Corrupt, broken, asking to format, or simply won’t read? We recover pictures, video and documents from the SD, microSD and CF cards of virtually all manufacturers, including SanDisk, Samsung, Lexar and others, from cameras, phones, drones and dash cams. Cards that have split in two and monolithic microSDs are also included. If you were shooting when the card became unreadable due to corruption during the shoot, begin with our corrupted SD card guide: what should you stop doing? What will recover your data?
If your camera, phone or computer indicates the memory card is damaged, needs to be reformatted, or there is an issue, stop using it. Do not format it. Do not take another picture. Each time you write something new to the card you may overwrite other images and videos that are still stored on the card. Also, do not use repair tools like chkdsk. And if your microSD broke into two parts, please save both halves. The quicker you can put the card away without writing anything else to it, the greater chance we have to recover your information.
Corruption, controller failure, physical damage and worn out cards are some of the memory card failures we recover most often, whether it’s a card that wants to format itself or a snapped-in-two microSD.
Our team specialises in recovering all types of memory cards (standard and monolithic), as well as old and new, including SD, microSD and CompactFlash. In almost all cases the manufacturer does not get to decide if your images will be recovered.
SD, SDHC, SDXC · microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC · CompactFlash, CFexpress, CFast and XQD · Sony Memory Stick · MMC and xD · recovered from cameras, phones, drones, dash cams and CCTV.
When you say memory card recovery, this simply involves taking a non-destructive read-only image of the memory card and then building back your images and videos from that copy. If the memory card is corrupted we build the card image first. If the memory card has died or been physically broken into pieces, we pull the physical memory out and read it.
Please describe to us what happened: was it corrupted, won’t read, snapped or did you accidentally format your memory card? We will write to you with our findings and a quote, normally within 48 hours.
On cards that still have a good connection we create a read-only copy immediately so your original card is never modified and your files are protected.
If there is no detection on our part with your memory card, we will attempt to fix the contact issues or work around the controller to access the memory within.
If your memory card is broken (dead), snapped in half, or monolithic, we can either expose the internal contacts, or remove the memory chip itself, then read the NAND flash directly. However, this process requires that you pay 50% of the fee up front.
Once we have rebuilt the file system from an image, we recover all of your lost files, and if the file structure has been damaged, we extract the photos and videos from raw data.
Before anything else goes back to you, we ensure each of the recovered photos and videos will play or open properly and are complete.
Your recovered files and data are returned to you in the form of a new drive(s), or you may choose to directly download your data at no cost for recoveries that do not exceed 75 GB.
All makes of memory cards (SanDisk, Samsung, Lexar etc.) have been recovered through rebuilding corrupted memory cards, as well as reading data directly from dead, snapped and monolithic memory cards so that your photos and video can be restored.
Tell us what happened and we’ll get back to you, usually within a working day.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0191 406 1051.
One fixed price to recover one memory card: free diagnostic and quote in writing before work starts.
A small number of recent memory card recoveries involving failures due to corruption, dead controllers, broken cards and water damage. All identifying information was deleted prior to posting, and each recovery was verified.
The card was pulled mid-write so it was incapable of being read. We couldn’t use the file system so we imaged it as read-only then rebuilt the file system. All photos and videos were able to be recovered.
There was nothing to desolder. We exposed the internal contacts and directly read the memory which resulted in the recovery of all photos.
The controller (the chip that makes sense of data) had failed. However, we have the ability to “read” each cell on the NAND chips; therefore, we were able to recover the entire shoot.
The flash storage (where you store your files) was worn due to continuous overwrites. We were however able to “read” what remained in the cells and recovered the footage that mattered.
Although water had made contact with the electrical contacts on the memory card, the memory itself survived. Therefore, after cleaning and drying the memory card we were able to recover almost all of the holiday photographs.
Because nothing had been written since the last time the camera was used, all the original photographs were still stored. Therefore, we simply carved out those images and returned the lot.
When you send the unit in for its free diagnostic, let us know what happened with the unit. An engineer will review the unit and confirm your quote in writing prior to starting on your recovery.
