SD Card Reading_Recovery

[jpanhalt]

I have a data recorder that uses an SD card. Worked fine for awhile, then stopped. Tried to read the card (Kingston 8 GB) and get error that card is not formatted. New card works fine in the recorder. Data format is MP3.

Searched on reading SD cards and found lots of applications for doing that. I picked one from CNET called Pandora. Yes, it was a pandora's box. Last time I trust CNET.

1) It didn't work; and
2) It installed malware called MixiDJ, which hijacks every browser on your machine.

After an hour or more, I think I got Mixi uninstalled. At least my browsers don't seem to be hijacked. The simple uninstall from Windows XP and Mixi don't do the job.

Is there a data recovery application for SD cards that can be trusted?

Thanks, John

 

[Mr RB]

I think I had one from Sandisk (a big card manufacturer) that could do some recovery tasks.

It ended up my card was failed hardware, and could never be used again.

 

[jpanhalt]

I searched on "Sandisk SD recovery" and came up with RescuePro as Sandisk's recommendation. That program did not recognize the card in my trash computer. I will try it on my newer, "safe" computer that at least recognizes the card is in the slot later. If it has malware attached (which it doesn't seem to at this point), remember, I know where you live.

BTW, getting rid of the last pieces of MixiDJ (i.e., "conduit search") took another couple of hours or so. If you know where those developers live, please let us all know.

John

Edit: American Public TV is showing a series titled "Australia's first 4 billion years." Maybe we could feed those developers to some of those early Australians? Worth watching, if I can stay awake long enough.

 

[PatM]

I use Win 7 and before I install any new programs, I make a image copy on a external hard drive.
If anything goes wrong, all I have to do is re-image the computer.
Totally failsafe.

 

[ethelknox]

Plug your SD card into the card slot on your computer if it has one. Purchase a multi-card reader from an electronic or retail store if your computer does not have a card reader. Once purchased, connect your card reader to your computer using the USB cable that comes with your device. Insert your SD card into the SD card slot on the card reader. Your computer automatically recognizes the SD card.

 

[april]

If using Windows I would try "Recover my Files " first to see if the program recognises your card . I would find a version that has a crack available. I have not noticed anything malicious in it.

I think somewhere windows has an ability to bit copy the exact data to somewhere else but I do not know how you do that so I also use a version of Linux called "Puppy" and download the small "iso" . Make the CD and then switch off and reboot with the CD in.
Provided your boot process gives priority to the CD you will be away in Linux

Open a terminal (DOS command window, last icon on top line) and type "dd if=/dev/sdb1 of=/mycopy" ( when you plug in the sd card it will be given a name , right click on its icon and you will see what it has been called ,use this instead of sdb1)
It will copy all the data from the card exactly as it is on the card to your hard drive or wherever you tell it . You then have a backup of the data if it can be read at all
Copy that file onto a cd or new stick and plug it back into Windows and then run your programs on the copy and see if that gives you any more

If your computer does not recognise the original card thats when its probably useless but I would try to copy it anyway then sift through the files which are probably still intact somewhere on the media.

# dd if=/dev/sdb1 of=/mnt/home/TempStore/mycopy
31676416+0 records in
31676416+0 records out
16218324992 bytes (16 GB) copied, 575.877 s, 28.2 MB/s
#

 

[jpanhalt]

Hi April,

Thanks for the advice.

@Post#5
I perhaps should have mentioned that one PC recognized the card but returned an error that it was not formatted. An older PC did not recognize the card. I have used thses cards for some time now.

@April#6
I am not a Linux user. I found a similar application that would run under Windows: https://www.osforensics.com/tools/write-usb-images.html

Norton and Google list it as clean, so I downloaded and ran the executable. It copied the whole 8 GB SD card and the data are now recoverable. It is one flat file and no index.

Again, thanks for that extra effort.

John

 

[Mr RB]

Congrats! Looks like it was just a damaged FAT.

 

[april]

I am not a Linux user. I found a similar application that would run under Windows: https://www.osforensics.com/tools/write-usb-images.html
Norton and Google list it as clean, so I downloaded and ran the executable. It copied the whole 8 GB SD card and the data are now recoverable. It is one flat file and no index.John

Yes I had a look at that myself. You get a flat file as you call it which can be written back to another card or even the original card. Very handy
I commend the Puppy image, download and make the CD and run it . You will be surprised at the similarities to what you know.

 

[Menticol]

Hello John, I know about an outstanding (but not very famous) program to recover the FAT when is corrupted. If FAT recovery fails, it can search for the folders and bring them back.

I've attached the program on this post, but if you don't trust it you can download it by yourself.

Instructions:

0) Extract all files from the zip on a new folder, plug your damaged card in

1) Run testdisk_win.exe. Run it as administrator if you are on W7

A small console will open, but don't worry you don't have to type any command, it's a step by step Wizard.

2) Using the arrows select No Log and hit ENTER
3) Select the flash stick and hit ENTER
4) On partition table type select Intel, works most times. Hit ENTER
5) On the list select Analyze and hit ENTER
Existent partitions will show up, but don't select anything on them, notice that the option "Quick Search" below is marked
6) Hit ENTER to access that option
7) Your lost partition will appear on green
8) Press P to list the existing files

From now you can see your files and the instructions to handle them: a to select all, c to select file, mayus + C to copy the selected files, etc.

The saved files will be copied by default on the program folder

If you have questions or need moe help just ask

Best Regards

 

[marc mapare]

Try to attrib your SD Card;

Go or type cmd at the start menu of your computer (@ the bottom-left side of your monitor) and then you run it. After that, at the cmd window, type your SD Card corresponding letter ( ex. C: , D: , ect.) then enter. When you see this at your cmd window ( ex. c:\ ) type: attrib -s -h /s /d *.* then enter and wait a few minutes. If you will see this again ( ex. c:\ ) after you enter, try to open your SD card.