Troubleshooting Access Issues with Your SD Card: A Case Study

Many photography enthusiasts rely on SD cards to store their precious images and videos. However, encountering accessibility issues can be frustrating. Recently, a photographer shared their experience of a problematic SD card that went from functioning perfectly in their camera to becoming unreadable on their computer. Here’s a breakdown of the issue and potential solutions for anyone facing similar challenges.

The Situation

A user captured photos and videos on a Sandisk Extreme 128GB SD card with their Sony a7iii during a weekend shoot. The card worked seamlessly, allowing the user to review their files directly on the camera. However, upon transferring the card to a second a7iii without formatting it or deleting any files, the user shot additional content.

When the time came to download all the media to their hard drive, things took a turn. The photographer placed the SD card into a dual-slot card reader. Unbeknownst to them, a microSD card had already occupied the micro slot. After swiftly addressing this oversight, they reinserted the SD card but encountered an alarming issue: the card was no longer readable.

The Error Encountered

Attempts to access the SD card yielded no results. The disk manager displayed no recognizable data, and the card appeared to be formatted in RAW format. Efforts to open the volume triggered a prompt requesting a format of the card, which led to yet another warning: “K:\ is not accessible. The volume does not contain a recognized file system. Please ensure that all required file system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted.”

Possible Causes

Several factors could contribute to this issue:

File System Corruption: The card may have suffered from file system corruption, which can occur during abrupt removal from a device or improper ejection procedures.
Improper Handling: Inserting the SD card into the card reader while another card was present could have potentially caused a read error.
Card Reader Malfunction: If the card reader is malfunctioning, it may not read the SD card correctly. Testing the card in another reader or directly in the computer’s SD slot (if available) can help isolate the issue.
Camera Compatibility: Even though both cameras are the same model, there might be firmware differences or settings that affect file access.