Camera Card Data Recovery

Hull Data Recovery has been a leading UK data recovery service for over 25 years. Our friendly expert team in Hull recovers data from all types of memory cards and flash drives, whether from home or professional equipment. We handle consumer and industrial needs alike – rescuing family photos, business documents or vital camera footage. Typical uses include digital cameras, smartphones, drones, CCTV/dashcams, tablets, laptops, audio recorders, and more. With a no-fix, no-fee policy and free diagnostics, we aim for the highest success rates while providing fast, secure service you can trust.

Memory Card Types & Uses

We support every popular memory card format and capacity on the market. Common types include: microSD (microSDHC, microSDXC), SD (SDHC, SDXC), CompactFlash (CF), CFast, XQD, Sony Memory Stick (Pro/Duo/M2), and video-grade cards (UHS-I/II, V60/V90), as well as USB flash sticks. Our lab can image cards up to the largest capacities, and works with any file system (FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS+, APFS, EXT etc). Whether your card was used in a hobby camera or professional rig, we have the tools to read the NAND chips and recover data. For example, our cleanroom facilities and chip-off equipment allow us to access data even when the card’s controller or interface fails.

Supported Brands and Manufacturers

We recover data from memory cards made by all major brands. These include household names such as SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston, Lexar, Transcend, PNY, Toshiba, ADATA, Verbatim, Patriot, Angelbird, Sony, Delkin, TeamGroup (Team), Silicon Power, Integral, Apacer, and many more. In practice we handle everything from the best-selling SD and microSD cards (for cameras and smartphones) to high-end professional cards (CF, CFast, XQD) used in video, cinema, or surveillance. If you are using a memory card from a PC, laptop, camera or other device, we can usually recover it – even if the brand is obscure or the card was new/old.

Common Memory Card Problems & Our Solutions

We see dozens of memory-card failure scenarios. Below are 40 of the most frequent issues and how our engineers resolve them using advanced forensic techniques and specialist hardware. Each recovery is handled carefully (usually by first taking a sector-by-sector image with write-blockers) to preserve the original data. We combine logical (software) fixes with physical and chip-level methods to maximise recovery. (All faults can occur on SD, microSD, CF, USB sticks, etc., with solutions tailored accordingly.)

1. Accidental File Deletion: Files removed by mistake still reside in the flash memory until overwritten. We perform a raw scan of the card and rebuild the file table (metadata) to locate deleted photos, videos or documents. By avoiding any writes to the card, we reconstruct directory entries or use carving tools to restore deleted files.

2. Accidental Formatting: Even if a card has been formatted (or quick-formatted), the underlying data is usually intact until new data overwrites it. We image the entire card at a low level and then rebuild the original file system. In most cases, we can restore the partition structure and recover all files (especially photos/videos) by signature carving from the image.

3. File System Corruption: Improper ejection, power loss or software errors can corrupt the card’s FAT/NTFS/EXT/exFAT headers, making files invisible. We take a full image and use specialized software to repair or rebuild the file system. If needed, we salvage directory structures or carve files based on file signatures.

4. Physical Card Damage: If the card is cracked, bent or the PCB (circuit board) is damaged, we open it in our cleanroom. Using microscopes and precision tools, we repair broken traces, realign the PCB, or replace tiny components. In severe cases (e.g. shattered plastic casing), we stabilize the remaining board in resin or even break the card down to the flash chips for recovery.

5. Bad Sectors / Blocks: Flash memory cells can develop bad blocks (unreadable areas) over time. We use advanced imagers that repeatedly read unstable sectors and map them out. Often we can read around these errors. For cards with multiple NAND chips, we may chip-off failing dies and read each chip individually, then reconstruct the data by combining the good portions.

6. Card Not Recognised: When a camera/PC shows the card as blank or fails to detect it, this often means the controller or interface failed. First we rule out adapter/reader faults. If still not seen, we open the card and bypass its controller: using proprietary hardware we connect directly to the NAND flash and dump its contents. This lets us recover data even when the card “doesn’t exist” to ordinary devices.

7. Read/Write Errors: Messages like “Read Error”, “Write Error” or failing copies usually indicate either logical corruption or hardware faults (e.g. damaged contacts or chips). We image the card with error-recovery mode (slowing reads, multiple retries). If the controller is flaky, we may skip it and read NAND chips directly. Once an image is obtained, we repair the file system offline or recover corrupted file segments.

8. Controller Failure: The small controller chip on a card can crash or burn out. In this case the card is completely inaccessible, though the NAND flash may still hold data. We perform a chip-off recovery: carefully desolder the flash memory chips and read them with a forensic NAND reader. The raw flash dump is then processed to rebuild files or the file system.

9. Overwritten Data: If new data has overwritten old files, those parts are lost. However, if only some files or blocks were overwritten, we can recover remaining fragments by scanning the NAND image for known file signatures. We can often piece together partial recoveries of pictures or videos by rebuilding headers on what’s left.

