How do I recover lost music to my SD card?
What Causes Music Files to Disappear from SD Cards?
There are a few common reasons why music files may suddenly go missing from your SD card:
Accidental Deletion – One of the most frequent causes of lost files is accidentally deleting songs or folders from the SD card. This can happen easily if you’re quickly browsing and managing files on your device. With just a couple quick taps, you could permanently erase files without realizing it.
According to HandyRecovery, accidental deletion is a very common reason for data loss on SD cards and other external storage devices. It only takes a moment of not paying attention to permanently delete valuable photos, videos, audio, or other files.
Corrupted Files – The sensitive nature of SD cards also makes them susceptible to file corruption. This can occur from sudden removal of the card before properly ejecting, formatting issues, bad sectors, or problems transferring from the card to a computer or device. Corrupted files may become completely unreadable or disappear altogether.
Formatting the Card – Formatting or reinitializing the SD card will wipe all data. This is sometimes done to fix other issues, restore space when full, or prepare the card for a new device. However, formatting permanently destroys all files unless you have backups.
Stop Using the SD Card Immediately
It is crucial to stop using the SD card right away if you believe your files are lost or corrupted. Continuing to use the SD card risks overwriting the very data you are trying to recover. When a file is deleted or lost, it is not actually erased from the SD card immediately. Rather, the card just marks the space occupied by the file as available for new data. As long as you do not save anything new to the card, recovery is often possible.
Every new photo, video, or file you capture after the loss event has the potential to overwrite portions of deleted files. So it is imperative to eject and safely store the SD card as soon as you realize files are missing. Do not capture any new media, and avoid formatting the card. According to the SD Association, “Once the SD Card has been formatted, the lost data may no longer be recoverable” [1]. By discontinuing use of the SD card, you give yourself the best chance at recovering your files intact.
Try Your Device’s Recovery Tools
Most Android devices have built-in file recovery tools that may help restore recently deleted files from your SD card. For example, on Samsung Galaxy devices you can use the Restore function in the My Files app [1]. Huawei phones have a Recovery feature in the Files app [2]. Other Android manufacturers like LG, Sony, and Motorola also include file recovery options in their native file manager apps.
These tools scan your SD card and internal storage to find recoverable files that were recently deleted. They can often restore photos, videos, music, documents and other data that was erased in the past 1-2 weeks. However, device recovery tools are quite limited compared to dedicated data recovery software and may not find all deleted files.
To use your phone’s built-in recovery feature, open the file manager app and look for options like “Restore”, “Recover Deleted Files”, or “Recently Deleted”. Follow the prompts to scan your SD card and restore data. Results can vary widely based on your device model and the age of deleted files.
Use Data Recovery Software
Specialized software can restore lost files from SD cards, even after formatting or deletion. These programs scan the SD card and rebuild files from residual data left on the memory. Some top data recovery apps for Android include:
File Recovery – SD Card Recovery – Scans the SD card and recovers photos, videos, audio, documents, and more. Free version available.
Disk Drill – Available for both Android and desktop operating systems, Disk Drill can recover 200MB of data for free before upgrading to the full version.
Recuva – A popular Windows data recovery tool capable of restoring files from SD cards connected to a computer. Free to use.
Specialized recovery software often yields the best results when attempting to rescue lost files from an SD card. The programs’ deep scan abilities can restore data even after accidental deletion, corruption, or formatting.
Recover from Your Computer
If the files disappeared from your SD card while it was connected to your computer, you may be able to recover them directly using data recovery software on the computer.
First, connect the SD card to your computer using a card reader or cable. Do not save or add any new files to the card, as this could overwrite your deleted music. Once connected, download and install data recovery software like Recuva or TestDisk on your computer.
Next, open the recovery software and select the SD card drive to scan. The software will search and display recoverable files from the card. You can then select your lost music files and recover them to your computer.
Recovering directly from a computer maximizes your chances of retrieving files before they are overwritten. However, this only works if the SD card was connected to the computer when the files disappeared. For mobile data loss, you’ll need to use the methods below.
Send to a Professional Service
When DIY recovery options fail to restore your lost music files, sending the SD card to a professional data recovery service may be your best remaining option. Professional recovery services have access to advanced tools and clean room facilities to physically repair cards and extract data. This gives them the highest chance of recovering lost files.
