How to Recover Video File from SD Card on Windows PC

Many users keep their downloaded video files on portable storage devices like SD cards, which allows them to manage and organize their films more easily, but once they remove certain huge video files to free up some space, there is no turning back.

Another scenario is the loss of important videos or images from your SD card. Sometimes, videos on SD cards can be lost for a variety of causes, including unintentional deletion, formatting, partition corruption, physical damage, virus attack, and so on.

Thus, this post will walk you through the process of recovering lost videos from SD cards.

Can I recover video files from micro SD card?

After you erase videos from an SD card or experience the loss of video files on various devices like computers, cameras, or smartphones, these videos do not find their way to the Recycle Bin or Trash. Consequently, restoring them directly from these folders is not an option. This may lead you to question the feasibility of recovering deleted video files from your SD card.

In the majority of situations, you can recover deleted videos from an SD card. In reality, deleting a video file or encountering missing video files on the SD card merely designates the file as "deleted," rendering it invisible. Nonetheless, these vanished videos continue to persist on the SD card until they are overwritten by fresh data.

Hence, in the unfortunate event of file loss or deletion, it's urgent to stop any further usage of the SD card promptly and extract it from the device. Then, you can explore the techniques elucidated in this article to understand how to recover deleted videos from an SD card without the necessity of employing additional software.

How to recover video files disappeared from SD card

To recover videos from an SD card, please connect it to a Windows computer and use one of the three techniques listed below.

There are 3 ways for the retrieval of missing video files. The first two methods will show you how to utilize the command line to recover deleted videos. They're a little difficult, but they work.

In the third solution, you will see professional data recovery software for SD cards to recover SD card movies at a high speed and recovery rate.

Method 1. Recover videos from SD card using Command Prompt

If you haven't manually erased videos but they've vanished from your SD card, they may have been hidden rather than destroyed. You may recover SD card films without any software by using the built-in Windows CMD (Command Prompt). The following are the particular steps.

Step 1. Insert the SD card into computer with a compatible cable > type cmd in the search box > Choose Command Prompt > Click Run as administrator.

Step 2. Type the command in the window: attrib -h -r -s /s /d/ X:\*.* (Replace X with the letter of your SD card) > Hit the Enter key to continue.

Method 2. Recover videos from SD card by Windows File Recovery

Before the recovery process, you need to check the file system of your SD card. Insert your SD card into computer > Click on This PC > Locate and right-click on the SD card > Select Properties to view it in the File System section.

Step 1. Search for Windows File Recovery in the Microsoft Store and click Get to install it on your PC.

Step 2. Search for the program in the Windows search box, and click it > Click Run as administrator.

Step 3. Choose a suitable mode to recover your MP4 files based on the File System you just check.

File system	Circumstances	Recommended mode
NTFS	Deleted recently	Default
NTFS	Deleted a while ago	Segment, followed by Signature
NTFS	After formatting a disk	Segment, followed by Signature
NTFS	A corrupted disk	Segment, followed by Signature
FAT and exFAT	Any	Extensive

Step 4. Follow the prompts to enter the correct command line, such as winfr D: E: extensive /n *paper* > Click Y to continue.

Switches	Definition	Supported mode(s)
/n	Filter the scan range: scans for a specific file with its file name/path/type, etc.	All
/y:	Recover specific extension groups.	Signature
/k	Recovers system files.	NTFS Segment​​​​​
/u	Recovers undeleted files, for example, from the Recycle Bin.	NTFS Segment

Step 4. Follow the prompts to enter the correct command line, such as winfr D: E: extensive /n *paper* > Click Y to continue.

Note: The destination drive of the recovered videos should not be your SD card. You can save the recovered videos to anywhere else and move them to the SD card later.

Method 3. Use professional software to perform SD card data recovery

Data retrieval from external storage devices like SD cards involves a intricate process, leading many users to opt for a more user-friendly option that enables them to recover SD card videos step by step.

In scenarios where video files vanish from your SD card due to deletion, formatting, corruption, or other factors, AOMEI FastRecovery offers a comprehensive solution. This robust software expedites the recovery procedure by reclaiming lost photos while preserving their original timestamps and filenames.

This versatile utility extends its support to a variety of SD card formats, encompassing SDHC, SDXC, memory sticks, miniSD cards, microSD cards, and more. Its capability to accommodate diverse SD card formats significantly enhances its efficacy in regaining lost data, rendering it especially suitable for endeavors focused on photo recovery.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

Final lines

We recently went over three successful methods for how to recover video file from SD cards. If you have never backed up your SD card and do not want to run programs with complicated arguments to restore your content, you can use AOMEI Partition Assistant, a professional SD card video recovery tool, to assist you.

Such data loss accidents cannot be prevented, but they can be adequately planned for. Make a practice of backing up all of your data regularly so that you can access them when needed.