With the production of SD (secure digital) cards, storing pictures and other files on your digital camera or phone is a breeze. Unfortunately, the data stored on SD cards can become corrupted. Depending on how you use an SD card, and how often you use it, a card can become worn and cease to function. If this happens, it is often necessary to buy a new card.
Symptoms of a Corrupted SD Card
If some of the files on your SD card have become corrupted, signs of this will begin showing immediately. If, when you are using the SD card in a digital camera, the camera begins showing distorted images when in playback mode, then the files on your memory card have most likely been corrupted in some way. The same thing can happen in a phone or other similar device that uses SD cards. Also, many electronic devices will give an error message such as "Memory Card Error" or "Corrupted Memory" if they detect a problem in the data on the SD card. If you are plugging the SD card into a computer using an SD card reader, and the computer does not recognize the memory card, this may be another sign that your card could be corrupted. Many times, if there are any corrupted files on a memory card, they will either show up on a computer as strange files with unusual file extensions, or not show up at all.
Formatting an SD Card
If your SD card has become corrupted, it may be necessary to buy a new one, but you may first try formatting the SD card. This can sometimes fix the problem, making it unnecessary to purchase a new SD card. You can do this by formatting the SD card within the device that the card is used in most often. For example, if you are using the SD card in a digital camera, most now allow you to format the memory card directly from the camera. Refer to the users manual that came with your specific device to see use the device to format a memory card. If you do not have an electronic device that you use the SD card in regularly, you can format the memory card by inserting the card into an SD card reader, and plugging the reader into your computer. Go to "My Computer" and then right-click on the "Removable Disk" folder for the memory card that you just inserted. In the right-click menu that pops up, click "Format." Click "OK" in the confirmation window that will appear to begin the formatting process. Formatting a drive will permanantly erase all data that had previously been on the drive, so make sure that you format the correct drive. If your SD card still seems to be corrupted even after formatting it, you will most likely need to purchase a new one.
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