10. Virus or Malware Infection: Malware can hide or encrypt files on a card. We image the card and scan in an isolated lab environment (so no viruses spread). Infected files are identified and quarantined; any remaining clean data is then reconstructed. In worst cases, we wipe the infected file system and restore whatever unencrypted data we can from the image.

11. Water / Liquid Damage: Exposure to water, moisture or liquids can short the tiny circuits on a card. We dry and clean the card in a controlled cleanroom, using isopropyl alcohol and sometimes ultrasonic baths to remove corrosion. PCB traces are inspected and repaired if needed. If the controller is salvageable, we attempt a normal recovery; otherwise we chip-off the flash chips once dry.

12. Heat / Overheating: Excessive heat (e.g. left in a hot car or near a fire) can delaminate solder joints or damage chips. First we let the card cool and stabilise. Then we carefully image it with error-recovery settings. If components have burned, we may use micro-soldering or reflow techniques to reattach loose parts. In many cases, even overheated cards can be imaged if handled properly.

13. Wear & Tear (Flash Aging): Every flash cell has a finite write/erase life. Very old or heavily-used cards (e.g. dashcam or CCTV cards) may develop random I/O errors. Using a forensic reader we can often still read the remaining good cells. We map out worn blocks and recover what data is left. (Regular users should replace aging cards; we can only recover data before failure.)

14. Unsupported File System: A card formatted with a rare or new file system (e.g. APFS, EXT, or a proprietary camera format) may appear unreadable on your PC. We have tools and environments to mount most formats. By imaging the card raw and analysing the data structures, we reconstruct the files. For example, a card formatted for a specialist camera will be treated like any corrupted volume and rebuilt from the image.

15. Electrical Damage (Power Surge/Short): A sudden voltage spike (e.g. during writing) or short can burn out the card’s electronics. The board may show burn marks and the controller chip may be dead. We inspect the board under a microscope, replacing any blown capacitors or fuses. If the controller is dead, we again chip-off the flash chips. The raw NAND data (often intact despite the surge) is then read externally.

16. Bent or Broken Pins/Contacts: SD/CF cards rely on gold contact pins to connect. Bent, corroded or broken pins prevent a good connection. In the lab we microscopically realign bent pins or clean corroded contacts. If the contact assembly is shattered, we remove the need for it by doing a chip-off recovery (bypassing the connector entirely).

17. Manufacturing Defects: Occasionally a new card fails early due to a factory defect (flawed NAND or solder). Symptoms might include early bad blocks or random resets. We identify these by profiling the board and chips. Using professional hardware we can often bypass the defect – for instance, reading flash chips directly if the controller circuit is faulty.

18. File Transfer Interruption: Ejecting the card during a write, or a crash during file transfer, can leave files half-written or the file system messy. Partially copied files are examined in the image; JPEG or MP4 files often can be repaired by rebuilding headers or trimming corrupt ends. We also fix any damaged filesystem entries (for example, restore FAT metadata) so that whole files can be retrieved.

19. Unresponsive or “Bricked” Card: Sometimes a card stops responding at all (no error, just nothing). This often means the controller has crashed or stalled. We stabilize such cards with JTAG or direct NAND tools to force a read. In practice, we usually chip-off the flash to recover the data, since the card’s normal logic is unusable.

20. Corrupt Partition Table: If the card’s partition table or allocation table is lost or overwritten, the OS may see it as empty. We use partition-recovery tools on the card image to rebuild the partition map. Often the lost partition and directory entries can be restored fully, bringing back the visible file structure without data loss.

21. “Drive Appears Empty”: In some cases the operating system shows the card as empty or unformatted (even though it’s the right size). This can happen if the file table (FAT/NTFS) is badly damaged. We scan the image for file signatures and reconstruct the file table, often retrieving all the files.

22. Unallocated Space: If a partition is deleted or the card is repartitioned, space becomes “unallocated.” We rebuild the allocation tables from the image data. This means scanning for recognizable files and reconstructing folders and index entries so that no file fragments are left behind.

23. Write-Protected Error: An SD card’s tiny lock switch can break or get stuck, making the card read-only or unreadable. In the lab we can physically repair or bypass this switch. For example, we may alter the PCB to disable the write-protect line. Once the lock is bypassed, the card behaves normally and we can copy its data.

24. Zero-Byte Files: Files appearing as zero bytes often indicate corruption during transfer or a software glitch. The data is usually still on the card. We recover by carving the raw flash: identifying file headers (JPEG, MP4, DOC, etc.) in the image and reassembling the file content. This heuristic carving often yields working copies of files that originally showed as empty.

25. Partial File Recovery: You may find some files partially visible or corrupt (e.g. half of a video). We tackle this by combining multiple fragments from the image. Using advanced mapping of content signatures, we can often stitch together the intact parts of files (e.g. recover a JPEG’s intact header and tail). In essence we rebuild missing pieces from whatever data remains.

