Partition Recovery™
An expert tool for recovering lost partitions
An expert tool for recovering lost partitions
Last updated: Aug 26, 2021

When blank SD card error occurs

An SD card typically gets corrupted so easily. If you have ever dealt with your SD card showing as “blank” with the error message “SD card is blank or has an unsupported file system,” you obviously would start thinking of how to secure your important files saved on the SD, and that’s where this article comes in to help you.

Here you will find out:

  • what "blank SD card" means
  • why this error would occur
  • how you can fix this error
  • how DiskInternals Partition Recovery can help you

Are you ready? Let's read!

What does “blank SD card” mean?

It simply means that your SD card is blank, and nothing is saved inside. A Secure Digital Card (SD card) is a common removable storage drive used by many people to save files. Also, an SD card is used to transfer files from one portable device or even a computer to another. Even cameras use SD cards as their default storage medium. This makes SD cards an important storage device for many people.

Why would an “SD card blank error” occur?

There are quite a lot of things that may lead to this SD error. Typically, this error displays when the SD card is corrupted or due to some personal operations by a user. Also, it may be that your device does not support the SD card; thus, your system or device is finding it uneasy to read the contents of the SD card. That said, most times, when you see the "Blank SD card" error message, it doesn't mean that the SD is actually blank, but your device/system was unable to read the content of the SD card.

Possible reasons for the “SD card blank” error

  • You did not insert the SD card properly.
  • The device/system is infected by a virus or malware.
  • Your device’s file system is corrupted
  • There are bad sectors in the SD card
  • The SD card was forcefully removed from a computer system without selecting “Safely Remove Hardware".

So to learn how to fix a blank SD card, read below.

How can you fix the error?


Method 1: Reboot the device you use

Rebooting the device you inserted the SD card into can help to fix this error. This is the commonest way to fix this issue, even though it is not foolproof.

Method 2: Fix this error using CHKDSK

Remove the SD card from the device and connect it to a computer. For this method to work, the SD card must be detected by the computer. If you insert the SD card into a computer and the system doesn’t detect the card, then you should try other methods.

How to run CHKDSK

  • Launch Command Prompt as an admin and type “chkdsk e: /f” (replace the letter “e” with the letter name of the connected SD card).
  • Allow the process to run completely, then remove the SD card and put it back into the phone or camera.

It should be working fine.

Method 3: Find out whether there are hidden files on the SD card

This method also requires inserting the SD card into a computer, and it must be detected by the computer. You need a card reader to connect an SD card to a computer.

How to detect hidden files on Windows 10 or 8

  • Open File Explorer Options, and navigate to the View tab.
  • Activate “Hidden files."

Or

  • Launch Control Panel and navigate to Programs.
  • Go to Appearance and Personalization.
  • Click on File Explorer Options, and then Show hidden files and folders.
  • Activate “Show hidden files, folders, and drives."
  • Click Apply, then OK.

What to do to prevent data loss from your SD

If you still get the “SD card blank” error, even after trying all methods explained above, then you should resort to this foolproof method that requires the use of a PC software tool called DiskInternals Partition Recovery.

About DiskInternals Partition Recovery

DiskInternals Partition Recovery provides a solution for many data loss and recovery scenarios. It is an intuitive app with quite a lot of different uses. DiskInternals Partition Recovery software can help you fix blank SD card issues. Just follow the steps below.

Step One:

Download and install DiskInternals Partition Recovery on your PC and launch it.

 DiskInternals Partition Recovery- Recovery Wizard interface after you launch software

Step Two:

Select the SD card and choose a recovery mode: Reader, Fast Recovery (Uneraser), or Full Recovery.

 DiskInternals Partition Recovery - Choose a recovery mode

Step Three:

Allow DiskInternals Partition Recovery to scan the SD card and discover all your files that are saved inside. This process may take a long time to complete.

Step Four:

Save all the files to another storage drive, and format the SD card.

Format the SD card

Press Windows + X and select “Disk Management.” Select the SD card, right-click and select “format,” then follow the onscreen prompts to format the card.

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