Before you post or drop off your device, please get a quote from us by phone or with the form. Once we receive your device, our recovery process can start. Safely pack your device, include your name and contact information within the packaging and ship it to us. After performing your free diagnostic, we’ll send you a written confirmation of the exact price of our services prior to starting any work.
If you decide to post it, we would advise using a trackable and insured postal service. Or if you prefer to drop it off, we are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, and you don’t need an appointment. Just pack the unit as described in step one before dropping it off.
Would you like a little more background information prior to sending it? Fill in the form to provide more details about your problem; an engineer will evaluate it and reply with a customised quote.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0191 406 1051.
Things people most commonly ask when attempting to recover their memory card.
Yes generally, as this is the most frequent type of media we receive. Although when a card indicates corruption or requires formatting, there is an extremely high likelihood that photos and video will remain on the card. The problem lies in the card’s file structure which has been damaged. It is then possible to image the card, rebuild it and recover your photo and video files. Do not format the card prior to sending it to us.
Yes, frequently. Cards that indicate “no card”, “card not recognised” or display “0 bytes” have typically lost their controller while retaining all of the memory containing your images etc. Monolithic cards can be tapped internally to access the contact points, allowing direct access to the memory from which we can extract your recovered data.
Very likely, provided the chip isn’t physically damaged. microSD cards are essentially just a small sealed chip. There is therefore nothing to disconnect or remove and we access the internal contacts and connect wires to them in order to read the memory direct. If it splits into two pieces then try to keep both pieces together.
Not necessarily. Memory cards rarely destroy files, even after deleting them, formatting etc. Therefore, an in-camera quick format will leave all your photos alone until they’re overwritten by new ones. Immediately stop using the camera with this memory card and get back to us; the quicker we take a look at the memory card, the higher the likelihood that we’ll be able to retrieve some or all of the photos.
Single memory card recovery is charged at a flat rate of £250 + VAT. We provide a complimentary diagnostic service to determine whether recovery is viable. We also provide a written quotation for the services required. In cases where the card may be corrupt and require rebuilding or if the card is dead, snapped or physically damaged (chip level) we operate on a 50% payment plan whereby 50% of the total cost is paid upfront. This allows many customers to avoid being financially exposed should their memory card fail to recover, and in most cases you only pay if we recover your data.
Yes in most instances. As stated previously in regard to rebuilding a corrupted card or performing chip level repair on a dead card we will request a 50% deposit upon acceptance of our quotation. Should we successfully recover your data, you will only incur the remaining balance. Therefore, even in cases where we cannot recover your data, you will not incur the full cost of the job.
Every type and brand: SanDisk, Samsung, Lexar, Kingston, Sony etc., in SD, microSD, CompactFlash, CFexpress, XQD and Memory Stick. The brand rarely matters when determining if the data can be recovered.
If it’s not simply the little lock switch on the side of an SD card, cards with a write protection are generally protecting failing memory or firmware; data remains readable. We will image it at this time to allow you to retrieve your files before it deteriorates any further.
For a basic deletion it may be successful at times; however, if the card has been corrupted, cannot be recognised, or has been physically damaged then software will have no capability to assist you with recovering the card. Writing to the card could potentially overwrite your photos permanently. Do not attempt to delete any further information off of the card; call us to have the card imaged before attempting to recover your photos.
The corrupt-card and deletion jobs will take place on average within 2 to 3 working days. Cards that have been deemed dead, snapped, or monolithic (and therefore need chip-level repair) may take slightly longer (3 to 4 working days) depending upon the extent of the damage to the card. The free diagnostic is typically returned within 48 hours; we can also expedite a case if needed.
To obtain service, drop off the damaged card at our Newcastle location (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm), or you may post the card to us via a shipping method that includes full insurance coverage. It is recommended that the card be placed in an extremely compact box or a padded envelope to ensure that the card cannot be crushed during transit. Once packaged, simply seal the package and include your name, street address, telephone number, and e-mail address. This information will allow us to process the card prior to beginning the free diagnostic, and we will send a written quote before any work begins.
A free diagnosis, a fixed price of £250 + VAT per card, and in most cases you only pay if we recover your data. We have experience recovering images and videos from all makes of SD, microSD and CF memory cards. Start your recovery now.