Costs for SD card recovery can range quite a bit depending on the service, level of damage, and amount of data. According to FiveStar Data Recovery, their standard SD card recovery service fee starts at $300 and goes up to $650 for more severe damage https://www.fivestardatarecovery.com/data-recovery/sd-card-data-recovery/. ProCAM charges a minimum of $75 for basic card recovery, not including the cost of a replacement card https://procam.com/pages/data-recovery. FlashFixers advertises a $75 initial evaluation fee before providing a complete quote https://flashfixers.com/memory-card-recovery/. Overall costs can vary but professional recovery services greatly improve your chances if DIY options fail.
Avoid these Common Mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to continue using the SD card after files have gone missing. When files are deleted or lost on an SD card, they aren’t actually erased right away. The space they previously occupied is simply marked as available to be overwritten. Continuing to use the SD card risks having new data written over your deleted files, making them unrecoverable.
According to experts, “The most serious mistake you can make during DIY data recovery is to continue using the storage device once data loss has occurred.”[1] As soon as you notice files are missing, stop using the card and turn to recovery solutions.
Another common error is using unreliable or untrustworthy recovery software. Some free recovery apps fail to thoroughly scan storage devices and have limited capabilities. Others may secretly install malware on your system. Stick to reputable, recommended data recovery programs from well-known companies to avoid further issues.
Learn Proper SD Card Handling
To avoid losing files on your SD card, it’s important to follow best practices for properly handling the card. Here are some tips:
Always safely eject or unmount the SD card before removing it from a device like a camera, phone, or computer. This ensures any writes to the card are finished before it is taken out. On Windows, use the “Safely Remove Hardware” icon in the system tray. On Mac, drag the card icon to the Trash. On mobile, use the unmount option in Settings.
Make regular backups of important files and photos on the SD card. Don’t solely rely on the SD card as your only copy of irreplaceable data. Consider backing up to an external hard drive, cloud storage, or another SD card periodically.
When formatting an SD card, do it through the device you’ll be using the card in for best compatibility. For example, format the card in your camera instead of on your computer.
Avoid exposing SD cards to liquids, dirt, dust, heat, and magnets. These could corrupt data. Store cards in a clean, dry, room temperature place.
Handle SD cards gently by the edges and don’t bend them. The gold contacts are fragile.
Keep SD cards away from static electricity which can erase data. Avoid rubbing on clothing.
When traveling with SD cards, keep them in ESD-safe containers, not loose in bags.
Alternative Music Recovery Options
If you are unable to recover your lost music files using the methods above, there are a couple alternative options you may want to try:
Restore from backups – If you had previously backed up your SD card or music files, you may be able to restore the lost files from those backups. Connect the SD card to your computer and see if you have any backups available through backup software like Time Machine or Windows Backup.
Re-download if purchased online – If you purchased any of the lost music online from a store like iTunes or Amazon Music, you may be able to download replacement copies. Just log into your account and re-download any purchased music files that were lost.
While these methods may be more time consuming, they can potentially help restore your lost music if all else fails. Having regular backups in place can help prevent this problem in the future.
When All Else Fails
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the lost music files may be unrecoverable. This can happen if the SD card is severely corrupted or physically damaged. In these cases, the file system structures that contain the music file metadata can be irreparably destroyed.
If you have tried every recovery method to no avail, then the data may sadly be gone for good. At this point, the only options are to try coping with the permanent loss or attempting more expensive professional data recovery services that work at the disk level.
To cope with the loss, first accept that the files are likely unrecoverable. Consider if you have backups of the lost music files in another location like a computer hard drive or cloud storage. You may be able to re-download purchased music files from online stores. For recorded or ripped music, you will likely need to re-create those files.
Going forward, be sure to keep regular backups of important data like music files in multiple locations. Store music on devices besides just the SD card. Having proper backups is the best way to avoid losing files permanently.
While the data loss can be disheartening, try to move forward by re-downloading, re-ripping, and re-creating your music library from other sources. Be extra cautious in handling SD cards properly, and keep redundant backups to avoid this situation again.