26. Damaged File Headers: Photos and videos need correct headers to open. If a header is corrupted, the file won’t open even though most data is fine. We repair headers by analysing working templates or known signatures and injecting the correct header into the damaged file. This lets the media player or image viewer recognise the recovered data properly.

27. File Cross-Linking (Fragmentation): On rare occasions a file’s fragments get mixed up in the file system (cross-linked). We resolve this by defragmenting virtually: analysing inode and FAT structures in the image and reassembling the fragmented parts of each file. The result is a coherent file structure with properly reconstructed files.

28. Formatting in Unsupported Device: Some devices (e.g. DVRs, drones, cameras) use proprietary formats. A card formatted in such a device may become unreadable on a PC. We treat this as a file system issue: imaging the card and using our tools to interpret or salvage the device-specific format. Often we can recover all data by reconstructing the file system structure or carving the raw data.

29. Card Drives Appear Different Size: A card may report the wrong capacity (e.g. “63.8 GB” on a 64 GB card) due to controller errors. We correct the LBA (logical block address) table and controller metadata to match the actual NAND size. This aligns the view of the card with reality, allowing full recovery.

30. Power Surge Damage: A voltage spike can blow the card’s controller or fuses. If the controller is damaged, we remove the flash chip(s) and read them in a dedicated NAND reader The raw data is then assembled, bypassing the blown hardware completely.

31. Adapter/Reader Issues: Sometimes the card is fine but the SD adapter or card reader fails. We always test cards in multiple readers and interfaces. If a card only fails in one adapter but works in another, we simply read it using a good adapter. If a card fails in all readers, we treat it as a card fault and proceed with direct chip access.

32. Counterfeit or Fake Card: Fake cards (e.g. a 16 GB card sold as 256 GB) are common. They “lie” about capacity and fail when real data exceeds their true limit. We can detect the actual capacity and chip layout, then recover up to the real size. Any “extra” data beyond that is unrecoverable (it was never truly stored).

33. Flash Memory Cell Failure: Large cards often contain multiple NAND dies. One or more chips can fail while others are fine. We can separate the NAND dies and read each one individually with a multi-die reader. The good chips yield data which we merge, skipping the dead sections. This die-by-die recovery often saves most of the card’s data even if part of the memory is bad.

34. Controller Firmware Corruption: The small firmware on a card’s controller chip can become corrupted (e.g. by a bad update). This often causes strange behaviour or makes normal reading impossible. In such cases we ignore the controller entirely and do a chip-off: we dump the raw NAND content and rebuild the file system from it. The firmware bug then doesn’t block the recovery.

35. Encryption or Device Locking: Some systems encrypt or lock files on the card (e.g. certain surveillance cameras or phones may encrypt video files). Without the key, encrypted data is irretrievable. However, if the card itself is only locked (e.g. by a hardware signal or admin lock), we can often disable that. We have methods to bypass hardware lock signals and dump the raw data. (If your card was encrypted, letting us know the device/password can sometimes allow post-recovery decryption.)

36. Operating System/Driver Incompatibility: Occasionally, a card is fine but the user’s OS doesn’t recognise its file system (for instance, exFAT on old Windows, or APFS/HFS on Windows). In our lab we use various OSes and drivers to mount any format. We can clone the card and read it on a compatible system so that no data is left inaccessible due to driver issues.

37. Extreme Temperature Exposure: Leaving a card in very hot or cold conditions (e.g. a car in summer/winter) can stress it. Usually the flash survives but may become sluggish or temporarily unreadable. We slowly bring the card to room temperature and then attempt a read. If there is no physical warping or cracking, data is typically unaffected.

38. Dirty or Corroded Contacts: Dust, grime or corrosion on the gold contacts can cause read errors. We gently clean the contacts with isopropyl alcohol or an eraser to restore conductivity. Often a simple clean will make the card readable again. If corrosion has damaged the contact plating, we rely on chip-off recovery instead, avoiding those contacts entirely.

39. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Damage: Static electricity can fry tiny components on a card. If a card experienced a shock (often unnoticeable to the user), it may suddenly fail. We inspect for blown capacitors or traces and repair/replace them if possible. If not, we again resort to chip-off to recover the flash data directly. This is our last resort, but often even a static-blasted card yields its stored data this way.

40. Miscellaneous Software/Hardware Errors: Any other unexplained faults (e.g. “card not formatted” errors, weird filesystem bugs, or uncommon card types) are tackled case-by-case. We apply our broad expertise and lab tools to diagnose the issue. Typically this involves imaging the card and treating it as a logical fault; in all cases we combine hardware fixes (if needed) with software recovery to retrieve as much data as possible.

Each of the above scenarios is handled with professional equipment and techniques. We combine clean-room repairs, hardware imaging tools, custom chip readers and forensic software to maximise recovery success. Our engineers document the fault and method used for transparency. With 25 years’ experience, Hull Data Recovery is equipped to recover lost photos, videos, audio, documents and more from virtually any card failure.