Comprehensive Guide to Perform Sony SD Card Recovery

Learn to perform Sony SD card recovery via efficient ways on this page. Besides, there’re relevant SD card recovery tips and data loss prevention measures.

By @Penny Last Updated October 17, 2024

Can Sony SD card data be recovered?

SD card is a tiny flash memory card for high-capability memory and various portable devices like digital cameras. For instance, Sony cameras distinguish from other camera makers partly because Sony has released its own SD cards. It offers a wide selection of high-speed memory cards.

As a result, those who like Sony digital cameras also prefer Sony SD cards. But several Sony users have complained that their taken photos disappeared from camera SD cards or they’ve accidentally deleted photos from SD cards.

   
   
   
       

I accidentally deleted all files from my SD card. I didn’t format it, but I just deleted it. I had a whole day of photos and videos on there. So is there any way to recover deleted files from SD cards? Thanks.

-A user from DPReview

Are you seeking ways to recover deleted photos from Sony cameras like the above user? If it happens to be your case, please read further to perform Sony SD card recovery.

How do I recover data from my Sony SD card?

Before the Sony SD card recovery, let’s check out the possible reasons for this issue.

  • Deletion (accidental deletion & intentional deletion)
  • Hidden files on Sony SD cards
  • Damaged file systems or bad sectors
  • Accidentally formatted your Sony SD card
  • Virus infection or malware
  • Program crashes

Since hidden files are among the possible reasons for lost photos from camera SD cards, let’s see if hidden files exist on your Sony SD card via File Explorer.

» Connect your Sony SD card to the Windows PC. Then press Win + E to open File Explorer > click your SD card > View > Options. After entering the Folder Options, tick Show hidden files, folders, and drivers to check.   

Notes:✎...
If your Windows 10 show hidden files not working, you can also use the attrib/dir command to show hidden files.

If there’re no hidden files on your Sony SD card, it’s likely that your Sony SD card data might have been deleted. And if you can ensure you’ve executed deleted actions, please refer to the following solutions.

Quick navigation: 

✍ 1. Recover deleted photos from Sony cameras via Windows File Recovery

✍ 2. Recover deleted photos from Sony cameras via Sony Memory Card File Rescue

✍ 3. Recover deleted photos from Sony cameras via photo recovery software    

1. Recover deleted photos from Sony cameras via Windows File Recovery

Since most users haven’t taken data loss prevention measures like making disk backups, you’ll have no choice but to seek help from powerful data recovery software to recover deleted photos from Sony cameras.

And many users wonder if there is a free way to recover deleted photos from SD cards. It turns out there is.

Windows File Recovery is right for you because this command-line software is designed to recover lost files from local storage devices like Sony SD cards.

In other words, Windows File Recovery does not support the recovery of cloud storage and network file shares. Moreover, you need to resemble and adjust the basic command format if you plan to use this software because there’s no GUI (graphical user interface).

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

  • Please ensure the source drive (stores your needed Sony SD card data before data loss) differs from the destination drive (saves your recovered Sony SD card data).   
Notes:✎... 
Windows File Recovery is only compatible with Windows 10 and above.
Recover the deleted & missing Word documents, Excel, PPT, ZIP, PDF, MP3, MP4, PNG, JPG, JPEG, etc.   
Check the file system of your SD card: Connect the SD card to your PC. Then press Win + E to open File Explorer, click This PC > right-click on your SD card > Properties.   

After figuring out the file system of the SD card, let’s designate the mode and switches.

Step 1. Select the basic Regular or Extensive mode.

  • The Regular mode is the standard recovery option for non-corrupted NTFS drives.
  • The Extensive mode is a thorough recovery option suitable for all file systems. 

File system

Scenarios

mode

NTFS

Deleted recently

Regular

NTFS

Deleted for a while

Extensive

NTFS

Formatted disk

Extensive

NTFS

corrupted disk

Extensive

FAT and exFAT

Any

Extensive

Step 2. Select some common switches from the following switches.

Switch              

Description

Supported          modes

/y:

Recover specific extension groups, comma-separated

Signature

/p:

Saves a log file of the recovery operation in a different location than the default location on the recovery drive (for example, D:\logfile).

All

/a

Overrides user prompts, which is useful in a script file.

All

/u

Recovers undeleted files, for example, from the Recycle Bin.

NTFS Segment

/k

Recovers system files.

