SD Card is Full or not Accessible - 6 Ways to Fix 💡

Are you also facing the issue of “SD card is full or not accessible”? Read this informative guide to learn the 5 best ways to resolve this SD card problem. Moreover, we will help you understand the primary reasons behind this problem.

SD cards have flexible uses in smartphones, which include storing various files in them. However, while taking pictures, you might have faced a concerning error of "SD card is full or not accessible." 

This problem might have occurred due to multiple reasons, which include virus infection, corrupted files, and bad sector accumulation. To counter the space issues with your SD card, look across the comprehensive fixes from EaseUS to understand why it becomes inaccessible.

SD Card is Full or Not Accessible? How to Fix?

Provided next are some comprehensive fixes that can be used to resolve the issue of "SD card is full or not accessible." These 6 fixes will help you get hold of the unavailable space to save more data in the SD card:

Way 1. Clear Cache

If you encounter the "SD card is full or inaccessible" error while using your phone, clearing the cache is a wise first option. Cache data refers to junk or temporary files taking up space on your device. To clear all cached data on your phone, go to Settings and tap Storage & Memory. Next, click Cache or Cache Data. You will then have the option to clear your cache. Confirm your choice when prompted. You can find more details in this video from Republic Wireless:

Way 2. Change Drive Letter for SD Card

The issue in reading the proper available space of an SD card can occur if the target disk in your computer does not have a drive letter. To remove this error, you need to change or assign a new drive letter. For beginners, a third-party tool is a reliable choice since it's easier to use. EaseUS Partition Master can assign a new drive letter to an SD card with its Change Drive Letter feature. 

To know how EaseUS Partition Master makes it easy to change the drive letter for an SD card, follow the basic guidelines provided below:

Step 1. Run EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the target partition, and choose "Change Drive Letter".

Step 2. In the new window, click the down arrow and choose a drive letter for the partition from the drop-down menu, then click "OK".

Step 3. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the top-left corner, check the changes, and click "Apply" to change the drive letter of the selected partition.

This is how to change or assign drive letters for SD cards. It is advisable to download EaseUS Partition Master for better management of your SD card instead of using conventional methods.

Way 3. Run Windows Repair Tool

Another effective direction that you can extend to resolve the "SD card is full or not accessible" error is using the built-in Windows Repair Tool. While this is available in the File Explorer, learn how to utilize this solution for discovering the issues in SD card drives:

Step 1. Launch File Explorer on your PC and right-click on your SD card drive. Then, tap on the "Properties" option and press the "Check" button under the "Error Checking" section from the "Tools" tab.

Step 2. After that, proceed with the "Scan and Repair Drive/Scan Drive" feature and let the Windows Repair tool fix all the SD card-related problems.

Way 4. Run CHKDSK Command

The known CHKDSK command can be an effective remedy to the problem of "SD card is full or not accessible." While this command can be used for fixing disk errors, get to know the instructions that will help you resolve this problem:

Instructions: Search for Command Prompt and tap on the "Run as administrator" option from the right panel. Afterward, run the "CHKDSK SD: /f" command, where SD is the drive letter assigned to your SD card.

Way 5. Adjust Local Group Policy Editor Access SD Card

The Local Group Policy can serve as a good option for resolving the "SD card is full or not accessible" error. There is a possibility that the wrong policy settings might have caused issues with your SD card. To fix this problem, follow the directions mentioned below to adjust the group policy settings on your Windows device.

Step 1. Press the "Windows" and "R" keys simultaneously to launch the Run dialog box. Next, type the "gpedit.msc" command and press the "OK" button to launch Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2. Then, use the provided path to access the required policies for accessing the SD card: Computer Configuration > Administrative Template > System > Removable Storage Access. After that, locate the "Removable Disks: Deny execute access," "Removable Disks: Deny read access," and "Removable Disks: Deny write access" policies to modify them.

Step 3. Right-click on one of the located policies and change the status to "Disabled." To complete the process, repeat this instruction for each of the mentioned policies and restart your computer to check the SD card is not an accessible problem.

