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Does your Mac refuse to recognize an SD card? Do not worry! Our easy-to-follow guide will help you return important pictures, videos, and documents. Losing access to your data can be stressful, but our easy-to-follow tips will get you back on track quickly.

Come with us as we explore the mysteries of data recovery in a way that is easy for everyone to understand. We will show you how to do everything, from easy tricks to using powerful software.

Get ready to bring your old memories back to life and eliminate those annoying "unrecognized SD card" ads. It's time to get back what's rightfully yours!

Recover Lost Data from Unrecognized SD Card on Mac

Why Your SD Card Is Unrecognized on Mac?

There are a few reasons why your Mac might not see your SD card. Here are a few popular ones:

  • Physical Damage: If the SD card is broken in some way, like by being worn out, getting wet, or being exposed to very high or low temperatures, it can't be read.
  • File System Issues: The SD card's file system, which organizes the data, could be broken or not work with your Mac (for example, FAT32 vs. HFS+).
  • Accidental Formatting: You may have formatted the SD card by mistake, erasing the file system and all your data.
  • Software Glitches: Software bugs on your Mac or problems with the card reader can sometimes stop it from recognizing the card.

Preliminary Steps to Fix Unrecognized SD Card on Mac

Before you try to get back the data on an SD card that isn't recognized, you need to do a few things first:

  • Check for Physical Damage: Inspect the SD card and the card reader for any signs of physical damage. Seeing any breaks, cracks, or other damage on the card could be making it hard to read.
  • Try Another Device: To see if it works, put the SD card into something else, like a camera or a computer. If it works on another computer, your Mac might be broken.
  • Start your Mac again: If your Mac isn't recognizing the SD card, a simple restart can sometimes fix software problems.
  • Data Recovery Methods: If the steps above don't help and your Mac still won't see the SD card, you may need to use data recovery methods to recover the lost data.

Recover Lost Data from Unrecognized SD Card on Mac

Several data recovery programs for Mac can help you recover data from SD cards that aren't being recognized. These apps will look through your SD card for lost or deleted files and copy them to a safe spot on your Mac's hard drive. DoYourData, Disk Drill, EaseUS, and Stellar Data Recovery are all well-known data recovery programs for Mac.

Recover Files using Do Your Data Recovery:

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac is an easy-to-use and powerful Mac data recovery program. It is able to deeply scan the SD card and find all recoverable files including existing files, deleted/erased or lost files, inaccessible files, etc.

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac

  • Recover permanently deleted or formatted data from SD card on Mac.
  • Export files from inaccessible SD card to the Mac.
  • Recover lost data from damaged SD card on Mac.

Step 1. Connect the SD card to your Mac, then download and install Do Your Data Recovery for Mac, open it. From the list of disks that are shown, choose the SD card.

recover unmounted SD card on Mac

Step 2. Click "Scan" to start searching for lost data. The deep scan mode can deeply scan the SD card and find all recoverable files.

recover unmounted SD card on Mac

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, you can look at the recovered files and select the ones you want to recover from the unrecognized SD card. Click "Recover" and choose a new place to save the files. Don't put anything on the bad SD card until the recovery process is done.

recover unmounted SD card on Mac

After returning data from a broken SD card, you should erase it if you want to use it again. Be careful putting important data on it until you are sure it hasn't been damaged forever.

Do Your Data Recovery also can help you fix or erased damaged SD card on Mac. Just choose Disk Manager, select the SD card, then click First Aid or Erase to repair the damaged SD card.

fix damaged SD card on Mac

Seek Professional Help:

If you've tried all these things and still can't get back the data you lost on the SD card you won't recognize, you might need help from a professional. Some companies only work with restoring data from broken or corrupted storage devices.

These experts have the knowledge and tools to retrieve information in even the most difficult situations. Professional data recovery services can be pricey, so weigh the benefits against the costs.

Fix Damaged SD Card on Mac with Disk Utility

Disk Utility can help you quickly fix damaged SD card on Mac:

  • Open Disk Utility (Go to Launchpad > Other > Disk Utility).
  • Select the SD card from left sidebar, then click on First Aid button.
  • Click Run.
  • Repair the damaged SD card on Mac.

fix Unrecognized SD Card on Mac

Fix Corrupted SD Card on Mac

Fix Corrupted SD Card on Mac

Use Disk Utility, third-party tools to help you quickly fix corrupted SD card on Mac without losing data.

Conclusion:

Losing access to data on an SD card that isn't recognized is very stressful, but it's not always a lost cause. By following the steps in this guide and using the right data recovery methods, you can improve your chances of getting back the files you lost.

Don't forget to back up your important data regularly and take steps to avoid problems like this in the future. If nothing else works, don't be afraid to get help from people specializing in data recovery. You can get back the data on SD cards that your Mac doesn't recognize if you're patient and don't give up.

FAQs About Recovering Data from Unrecognized SD Card on Mac

1. Is it possible to export files from an unrecognized SD card on Mac?

Yes, Do Your Data Recovery for Mac can help you export files from the unrecognized SD card to your Mac. You can use it to deeply scan the SD card, then select the wanted files, save them to your Mac.

2. How to unformat a SD card on Mac?

To fix an unrecognized SD card on Mac, you may need to reformat it. Data recovery software can help you unformat the SD card and get all lost files back.

  • Download and install Do Your Data Recovery for Mac, select the SD card.
  • Click on Scan button.
  • After scanning, select all files, click on Recover button to save them.

3. How to fix unrecognized SD card on Mac?

  • Solution 1: Open Disk Utility, select the SD card, click on Mount button or use First Aid and Erase tool to repair the damaged SD card.
  • Solution 2: Use Terminal to erase the unrecognized SD card to ExFAT or MS-DOS (FAT).
  • Solution 3: Use third-party tools such as Do Your Data Recovery for Mac, DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac to repair the damaged SD card.
Do Your Data Recovery for Mac

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac, one of the best Mac data recovery software, can help you easily and completely recover deleted, formatted or lost files from Mac HDD/SSD, external HDD/SDD, USB drive, memory card, digital camera, or other storage devices.

DoYourData Author

Written & Updated by Anderson

Anderson is a big fan of computer technology. He joined DoYourData in 2018 and has been writing 200+ articles about disk clone, data recovery, computer technology, data erasure, Mac system optimization, etc. He loves music, movie, and reading. In his spare time, he’s studying music and playing tennis.

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