NTFS Segment​​​​​

/g

Recovers files without primary data streams.

NTFS Segment

/e

To keep your results manageable and focus on user files, some file types are filtered by default, but this switch removes that filter. 

NTFS Segment

/e:

Specifies which file types are filtered.

NTFS Segment

Step 3. Download and install Windows File Recovery from Microsoft Store by clicking the “Get” button. Then “Open” it.

Step 4. Assume your source drive is the C drive, and the destination drive is the D drive. The following adjusted command line depicts how to recover deleted JPG files.

However, if you can’t open JPG files in Windows 10/11 PCs, please get fixes on another page.

◢ winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

◢ winfr C: D: /n \Users\pics\*.jpg

Please copy the command line in the command prompt window, and press “y” to go on. If you want to stop the photo recovery process, press the “Ctrl + C” keys.   

2. Recover deleted photos from Sony cameras via Sony Memory Card File Rescue

Sony provides Memory Card File Rescue for users to recover deleted photos and videos from Sony storage media. If you’re discouraged from complicated CMD & you’ve used the following Sony products, you could get this software from the Memory Card File Rescue download page. 

Supported file types for recovery & Supported products:

Photo

JPEG, RAW photo (Sony ARW, Nikon NEF, Canon CR2 & CR3, 3D photo (MPO)

Video

MPEG-1 (mpg, mpeg), MPEG-4 (mp4), MPEG-4 AVC (mp4, XAVC S, AVCHD, MOV, MXF), and so on

Other

Documents

Products

CFexpress Type A Memory Card, CFexpress Type B Memory Card, XQD Memory Card, SD Memory Card, Memory stick, Sony External SSD SLM series, and Sony USB Flash Drive.

Besides, there’re some Sony memory card recovery points that deserve your attention.

Notes:✎...   
Files saved on a memory medium formatted by a PC or camera may be unrecoverable.
Memory card defects or damage cannot be repaired. 
Game data and content-protected music and movies are not supported.   

3. Recover deleted photos from Sony cameras via photo recovery software

Although Sony Memory Card File Recuse is useful, it cannot work for other users using other brands of SD cards. So is there an easier way for non-tech users to recover deleted photos from Sony cameras without CMD?

At the moment, why don’t you give this friendly photo recovery software for Windows, MyRecover a chance?

Supported by AOMEI Tech, professional MyRecover can deal with a wide range of data loss scenarios such as deletion, disk formatting, and system crashes.

Moreover, MyRecover offers an intuitive GUI (graphical user interface) for you, which means there’s no need for you to recover deleted files using CMD. And it can recover deleted & lost files from different brands and types of SD cards.

Key features of MyRecover:
  • High-efficiency: Recover 42+ types of images (PNG, JPG, JPEG, BMP, etc.) videos (MP4, MOV, etc.) MS Office files, WPS files, folders, compressed files, audio, songs, videos, and websites, from internal and external HDDs, USBs, SD cards, etc.
  • Advanced scanning method: MyRecover runs Quick Scan & Deep Scan automatically to search all the recoverable files. Specify the filename, saved path, date, or size to filter your needed files.
  • Convenience: Retain the original filename, path, and format for the deleted files.
  • Excellent compatibility: Support NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems and be compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, or Server PC.
Download Software Windows 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 1. Connect the SD card to your Windows. After launching MyRecover, hover the mouse over the SD card saved deleted files before, and click Scan.

Step 2.  It can scan your SD card automatically. You can also preview or filter your needed data according to Name, Date, Document Type, or Path.

  • Name: Type the filenames of your desired files to narrow the search area.
  • Date modified: Set the date (today, yesterday, last 7/30 days, and so on) according to your situation.
  • Size: Filter the file size (<128KB, 128KB~1MB, 1MB~ 512MB, etc) based on your needs.

Step 3. Select your desired SD card files in the Other Missing Files folder. Then click “Recover x files” to begin the SD card photo recovery process.

Notes:✎...  
After recovery, you’d better store these retrieved files in another partition instead of the original SD card.    
MyRecover enables you to recover 500MB of files for free in total. If you want to recover many deleted & missing files from your SD card, upgrading MyRecover to the Professional or Technician edition is a more cost-effective method.  

Related Q&A about SD card recovery & transmission

When it comes to problems regarding how to recover deleted photos from Sony cameras, please refer to the above three fixes. Besides, there’re some related tips about SD cards.