Memory cards are one of the most popular storage devices widely used for storing photos, videos, documents, etc
Imagine you return from an amazing holiday trip and when you insert your camera’s SD card in the computer you get an error notification. You opened your memory card expecting to see the beautiful photos that you had clicked on your vacation but to your dismay, the card has become corrupted.
This can be a heartbreaking situation. Memory cards are one of the most popular storage devices widely used for storing photos, videos, documents, etc.
But due to several reasons they get damaged or corrupted leading to data loss. The tiny and portable SD cards and MicroSD cards provide a great solution for storing data.
However, all storage devices including memory cards are prone to corruption due to various factors, such as power surge or improper removal.
If you’re using a smartphone, digital camera, or tablet, then you must be using some type of memory card. Even if you’ve never faced a data loss situation, there’re chances that you may face it in the future. You may lose your photos or other files due to many reasons such as accidental deletion, formatting memory card, physical damage, or virus attack.
If you don’t have a habit of taking regular backups then a sudden memory card failure may result in complete data loss.
That’s why it’s said that memory cards should never be taken for granted. To avoid a potential disaster, you need to take good care of your memory card. Whether you’re using an SD card, MicroSD card, or CF card, here are some tips for memory card users to avoid card corruption and potential data loss.
Safely Eject
One of the most common mistakes committed by most users is abruptly pulling the card out of the device. Whether it’s your memory card or any other external data storage device, make sure you always safely eject the card or external drive from the device.
If you try to remove the card from the device when it is still being accessed, it may lead to data corruption. Disturbances caused while transferring or reading data is responsible for data loss. So, always use safely remove option before pulling the card out of the reader. If you want to remove the card from your phone, camera, or tablet then first switch off your device.
Format Your New Card
If you have got a new memory card, it’s suggested to format it immediately. Now you may ask why again format a card that usually comes preformatted. You should consider formatting your SD card before storing new data in it because that can help in preventing corruption issues.
However, while formatting a card, make sure to do it on your phone or camera and not on the computer. This is because formatting the card on the device where you intend to use it helps in ensuring that the card is compatible with the device system. You should format your memory card whenever you want to start afresh.
Use Multiple SD Cards
Most users prefer using one memory card with high storage capacity. Many types of memory cards are available in the market. These cards come with a great amount of storage space which makes it easier to store all data in a single card.
There’s nothing wrong with using a single card but it is recommended to split your data. Instead of using one high capacity card, you should use multiple smaller-size cards.
Using one card means losing all your data at once if it gets damaged. In that situation, you will need the immediate assistance of an SD and MicroSD card data recovery professional. Moreover, make a habit of leaving some extra space left on the memory card.
Don’t Use the Same Card on Multiple Devices
Using the same card in multiple phones and cameras is not a good idea. Even if you have cameras of the same brand, don’t use the same card on all devices without reformatting it. This is because different devices have different file systems.
The file system of another device may not be compatible with what the memory card is formatted with. If you try using one memory card on multiple devices then you may end up corrupting your stored data.
Disclaimer: No Asian Age journalist was involved in creating this content. The group also takes no responsibility for this content.
