SD Card Data Recovery

SD/CF Card Technology

SD/CF Cards fall into two main categories: NAND Chip and Monolithic

Chip Technology contain two major components; The memory chip and the controller chip. The controller chip controls how and where the data is stored on the chip. We have the technology and training to remove the chip or chips (if necessary) to bypass any failed components in order to gain direct access to the RAW data on the chip. This is just the beginning. The controller uses special algorithms to write the data to the chip. This means the RAW data on the chip is scrambled Each controller and chip has to be reverse engineered to successfully gain access to the data. The process is extremely complicated and time-consuming. This process (called chip-off work) is necessary in many cases where the Card is no longer recognized by your device or is recognizing as the incorrect size.

Monolithic technology is the newest technology on the market and is becoming more popular. All MicroSD cards are Monolithic. Monolithic cards are basically a hunk of plastic with all of the microscopic electronics molded inside. Monolithic cards do contain a data area and a controller area. This new technology has created many problems for the data recovery industry because of the complicated microscopic structure of the device. We must carefully scrape away the plastic to reveal the electronic points that we use to gain direct access to the data of a failed monolithic card. Once the plastic is removed, we have to figure out the pin-out (specific points we need to connect to) in order to bypass the controller and gain direct access to the data.

There are hundreds of different versions of these pin-outs. The pin-out is extremely complicated to figure out. Once done, we then have to connect to 16 very tiny points on the drive. Once we have completed this process, we are then able to read in the RAW data to our equipment. Finally, we have to reverse engineer the algorithms used to write the data to the device so we can unscramble it. 

SD/CF Card Failures

Logical Failure:

SD/CF Cards are susceptible to logical failures because they often get put in and taken out of your computer, camera, or phone. Sometimes, disconnecting an SD/CF card without properly ejecting it can cause damage to critical firmware components of the card. If your card is suddenly asking to be formatted and you're confident your card is not physically damaged, you may be able to recover it yourself. Give us a call and we can recommend some good software.

Physical Failure:

Because of their size, SD/CF cards are very susceptible to being bent, broken, smashed, chewed, or damaged by liquid. Sometimes they just fail due to use or age. If your card is no longer recognized by your computer, camera, or phone or it is recognizing as the wrong size, there is a high chance your card suffering from a physical failure. We highly recommend that you disconnect it and give us a call.

User Error (Deleted, Formatted):

First, TURN IT OFF AND REMOVE IT FROM YOUR DEVICE!!

It's very easy to accidentally make a mistake and delete files or format your SD/CF card. Deleted data or formatted cards can be recovered depending on what you have done since deletion or formatting. If you turned off your card immediately, we can probably recover all of your files. However, if you have since saved any data to the card, there is a good chance you have written over your desired data. Unlike what is seen on crime dramas on TV, once the deleted data is overwritten, it becomes impossible to recover.