Replace "H" with the drive letter of your RAW SD card.

If you're lucky, CMD will successfully fix the RAW SD card and retain all data after going through all the steps.

If you receive any of the above errors, don't panic. You can fix the RAW SD card without losing your files, as shown above. After that, you can copy back the recovered files to the SD card and use them as before.

Bottom line

Other storage devices like SD cards, USB drives, external hard disks, or local hard disks can also become RAW. The methods provided here apply to these devices as well. In most cases, running the CHKDSK command will not fix a RAW device. Hence, the most direct way to fix a RAW storage medium is to perform RAW data recovery and then format the device directly.

How to Fix Common RAW SD Card Issues

Now you know the effective ways to fix RAW SD card. If you have any other issues, read on for more help.

< strong > 1. What does it mean if my SD card is in RAW format?

If your SD card is showing as RAW, it means that its file system is corrupted. Your SD card will be unreadable by any operating system.

2. How to format RAW SD card?

You can follow the steps below to format RAW SD card:

• Launch Partition Master
• Format RAW partition and reset file system
• In the warning window, click “Yes” to proceed
• Execute the operation

3. Can a Damaged SD Card Be Fixed?

Yes, you can seek assistance from a professional of the Data Recovery Service. Before doing that, you can try running CHKDSK to see if it helps.

4. Why does an SD card get corrupted?

Here are some common reasons for SD card corruption:

• Physical damage
• File system corruption
• Bad sectors
• Improper ejection of the SD card
• Virus or malware infection
• Incomplete SD card formatting
• Manufacturing defects