# SD Cards: 'You must format the disk before use' message?



## alwaysadreamer (May 30, 2010)

I don't know what i did to my microSD card, but everytime i connect it to my comp ir always gives the message: "You must format the disk in drive X: before you can use it." 

Doesn't formatting mean erasing all files from the sd card?

What I'm wondering is if there is a way to prevent this message from always popping up in order to access the drive, so that i can copy the files from the SD card to my computer so i won't lose them. I dont want to have to format it until i have back ups of the files on it.

Is there a way to do this? if there are softwares that can help, i need them to be free.

I'm using windows 7 and the microSD card im using is 8GB.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

Hi and welcome to TSG.



alwaysadreamer said:


> the microSD card im using is 8GB.


Have you ever been able to successfully access files on the card using the current computer setup? If not, double check the specifications of the computer's card reader to see if it can read high capacity cards that are over 4 GB.


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## alwaysadreamer (May 30, 2010)

cwwozniak said:


> Have you ever been able to successfully access files on the card using the current computer setup? If not, double check the specifications of the computer's card reader to see if it can read high capacity cards that are over 4 GB.


Well, before the message starting popping up, i could easily access the files on this same computer. Nothing was wrong until just recently when i put the sd card (w/ all the files on it) into my phone. it worked fine on my phone.. like i could easier see the files on the sd card and stuff. then when i ejected it from my phone and went to connect the sd card into my computer, the message started coming up. now if i try putting it back into my phone to see what happens, i get a similar message on my phone, telling me to format the memory card!!

so what is there that i can do to SAVE the files before i format the sd card?


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

You could try a data recovery program to see if it can still find and copy the files from the card. A free program called PC INSPECTOR™ smart recovery might work for you.


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