SD card displays RAW when the OS is unable to recognize the file system on the SD card of your camera or any device. A RAW drive indicates that the file system is unreadable by the OS. For the OS to recognize the File system, the SD card has to be formatted to any other format such as NTFS or FAT.
Signs of RAW SD Card:
Few RAW file system errors that you might have encountered when your SD card turns RAW;
- The disk in the drive is not formatted; do you want to format it now?
- The drive cannot be recognized or detected.
- The drive is inaccessible.
- The drive shows 0 bytes.
- The drive is not initialized or cannot be used.
- You need to format the disk in the drive before using it.
- Invalid media type reading drive. Abort, Retry, Fail? Other error messages.
Quick Navigation:
What makes an SD card turn RAW?
Recover Data from RAW SD Card
3 Methods to Fix the RAW File System in SD Card
Frequently Asked Question
Reasons Why SD Cards Showing RAW File System
As explained above, the RAW file system appears when the OS doesn’t recognize the file system of the SD card. OS fails to recognize the drive when it cannot reach out to the Partition table or Master boot sector to get information about the drive.
- Therefore any damage caused to the partition table or boot sectors could lead to a RAW file system.
- Another major cause could be Viruses or malware that are aimed to damage the boot sector and MBR.
- Improper partitioning of the drives i also one of the notorious causes leading to RAW drive
However, there are a few circumstances where your partition table and boot sector will be undamaged, and yet your Windows displays an RAW file system error the disk in the drive is not formatted. If you go by the error and if you choose to format the RAW drive, your data will be at stake.
RAW SD Card Recovery
We recommend recovering data from a RAW SD card before fixing it because fixing the RAW file system on a camera or phone involves formatting. Formatting the drive will completely erase the data from the SD card. Therefore, it is recommended to recover data from the SD card drive before formatting and later perform repairs on the drive.
Designed with the most streamlined recovery algorithm the SFWare Data Recovery Tool ensures recovery of files from a RAW drive is quick and easy. The tool easily reaches each sector of the drive to find the lost or missing files from the drive. Try recovering your files by downloading the software now and experience the hassle-free recovery of the RAW drive.
Steps to Recover Data from RAW SD Card Using SFWare Data Recovery Tool
To recover data from a RAW SD card, download and install the SFWare SD Data Recovery Software on your system. Launch the application. You need to connect the RAW SD card drive to the computer using any card reader in which software has been installed. After connecting the SD card, follow the below-given steps:
Step 1: On the main screen, SFWare will display all the available drives including the SD card drive. Choose the drive that represents your SD card and click on the Next option.
Step 2: The scanning process initiates and after scanning completes, you will be able to see the recoverable files on your screen.
Step 3: After completion of the recovery process, preview the recovered files and Save them in any location of your choice.
Once you recover data from the RAW file system, proceed with the methods to fix the SD card’s RAW drive.
How to Fix Raw File System on SD Card?
With the help of below mentioned 3 methods, you can easily fix the RAW file system on an SD card by formatting it with a file system.
You can fix the RAW file system problem using any one of the approaches given below. To perform any of the methods, you need to connect your Camera or phone SD card to your computer.
1: Diskpart Command
Diskpart is a command interpreter that helps you manage your computer drives such as disks, partitions, and volumes.
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- Right-click on Start and select Command Prompt (Administrator).
- Now you need to enter diskpart and press Enter again.
- Type list disk and hit Enter again. Select your RAW SD card and type:
- Type Disk * format fs=FAT32. (Replace * with the drive letter of your RAW SD card. Instead of FAT32, you can use exFAT, FAT, or NTFS or recommended file system)
Once the process is completed. Unplug the SD card reader and install it again.
2: File Explorer
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- Right-click on Start and select File Explorer.
- Right-click on the RAW SD card.
- Select the Format option from the list and set NTFS or FAT32 File System. Click ok.
Once you format the file system of the SD card, remove the SD card safely and verify again.
3: Disk Management
Disk management is a system utility that helps you perform all the advanced storage tasks such as setting up a new drive, initializing a new drive, extending the partition, etc. to format the RAW SD card following the below steps.
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- On the desktop, right-click on This PC -> My Computer.
- Next, click Manage -> Disk Management.
- Choose the RAW SD card among the available volumes and right-click on it.
- Select the format and file system (FAT, exFAT, FAT32, NTFS). Click OK.
After the completion of the process, verify the file system on the SD card.
By the end, you will be able to fix the corrupt, damaged, or RAW SD card. If you have successfully formatted your drive using any of the above-mentioned methods, drop your reviews in the comment section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
1: What does it mean if my SD card is RAW?
An SD card obtains the RAW file format when its file system becomes corrupt or damaged. When an SD card becomes RAW, the drive becomes unreadable by the operating system and hence, data becomes inaccessible. To fix the RAW file format, format the SD card to either NTFS or FAT32 file systems.
2: How can I recover my SD card from RAW without formatting?
When an SD card displays RAW file format, the best way to recover data without formatting is to use a professional SD card recovery tool. SFWare is the most recommended tool that comes in handy to recover data when the SD card drive turns RAW. With its best search algorithm, the software can recover RAW files from the
3: How to fix & recover data from an SD card without formatting?
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- To fix a RAW SD card without formatting, try using another device such as a USB Port, Card Reader, or PC, and verify if the problem exists.
- You can Assign a New Drive Letter, Reinstall SD Card drivers, and check if the SD card still shows Raw.
- You can make use of the command prompt, Diskpart Command to fix the RAW SD card.
4: How do I convert RAW files to a normal file system?
To convert the RAW file format to a normal (NTFS or FAT32) file system, go to This PC or Disk Management, right-click on the RAW SD card, and select Format. Select the file system from the drop-down and set Volume Label, File System (NTFS), and Allocation unit size. …
Once you complete the reformatting process, you can access the SD card drive as normal.
