SD card not recognized (ran chkdisk on pc fixed it)

[tonyvr4]

I had a strange thing happen today with the SD card on my G3. I picked up the phone and some of the apps had a strange icon with an green android character with a little sd card on it. If I clicked on one of those apps it came up with a message "sd card not inserted".
I looked in settings under storage and only the internal storage was listed.

I rebooted and powered off the phone and it did not fix the problem. I then inserted the card in my pc and ran a virus scan and it came through clean. I could see my files.

I then ran a scan in windows to check the disk for errors and it said that there was corruption in the .android_secure folder and fixed it.
When I put it back into the phone and powered on it recognized the card again.

Any idea what happened and how I can be sure it doesn't happen again?

Also, can anyone recommend a good antivirus?

 

[B. Diddy]

Files can get corrupted for various reasons, and it can be hard to predict. Some devices seem to be associated with corruption more than others (I'm looking at you, Samsung). Lower quality cards can also get corrupted more easily. The best thing you can do is always to remember to unmount the card before removing it from the phone. Unmount in the Settings>Storage menu. Also, you can check to make sure the card isn't some cheap knockoff by running SD Insight.

Antivirus apps are of questionable benefit in Android, especially now that Google can actually scan your apps for you (in Google Settings>Security>Verify Apps). You can greatly reduce your risk of malware by following some basic guidelines:

1. Avoid shady sites (like gambling or porn).
2. Never click on anything in a popup, especially if it's trying to scare you into thinking that you're loaded with viruses and have to install some lousy antivirus app that just happens to be suggested in the popup.
3. Don't download apk installer files from filesharing sites. Not only is it a good way to get malware, but it also supports piracy.
4. Read at least some of the reviews on the Google Play or Amazon Appstore app page--see if any reviewers complain about adware or suspected malware.

 

[xocomaox]

Also, you can check to make sure the card isn't some cheap knockoff by running SD Insight.

I love this app! Highly recommended.

 

[tonyvr4]

Wow, looks like I need to get a better sd card. SDInsight returned the following information:
Manufacturer: SD Card is Invalid
Model: APPSD
Size: 134GB
Manufacture Date: Nov 2014

Is this a knock off brand, even though I was told it was high quality when I bought it

 

[tonyvr4]

I checked my phone security setting and the "verify apps" is selected. I wouldn't even go near any of those questionable sites anyway.

 

[B. Diddy]

What size does the card say it is? Does it claim to be a 256 GB card or something? If it's 128 GB or lower, then something is certainly fishy in the state of Denmark. I'd try a different one. Sandisk is probably the most reliable brand, as long as you buy it from a reputable retailer (and not some seller on eBay).

 

[tonyvr4]

The card says 128GB. I had looked into a 256GB card but could not find any I could afford
I am looking for brand name cards that I can afford.

Can I just copy everything off the sd card to my pc and back onto the new card?
Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

You should be able to, as long as you already ran chkdsk on the original card. You might also want to run an antivirus scan on those files when they're on your computer.

 

[tonyvr4]

I did that the other day but will do it again when I have the new card.
I just need to find one that I can afford