4 Methods Fix Blank SD card error and Recover Data

Summary:

Blank SD card error or has unsupported file system error is commonly seen error in smartphones or while transferring data from one SD card to other storage devices. If you are encountering blank SD card error message and struggling to access data from it, you are on the right page. The article talks about everything about the error including the causes that lead to blank SD card error, followed by easy methods to recover blank SD card by fixing the error.

 

Quick Navigation:

• why SD card is blank or has unsupported file system
• Recover Files from Blank SD Card
• Fix Blank SD card
• Recover Data from Faulty SD Card
• Frequetly asked questions

Now, let’s see why SD card is blank or has unsupported file system in the next section.

Why SD Card is Blank or Has Unsupported File System?

There are several scenarios listed below that lead to blank SD card error-

1. 1. The damaged or corrupted files on the SD card makes the SD card inaccessible and show SD card is blank error message. Sometimes, the device asks for the format.
      
   2. Repeated use of single SD card on various devices can also be a reason for blank SD card error.
   3. There might be chance of SD card files were hidden due to multiple usage of SD cards on different operating devices.
   4. Another common reason for blank SD card error is unsupported file system. When SD card is formatted with file system that is not compatible with the OS or android device, the error Blank SD card shows up.
   5. A faulty SD card can also be the reason sometimes. SD card is similar to the hard drive, any damage or corruption to the SD card will lead to the blank SD card error.

There maybe many other reasons like, SD card is virus-infected or SD card not properly inserted. Make sure to recover blank SD card before initializing the repair process.

Repairing a blank SD card erases data present on it. Hence, it is always a wise idea to recover data from the blank SD card and perform the repair process.

The next section of the article provides you the complete set of troubleshooting methods for blank SD card recovery and methods fix the blank SD card using some simple DIY methods.

How Do I Recover Files from a Blank SD Card?

Before repairing the blank SD card, make sure you recover data from the same. It is suggested to do because there is always a high chance of losing data while repairing the SD card. Hence, it is recommended to recover a blank SD card using an SD card recovery software. 

SFWare SD card recovery software is a highly recommended software to recover blank SD card or to recover data lost due to unsupported file system. The software scans through a complete storage medium file system to locate and recover data from a blank SD card.

4 Simple Methods to Fix Blank SD Card

If you are constantly coming across “blank SD card” or has unsupported file system” error, Check out the solutions provided in the below sections and fix the blank SD card error easily. 

To execute these methods effectively, connect your  SD card to the computer and make sure it is not damaged and detected by the computer. 

Method 1: Run chkdsk to fix blank SD card error

Check disk (chkdsk)is a system tool that verifies the system integrity and fixes almost all the logical system errors. It’s a proven manual method to fix blank SD card or has unsupported file system error. Follow the below-given steps to recover blank SD card.

1. 1. Press Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box, type cmd and press ctrl + shift + Enter to run as administrator
   2. Type chkdsk c: /f  (where c is the SD card drive letter)
   3. Once the operation is complete, remove the SD card. Insert back into the respective device and check for the error. 

As mentioned earlier, it’s always safe to recover blank SD card and later perform any repairing methods.   

If you still encounter the error message try deleting the hidden files from the SD card. The steps for the same are given below.

Method 2: Deleted hidden files to fix unsupported file system error

Deleting hidden files from the SD card makes the card compatible with the device that is used for. Execute the below the steps to recover the blank SD card-

 

1. 1. Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box, type control folders and press Enter to open File explorer option
   2. In the File Explorer Options window, go to the View tab and scroll down to Hidden files and folders. Once you find the files, set the toggle to Show hidden files, folders and drives. Click on Apply to save the changes.
   3. Now, go back to SD card drive and see, are there any new files with transparent icons located. If you find any, remove such files from the SD card. 

Now, Connect SD card back to the device and check for the error “blank SD card or has unsupported file system”.

If you still encounter the same problem, this must be due to a faulty SD/SDHC card. Follow the next method to recover blank SD card data from the faulty SD card.

Method 3: Recover data from the faulty SD card

If you are dealing with a faulty SD card, SD card needs to be replaced. Before replacing, it’s important to recover data from the blank SD card. This can be accomplished by using a trusted SD card recovery software.

SFWare SD card recovery software is designed to restore data from the SD card that has unsupported or invalid file system. The tool has an advanced search algorithm to locate the files saved on the blank SD card and recover the same without altering the originality of the file.

Download and install the SFWare SD card recovery software. Run the application and follow the steps to recover data from the blank SD card.

1. 1. Select Recover Lost Files from the main screen and select the drive from blank SD drive to be recovered and click Next
      
      
   2. SD card recovery tool performs the deep scan and displays the list of the files recovered from the blank SD card in Data View or File Type View
      
      
   3. Preview the recovered files from blank SD card and if you are satisfied by the given results Save the files by activating the software.
      
      

After the completion of above process, you can replace the faulty SD card or try formatting the blank SD card.

Using SFWare SD card recovery software you can easily recover data from the unmountable SD card.

Method 4: Format the blank SD card to the different file system

If you have backed up your blank SD card data, you can next move on to the formatting process. This method becomes ineffective if the SD card used to work on the same device without you changing the file system. 

Keep in mind that the smartphone’s Android OS does not support the NTFS file system, so if you insert an SD card formatted with NTFS, it’s common to encounter “blank SD card or unsupported file system” error.

Now, using your PC reformat the SD card to a supported file system like FAT32, EXT3, EXT4 or exFat to fix the blank SD card error.

Note: Formatting will erase the data present on the SD card. It’s recommended to recover blank SD card and then perform the format.

1. 1. Insert an SD card into a card reader and connect to a computer. Select the blank SD card drive and choose format
   2. In the Format screen, choose a supported File system like FAT32, EXT3, EXT4 or exFat
   3. Click on the start button to begin the format process

Once the process is completed, reinsert the card back to the device and check for the error. 

In case if you have missed to take back up and performed formatting, use SFWare tool to recover data from formatted SD card.

Conclusion

The information provided in the article is up-to-date and holds an answer to all the queries related to blank SD card recovery. If you are still facing the error even after performing the above-mentioned methods, it is likely that the SD card you working on is faulty and you need to replace the SD card. 

If you were successful in recovering data from blank SD card using SFWare SD card recovery, please do review  the product and share the word with your friends.

Frequently Asked Question:

Why is my SD card saying Blank SD card error?

This scenario occurs . The SD shows Blank when when you repeatedly use SD card on different devices. The file system of SD card differs from the device you used it in regular OS. The SD card is not appropriately formatted with the supported file system or SD card corruption can lead to the error displaying Blank SD card.

How to fix blank SD card on Android phone without a computer?

SD card is blank or has some unsupported filesystem is an error that usually occurs when an SD card is corrupted or incompatible file system on Androids. The error can be fixed by formatting the SD Card. However, formatting the SD card can lead to data loss.

How to fix SD card is blank on Smartphones?

If you are facing the error on your smartphones, the primary fix you can perform is to connect the SD card on the other Android phone and check for the error “blank SD card or has unsupported file system” or re-insert the SD card after cleaning the slot.

How do I fix a blank SD card error?

You can easily fix blank SD card error by formatting the SD card. As mentioned, formatting will lead to data loss. Before attempting the format process, you can try fixing SD card error using command prompt and deleting the corrupt hidden files from SD card.