Data recovery on dead micro SD card

Data recovery on dead micro SD card
Call: 855.366.4232

Micro SD memory cards, just like any other type memory cards, fail all the time. In our case we have a 32GB Sandisk micro SD card that is no longer recognized by any type of device. If your card stopped working, first thing you might want to try is to download a demo version of R-Studio:

This software will be able quickly determine if the problem is related to corrupt file system. However, it will not be able to help if the problem is more serious like failed controller or degraded memory component.

For these serious problems there is only one way to gain access to the data, and that is by direct tapping into the NAND chip inside. This data recovery procedure allows us to bypass everything else that is embedded inside of the micro SD memory card and go directly to the source of the memory. But first the circuitry needs to be exposed. For that we use 800 grit sandpaper and water. By slowly and carefully removing the acrylic mask on the back of card we get access to the test points necessary for communication and extraction of data from the NAND component.

Once the soldering part of the procedure is done, we move onto the next step, which is data extraction by selecting an appropriate configuration.

This micro SD card’s file system was badly damaged, but we managed to successfully recover photos that the client wanted. This procedure is a lot more time consuming than a regular SD card, which usually has removable memory. Besides soldering work, this procedure also requires a pinout schematic for the test points as they are not standard. Many different manufacturers and even model might have completely different layouts for the design, and that makes it very difficult simply because pinouts are proprietary. Manufacturing companies do not release these pinouts to data recovery companies.

or call: 1.855.366.4232

HDD Recovery Services
666 Kirkwood Ave, Suite B101
Ottawa, ON
K1Z 5X9
Canada

my gear for soldering:

Gear for filming:

[ZhengSW]

Erkin is amazing. He is saving you lots of money by telling everyone to use R-studio or any other data recovery software if your computer can detect the micro SD card. I followed his advice and used the software since my laptop was able to show the micro SD card when mounted and it recovered everything in about 30 minutes. All my precious memories in my photos are safe and I am making backups and buying cloud storage for extra insurance.

[emolatur]

For those asking, the device he's using is just a nand flash reader/programmer with a usb interface. They are typically marketed with sockets for flash ICs to be directly plugged into, but if you dig around the interwebs enough it is possible to find one like his with the individual signals exposed, or you can buy one of the socket ones and remove the sockets. It acts as the controller, exposing CE, RB, RE, CLE, ALE, WP, WE, and 8-bit parallel data pins to be connected to the flash memory chip of your choosing.

Basically it's a usb flash drive minus the memory chip itself.

[lakiza]

They did surgery on a micro SD card...

[alexrowland]

Wow. I was in the computer repair industry for about 15 years and considered my skills to be fairly high, but this makes me feel like a total novice. Very impressive. I'm glad to know this type of procedure is even possible, and I'll be sure to recommend you if the need arises.

[ShaneCarles]

Man, you solder super good. Soldering is an art and you paint solder like Da Vinci paints pictures. I've been doing micro soldering work for 35 years and I can tell you there is a small percentage of people in the world who can solder at this level. Bravo!

[williambtm]

You Mr. Narrator are a microelectronic reconstructive surgeon. Well presented and thank you.

[henrybaker]

This is seriously great advertising, nerd porn & great beats.
great work and all the best with the business buddy!

[lifeofdarshit]

Wholy... Soldering under microscope with such precision.

[mattmoreira]

10:24 "good, half, small good, small half" Gotta love some chinglish. Hahahahah!

[COMMANDOFF]

THANK YOU FOR THE HELP MAN. YOU HAVE SOME STEADY HANDS THERE. I USED TO BE STEADY LIKE THAT, BUT IM 73 YEARS OLD NOW AND WAS A PRISONER OF WAR FOR 13 YEARS IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT BEING BEATEN AND TORTURED EVERYDAY. I MUST DESIGN TOOLS TO HELP ME HOLD TOOLS TO KEEP THEM STEADY.

[Frva]

Cool video, but I would rather watch 20 minutes of soldering and you explaining where you were soldering :|

[learnandteach.]

I would like to say genius.
high level of soldering skills, know how to read circuits, really amazing.

[AshiqurRahman]

my sdcard over heats if I insert it to anywhere...whats the problem?

[Hazardteam]

02:18 Hello! Which 3M tape was that exactly? I need same, but i don't know which type is (and 3M has ALOT versions of doubleside tapes)

[mediocreindoman]

God of recovery, can you recover my ex's dead heart?

[twistdshade]

If I was doing this for a living, I would probably have some type of chemical solution to dissolve the black plastic casing of the SD card to expose the copper circuitry on the back. I would then have some kind of solderless contact-based device that the card would slide into, or placed onto the card, in order to make the proper contacts to the circuitry of the SD card. This would eliminate all risk of physically damaging the card from sanding or soldering.

[vincenzodigrande]

Hah, I've managed to get a 64gb micro SD card working again today by sanding it down, I only had 400 wetndry paper, but I went really carefully under the microscope, then I noticed some copper traces had black spots on them, and one even didn't measure any continuity. Then I stripped an old headphone wire, which has those super thin enamel copper strands and soldered it in place with some flux and it brought the card back to life! I quickly made an image and copied it on to a new card off course. Thanks for the insightful video!

[siliconrobot]

Good result, but I didn't understand what you did exactly after decaping the SD card. Did you byoassed the external SPI interface and directly connect to the physical flash? which protocole you used to communicate directly with the internal flash memory?

[jakereason]

Hi.How were you able to determine which unmarked pad corresponded to which pin on the controller? Is there a standard convention SD cards follow, known impedance values, etc?

Also, is the gel that you applied before soldering flux? From my limited knowledge, I know flux is liquid so I'm not sure...

In any case, you just got yourself a new subscriber.

[troe]

so it wasn't a clickbait... disappointed.