How to Recover Pictures from a Broken or Completely Broken SD Card

A Secure Digital (SD) card is a device that conveniently stores data. These flash drives are small and can easily be broken, causing saved information to be inaccessible. Data that is not readable by the computer can commonly be fixed. However, if the memory chip breaks, recovering pictures in the SD card will be impossible.

Repairing a Write-Protection Switch

Look at the SD card and search at the left side of the broken SD card. The word "Lock" should be at the side of the card. If the write-protection switch is missing, cover it with tape.

Cut a small piece of Scotch tape. Place the tape on the SD card where the gap is. Do not cover the brass connectors with the tape. The computer will not read the SD card if the area is concealed.

Recover any lost data from the broken SD card. Transfer the saved data to a computer or a different memory card device.

Recovering Information From a Completely Broken SD Card

Remove the casing to expose the circuit board of the broken SD card. The large rectangular shape is the memory chip. Place the SD card on a towel or stable surface to keep it from moving.

Heat up the soldering iron. Start applying the paste flux to the pins that are securing the memory chip to the circuit board. Place the flux on the sides with only the pins.

Heat the pins with a soldering iron, to desolder them. Combine both the alloy wire and heated solder to form a liquid substance on the pins. Distribute the heated liquid evenly using the solder. Lift the memory chip with tweezers.

Clean excess alloy at the tips of the pins. Apply flux on the pins of the memory chip. Then use the solder and gently glide excess alloy residue away from the memory chip.

Place the memory chip into the PC-3000 Flash and plug the flash reader to your computer's USB port. Follow the onscreen prompts to recover lost pictures in your broken SD card.

Tips

The higher number of watts will indicate how hot the soldering iron will get. Use a 30 or 40-watt soldering iron.
If the computer can recognize the SD card, but you're unable to see your pictures, you may still recover them with some programs. The downloadable recovery programs such as Zero Assumption Recovery and Card Recovery can restore saved information stored in your SD card.

Soldering the old memory chip to a new SD card is another solution to getting back your information. Practicing using the soldering iron. Replacing chips are a bit tricky.

References

http://microsdmemorycards.net/ how-to-repair-broken-lock-on- sd-cards.html
http://card-recovery.biz/us/ service.php
http://www.acelaboratory.com/ pc3000.flash.php
http://www.allmemorycards.com/ glossary/write-protection- switch.htm
http://www.howardelectronics. com/chipquik/instructions.html

Resources

http://www.cardrecovery.com/ screenshots.asp
http://www.z-a-recovery.com/