SD card says full, but there is nothing on it? Why and how to correct? (2024)

If you have encountered a common problem like yoursSD card says full, but there is nothing on it, Then you have come to the right place. This guide is intended to help you resolve this issue quickly and easily.

You will find step-by-step instructions that you can follow to resolve this issue and get back to using the SD card. If you have no experience dealing with these types of problems, you don't have to worry about it. You will be clearly told what needs to be done and how to do it.

[Quick Help: Useprofessional SD card recovery tool]

Part 1. Why does my SD card say full when it is empty?

If you know yourSD cardsays it's full but there are no files, it can be annoying and frustrating. There are several reasons why this can happen on some SD cards. The common causes are:

• There isfiles on your SD card that are invisible or hidden, why the SD card says it is full when it is not.
• Your SD card is damaged.
• Your SD card is not formatted correctly.

If the SD card is physically damaged, replace it with a new SD card. You can easily see ifThe SD card is damaged, so if not, the instructions in the manual will help you solve the problem you are having.

Part 2. How to solve the "SD card says full but there is nothing on it" problem.

1. Show hidden files on SD card

Files may be invisible or hidden on your SD card and this will cause your SD card to indicate that it is full even though it looks empty. This problem can be solved by making these invisible or hidden files visible to you when you open the SD card.

Method 1: Show hidden files via File Explorer

• Connect the SD card to your computer. Open and open the SD card using File Explorer.

• Switch toDisplaythe tab.

• Find and checkHidden objectsbox installedShow show hidesection.



• Now all hidden files on your SD card will be visible.

Method 2: Show Hidden Files via Command Prompt

• Launchracebox by pressing downramen+RKeys. Then entercmdand busyEnterkey.

• Importattrib -h -r -s /s /d n:\*.*("n" must be the drive letter of your SD card.)



• Return to File Explorer to view the files on the SD card.

2. Open files by following the default path

If your camera's SD card says full, but there's nothing on it, you can access the files on your SD card by following the default path in File Explorer. Because by default, files on a camera's SD card are stored in a folder called DCIM. Doing this in Windows 11/10 is a quick and easy process that doesn't require many steps. Just go to the path"G:\DCIM". It should be noted that "G" should be replaced with the drive letter of your SD card.

See Also

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3. Restore SD card to full capacity using CMD

If your memory card says full but no files, you can use Command Prompt to restore the SD card to full capacity. Before using this method, make sure to backup any data on the SD card that you want to keep safe. You can do this by:

• By pressingramen+Rkeys together to openracedialog box.

• TypeCMDand pressEnterkey to openCommandopromptwindow.

• Then enter the following commands:

disk part
list disk
Select disk n(replace n with the SD card drive number)
ren
create a primary partition
format fs=ntfs fast

The SD card should be restored to full capacity. You can check this by opening File Explorer and locating the SD card.

4. Perform SD card troubleshooting

You can check your SD card for any errors using the Windows Error-Checking tool. This tool is built into the Windows operating system. If your memory card says full but there is nothing on it and you think it is caused by an error, then this is what you should try.

• OpenInventory misunderstandingand locate your SD card.

• Right-click on the SD card and selectCharacteristics.

• I thinkCharacteristicsdialog box that you need to selectToolsthe tab.

• ClickControliCheck errorsection



• Check the appropriate boxesCheck diskdialog box and clickBegin.

The scan will begin and any errors on the SD card will be found. Depending on the options you checked in step 5, the system will also start fixing the detected errors.

5. Recover/export invisible files from SD card with AnyRecover

If the above ways still don't solve the "SD card says full but nothing on it" problem and won't display the files, you can use a professional data recovery toolrecover files from SD card. AnyRecover is a professional and cost-effective tool to recover data from Windows, Mac and iPhone devices.Everyone recoversis one such program that can do thatget your files back quickly, even for the files that cannot be viewed on the SD card.

Video guide on how to fix SD card says full but there is nothing on it

3 steps to recover files from SD card using AnyRecover:

Trin 1:Install AnyRecover on your computer and connect your SD card to your computer using a card reader. Then select your SD card location.

Trin 2:AnyRecover will scan the SD card and look for all files on it.

Trin 3When the scan is completed, you can see all files. Select which files you want to recover and then clickTo recover. This will recover the files that could not be viewed from the SD card.

6. Format the SD card

Finally, wrong file system will also cause your micro SD card to say full but nothing about that problem. To fix this, reformat the SD card properly. This is what you need to do:

• Connect the SD card to your PC. OpenInventory misunderstandingand locate your SD card.

• Right-click on the SD card and selectFormatfrom the list of options.



• Select the file system forNTFS. ClickBeginand formatting begins.

Conclusion

Now you know what you can do if yourSD card says full but nothingam working on it. These different solutions can help you solve this problem quickly. There are many different solutions to the question 'SD card says full, but no files", then choose the right one for your situation. If you want to safely and quickly recover your files not visible on SD card,AnyRecoverwill be your best choice.

Download AnyRecover today and enjoy your free trial!