There isn’t much you can do.

Usually, for these devices, inability to be recognized by the computer means a failure in the electronic parts.
There is no way to address these types of failures domestically. Call us immediately.

The cost of recovering data from MicroSD cards is divided into two categories:

  • 80€ for logical failures, and
  • 190€ – 350€ for electronic failures. See more here.

⇒ The prices mentioned are approximate and a diagnostic check is required to determine the cost accurately.

⇒ The prices are for cards with known pinout and do not require Reverse Engineering.
In cases where the pinout is unknown and research for the device is needed, the pricing policy will change significantly and will be determined after examining the device.

  1. We receive the card and proceed with an initial standard check to determine if it is a “logical” error or if the problem lies in an electronic component of the card.
    MicroSD card data recovery

    A MicroSD card that has been scraped, revealing the ‘map’

  2. If the problem is logical in nature, recovery is performed using specialized software.
  3. If the problem is electronic in nature, we follow specialized procedures that include scraping the back of the MicroSD card to reveal the “map”. We examine the map and ensure whether a known pinout already exists for it.
  4. We send a cost estimate to the client.
  5. Upon approval, and if a known pinout exists, we proceed with micro-soldering based on that pinout. The card is connected to a special device, and we attempt to recognize it. If this is successful, we apply specific reading parameters and read the card’s contents.
  6. If the pinout is unknown, the card undergoes reverse engineering and with the help of special machines (Logic Analyzers), we search for the card’s signals. Once this process is completed, we follow the procedure described in step 5.
  7. The card’s contents are modified using special algorithms and we extract the data.
  8. The client is informed of the recovery result with the submission of a list of recoverable data.
  9. The client gives us a 5-star review :)

⇒ Data recovery from a MicroSD card cannot be done when the card is LDPC.

But what is LDPC?

MicroSD LDPC data recovery

UFD stick with monolithic integration

To answer this question, it must be clear that Flash memory is in a state of constant decomposition and degradation. Even simple data writing operations on Flash memory cause its degradation.

Thus, ECC (Error Correction Code) is applied, which is a way for the controller to understand where the bit errors are in the data to correct these errors.

LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) does something similar, only it uses complex mathematical sequences to achieve it.
To date, no one has managed to reverse these algorithms, and thus all devices using LDPC are non-recoverable.

⇒ Data recovery from a MicroSD card cannot be done when the card is broken in half or in a place where the electronic signals pass through. Unfortunately, in these cases, there is no way to restore the signal, and the card is non-recoverable.

⇒ Data recovery from a MicroSD card is not possible in other classic cases, such as zeroing of the card, etc.

⇒ Data recovery from a MicroSD card is also not possible when the user (or someone else…) attempted scraping without knowledge, resulting in damaged signal transmission channels. In this case, unfortunately, there is no way to restore the signal, and the MicroSD card will be non-recoverable.

NO.

Scraping is done with a specific technique.

If you apply even a little extra pressure, you could destroy the channels on the map, making the card non-recoverable.

Send us the MicroSD card for us to check. The diagnosis is free.

The receipt of the media is done with a private agreement between the two parties, which ensures the customer against any use of their data.

We guarantee that confidentiality is of utmost importance to us.

Northwind Data Recovery fully complies with GDPR regulations.

Before the recovery process is completed, you will be informed about the recoverable files.
This will be done either by phone if the files you are interested in are few, or a list of the files that can be recovered will be sent to you.

This way, you can check if your valuable data is included in the files we can recover.

It goes without saying that if your data cannot be recovered, the recovery process is stopped and you are not charged anything.

  1. The diagnosis is completely free.
  2. It should be noted that if the problem is electronic in nature, any warranty the device has will cease to be valid during the diagnosis process, as the device is disassembled.
  3. If the problem is logical in nature, the warranty will continue to be valid.

It depends on the damage and whether we already know the pinout of the device.

If the pinout is known, we usually need around 10-15 days for recovery.

If the pinout is unknown, it can take more than 30-45 days.

The quality of the device plays a major role in the time required, as poor quality can result in data with many bad blocks and ECC Errors, requiring Re-Reads. This can significantly increase the recovery time.
Unfortunately, this information will be available at the end of the process, making it impossible to accurately predict the time required from the beginning.

On any medium you request, which you will need to provide or we can procure for you at retail price.

Alternatively, we can send you the data via the cloud.

Of course, in this case, your data will be sent encrypted, and we will send you the decryption key separately.