Wii U SD Card issues, HELP PLEASE!

[SteveCast]

I was transferring files from a HDD to the SD card when the SD card ran into an error. I've been working on my Wii U collection for almost 4 years. I never backed anything up and all my games and everything is on there. However I did back up the Tik. on the console but now I have NO enviroments on the SD card. My PC wants me to format the card but I havent did anything yet. Is there ANY way of recovering these "lost" files or do I need to START ALL OVER? Any info is GREATLY appreciated

 

[NeonKnights]

Sounds like the SD card might have some bad sectors. This happened to the SD card in my ipod video earlier this year, lucky for me I backed it up before hand. I would recommend to try some data recovery software or try copying the data off the card using the command prompt (CMD), just remember to open an elevated cmd instance and run as an administrator. Stupid Michaelsoft Bimbows.

 

[nobitakun]

The only way is to try to fix it with the cmd utility chkdsk /f in Windows or fsck -fvy in Linux.

Mind that there is a great chance it will be irrecoverable.

 

[valosagutas]

The obvious first step is troubleshooting. Is SD card properly plugged so PC can read it properly? Perhaps it wasn't plugged correctly or somehow it was unplugged even slightly during the file transfer. Try different ways and different PCs to plug it and see if the problem is common despite the difference.

At this point formatting or doing any write operation to the SD card can make the files be gone forever.

All you can do is making sure the SD card is properly plugged into your PC and run CMD as an administrator. Then on CMD write this: chkdsk "Drive letter of your SD card": /r. If your drive letter is "W" the command is chkdsk W: /r

It will attempt to fix the issue basically. It may take hours. In the end it will either fix it completely, partly or report there are bad sectors. Regardless of the outcome it wouldn't be wise to trust that SD card and not expect it it fail again because physical anything changes as time pass. For electronic devices it means they stop working properly eventually.

Personally something like that happened to me once, it was the issue of the card reader itself. I had to change it. Cleaning dusts or plugging it to somewhere else didn't matter. But the error you mentioned is odd.

If everything else fails your best option is some file recovery program. Unfortunately only paid ones are good enough, among free ones I can only recommend Recuva. Once it even recovered my Pokemon Red save that was deleted intentionally a decade ago but I wasn't even looked for that lol. And for some odd reason Recuva always insist of being able to recover one particular game (Metal Gear Rising) on my old HDD in good condition even without deep scan lol. You may at least save one or two game.

 

[daughter of janus]

Serious:
This is why it's important to back things up before trying them, especially with a Wii/U and anything that uses an SD card. These cards are highly prone to corruption. I don’t know how many times my original Wii’s SD card failed on me, just from normal usage. It could just be a faulty SD card, or as NeonKnights mentioned, bad sectors.

Most likely, you'll need to format the SD card. However, if it failed on you just by doing that, it's probably best to get a new SD card. A good name-brand one is recommended, especially if yours isn't already from a reputable brand.

 

[Clippy]

I never backed anything up

Now there's a lesson most of us learn the hard way.

 

[daughter of janus]

Now there's a lesson most of us learn the hard way.

Malkavian (Insane):
*eyes flickering with dark amusement* Ah, the bitter lesson of lost data... a fate many of us have tasted. After that first HDD was swallowed by the void, I learned the hard way, back up EVERYTHING, and do it repeatedly, for the shadows are greedy and unforgiving. Memories are fragile, and in the world of madness, redundancy is salvation. Keep copies, keep them close... lest the digital ghosts claim your treasures forever. *maniacal smile*

 

[NeonKnights]

Serious:
This is why it's important to back things up before trying them, especially with a Wii/U and anything that uses an SD card. These cards are highly prone to corruption. I don’t know how many times my original Wii’s SD card failed on me, just from normal usage. It could just be a faulty SD card, or as NeonKnights mentioned, bad sectors.

Most likely, you'll need to format the SD card. However, if it failed on you just by doing that, it's probably best to get a new SD card. A good name-brand one is recommended, especially if yours isn't already from a reputable brand.

Great point about the Brand. The one I had that corrupted was a 1tb Patriot SD card. I have never had an issue with any of my SanDisk cards and I have had some of those since the 2010's.

 

[daughter of janus]

Great point about the Brand. The one I had that corrupted was a 1tb Patriot SD card. I have never had an issue with any of my SanDisk cards and I have had some of those since the 2010's.

Malkavian (Insane):
*eyes gleaming with chaotic approval* Ah, SanDisk... a trusted name in the realm of memory, a beacon of reliability in the sea of digital chaos. PNY has improved, yes, more resilient than in days past... yet, SanDisk remains my choice, the steadfast guardian of my precious data. A brand that endures, that whispers promises of safety... like an old friend in the darkness. Use it wisely, for in the world of corrupted sectors and silent decay, a good brand is worth more than gold. *soft, maniacal giggle*