How to Recover/Fix Corrupted SD Card on Mac (2024)

Updated to Home > HowTos > File Recovery Tips on Mac by Robert on Apr 22, 2024 | Approved by Christian Cawley

SD cards are mostly used with mobile devices and digital cameras to offer extra storage space. Although these storage devices are very versatile, they are also prone to get corrupted or damaged. When this happens, it becomes impossible to access any data saved on the devices. If your SD card is currently malfunctioning, you should read this post to learn how to recover data from SD card on Mac.

Quick Navigation
Part 1. Symptoms of SD Card Corruption on Mac
Part 2. How to Recorder Files from Corrupted SD Card on Mac
Part 3. How to Repair Corrupted SD Card on Mac
Part 4. Tips to Prevent SD Card from Corruption

Part 1. Symptoms of SD Card Corruption on Mac

Many reasons may be responsible for SD card corruption. Here are some symptoms that will let you know that your SD card has been corrupted and needs to be fixed on your Mac device.

When you notice any of these symptoms, you should stop using the card immediately until you fix the issue.

Part 2. How to Restore Files from Corrupted SD Card on Mac

When an SD card gets corrupted, there is a high chance that the file system and data on the device have been damaged. However, it is possible to get back the files with professional SD card recovery software. Therefore, if you do not want to lose data from a corrupted SD card on Mac, we recommend that you find data from the corrupted SD card on your Mac first before anything else. When it comes to data recovery, we strongly recommend the Mac iBeesoft Data Recovery. This is the best software you can find to help you recover files from corrupted SD card Mac.

iBeesoft Data Recovery is a tested and proven easy-to-use data recovery tool. It can effectively resume over a hundred file types and the process is seamless. You do not need any technical knowledge to use this tool. It offers users the ability to preview files to enable them to restore only the data that they need from the external device. The SD card recovery software for Mac is safe, so you do not have to worry about it installing malware on your device.

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Guide to Retrieve Corrupted SD Card on Mac with iBeesoft

In this part, we will look at the step-by-step guide on how to get back phoots/videos from corrupted SD card on Mac seamlessly with the iBeesoft Data Recovery tools.

  1. Download and install the best SD card recovery software by clicking the DOWNLOAD button. After the installation, the program will automatically launch itself and you will see different file types that you can restore. All file types are selected by default. Therefore, deselect all and manually select the file types you want to find. Then, click on the "Start" button.
  2. Connect the corrupted SD card with your Mac. Look at the list of storage devices on the next window and select the SD card. Then, click the "Scan" button at the top right-hand of the screen to launch the recover SD card on Mac.
  3. After scanning, you will see a list of recoverable data and files in the open window. Preview the data and mark the files you want to recover. When you have selected the appropriate files, click on "Recover" to save them to your Mac system.

If the program does not scan all files because you have used the ‘Quick Scan’ feature, click the "Deep Scan" button for a more in-depth scan. This takes longer to complete but it scans all files located on all your devices.

Part 3. How to Repair Corrupted SD Card on Mac

In this part, we will look at two ways that you can explore to repair corrupted SD cards on Mac. First thing first; when you notice that your SD card is malfunctioning, remove it and reinsert it again. The reason for the malfunctioning may be because you have inserted it incorrectly previously. You may want to gently clean the connectors if it has gathered debris or dust over time. If this is the problem, your Mac should recognize it when you reinsert it. If after this step, your Mac is still not recognizing the SD card, you can fix the issue with one of the following two methods:

Method 1: Use First Aid in Utility to Repair Corrupted SD Card

By default, Disk Utility comes with macOS. Therefore, you do not have to install any program to repair. Follow the steps below to recover files from corrupted SD card Mac with the Disk Utility feature:

  1. Open "Disk Utility" and select "View" and then "Show All Devices".
  2. Choose the SD Card from the list on the sidebar and then click on the "First Aid" button.
  3. Click on "Run" within the First Aid dialog box and follow the on-screen prompts.
  4. When the process completes, click on the "Done" button.

If this method is successful, you can easily access your SD card through your Mac PC. If this does not work, use the second method.

Method 2: Format Corrupted SD Card on Mac

When you format your SD card, all data on the device will be destroyed. If you do a quick format, you may still be able to recover the files on the SD card with a professional data recovery tool like iBeesoft Data Recovery software. The following are the steps to format your corrupted SD card on Mac:

  1. Connect your SD card to the Mac system and select the SD Card on the left panel.
  2. Select the ‘Erase’ option and select the formatting option that you want. You should not use any extra security options if you plan to retrieve data from the card with a data recovery tool afterward.
  3. Click ‘Erase’ and wait as the progress bar displays the status of the process.
  4. Click ‘Done’ when the formatting process is complete.
  5. Eject the SD card and reinsert it again. Your Mac system should be able to see it.

Part 4. Tips to Prevent SD Card from Corruption

You can protect your SD card in different ways. Follow the tips below to prevent your SD card from getting corrupted:

There are different ways to resolve issues with corrupted SD cards on Mac. In this article, we have looked at how to recover a corrupted SD card on Mac as well as the data from the card.