How to Check SD Card Health on Windows (2024)

SD cards are a popular type of storage device used in cameras, smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices. However, like any other storage device, they can fail or become corrupted over time. It's essential to check the health of your SD card regularly to ensure that it's functioning properly and prevent data loss.In this article, we will guide you on how to check SD card health on Windows. We'll cover various methods to check the health of your SD card, including built-in Windows tools and third-party software. The problem of SD card data recovery is also a problem faced by most people. You can directly try to use AnyRecover recommended by many people to recover your data.

Part 1. SD Card Health Checking Challenges

SD (Secure Digital) cards are widely used for storing and transferring data in various electronic devices such as cameras, smartphones, tablets, and more. However, like any other storage media, SD cards can also experience failures or issues that can result in data loss. To prevent such failures, it is important to regularly check the health of your SD card. However, there are several challenges associated with SD card health checking, including

Data retention issues: SD cards are designed to store data for a long time, but sometimes they can lose data due to various reasons such as exposure to extreme temperatures or magnetic fields. However, it can be challenging to detect data retention issues in SD cards because they do not show any visible signs of damage.

Compatibility issues: Some SD cards are not compatible with all devices, which can make it difficult to check their health. For example, some SD cards may not work on certain cameras or laptops, which can limit the diagnostic tools that can be used to check their health.

False positives: Some diagnostic tools may report false positives, which means they may report an error or issue that does not exist. This can lead to unnecessary data backups and can also cause confusion.

Physical damage: SD cards can be physically damaged due to mishandling, exposure to water, or dropping them. Physical damage can make it challenging to check the health of an SD card because the damage may not be immediately visible.

Part 2.How to Check SD Card on Windows？

Step 1： Insert the SD card into your computer's SD card reader. Open "File Explorer" by pressing the Windows key and the E key at the same time. In the left-hand pane of File Explorer, locate and click on "This PC."

Step 2： Find the SD card listed under "Devices and drives." The drive letter may vary depending on your computer configuration. Right-click on the SD card drive and select "Properties."

Step 3： Click on the "Tools" tab. Under "Error checking," click on "Check." A new window will appear. Select "Scan and repair drive." Wait for the scan to complete. This may take several minutes depending on the size of the SD card. After the scan is complete, a message will be displayed indicating if any errors were found and if they were fixed.

Part 3.Tools to Check SD cards Health And Recover Data on Windows

H2testw: This is a free utility that checks for bad sectors and verifies the capacity of SD cards. It is easy to use and provides detailed results.

CrystalDiskInfo: This is a free tool that monitors the health of hard drives and SSDs, but it can also be used to check the health of SD cards. It provides detailed information about the card's health, such as temperature, power-on hours, and read/write errors.

Check Flash: This is a free utility that can test the performance and quality of SD cards. It can also detect and report errors and provide information about the card's capacity and file system.

SD Card Reader Driver Download Guide on Windows 10

Step 1：Press the Windows key and X key simultaneously on your keyboard and click on "Device Manager" from the list of options.

Step 2： Expand the "Memory technology devices" category by clicking on the arrow beside it. Locate your SD card reader device from the list and right-click on it. "

Step 3： Select "Update Driver Software." And Select "Search automatically for updated driver software.

Conclusion

Checking the health of your SD card is crucial to prevent data loss and ensure its optimal performance. By following this guide, you can ensure that your SD card is healthy and reliable.