Do share these remedies with your friends to help them fix this issue if they ever come across this while operating their SD cards.

Way 6. Format SD Card - 3 Options

If you are left with no options after trying all the solutions provided above, you might have to format your SD card. Although this removes all sorts of data present in your SD card, this is the only direction you're left with to fix the "SD card is full or not accessible" issue:

Option 1. Use EaseUS Partition Master

EaseUS Partition Master has been introduced as an exceptional disk management software for users above. This tool can also be used for formatting your SD cards properly. Instead of using the conventional methods, try using the "Format" feature offered in EaseUS Partition Master for effective execution.

Not only this, it provides an "Undo" button for reverting back to the operation if you have changed your mind. If you are seeking a guide to format your SD card using EaseUS Partition Master, go through the detailed steps provided below:

Step 1. Find your SD card and right-click the partition you want to format and choose "Format".

Step 2. Set a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click "OK".

Step 3. Click "Yes" on the pop-up window to continue.

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button on the toolbar, then click "Apply" to start formatting your SD card.

Since EaseUS Partition Master makes it efficient and easy for you to manage operations like formatting your SD card or checking your SD card for errors, you should consider downloading this tool on your computer.

Option 2. Use File Explorer

Apart from using efficient methods, you can still opt for conventional techniques. Discover the proficient guidelines for using File Explorer to format your SD card:

Instruction: To format the SD card on File Explorer, open File Explorer and choose the "Format" option by right-clicking on your SD card drive. Next, customize the settings like Capacity, File System, NTFS, and Allocation Unit Size for your SD card. After setting all the required formatting settings, press the "Start" button.

Option 3. Use CMD

To format an SD card, you can also use a Command Prompt for processing. Learn the basic steps to execute this method below:

Step 1. Run Command Prompt as admin by typing "Command Prompt" in the Windows search box and clicking the "Run as administrator" option.

Step 2. After that, you need to execute the following series of commands in a step-by-step manner:

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk X (X refers to the disk letter for SD card)
• clean
• create partition primary
• format fs=file format

Why Is My SD Card Not Accessible?

If you are facing the issue of "SD card is full or not accessible," there are many reasons that are involved in it, such as: 

• Improper Ejection or Insertion: It is possible that you have improperly inserted or ejected the SD card in your computer.
• Manufacturing Fault: There is a chance that the SD card has a manufacturing defect, which is leading to this issue.
• Data Interruption: Interruptions in data transfers can make your card inaccessible as it can cause malfunctions.
• Bad Sector Accumulation: If there is any bad sector in your SD card, this will cause severe issues with its overall space.

Conclusion

The SD card is not accessible, and the file or directory is corrupted and unreadable. Under this case, you are not able to use this SD card and your access will be denied. This article has provided all relevant details of the issue of "SD card is full or not accessible." Along with learning the basic reasons that have caused the error, you have also gone through defining solutions that can help you make your SD card operable.

Among the top solutions, you have discovered EaseUS Partition Master as the prominent remedy to this case. This disk management software helps you resolve such SD card issues and even format it when required.

SD Card Inaccessible FAQs

If you are still having some questions involving the "SD card is full or not accessible" issue, provided below are some answers that might resolve your queries:

1. Why does my SD card say that it's full?

There are several reasons why your SD card will show itself as fully occupied. This can be due to bad sectors within the SD card that are causing distinctive issues. Furthermore, if a virus is involved in your SD card, it might also lead to such problems. Having a corrupted file system also leads to this problem in managing your SD card.

2. How do I fix my SD card that says full?

The SD card that says full but does not show any data can be fixed by using the following fixes:

Fix 1. There might be some hidden files on your SD card. To unhide them, tap the "View" tab on File Explorer and enable the "Hidden Box" option to view all the hidden data on your SD card.

Fix 2. If an error is stopping you from accessing the SD card, right-click on it and choose the "Properties" option. Afterward, access the "Tools" tab and click the "Check" button to run the Windows Repair Tool to fix SD card drive errors.

Fix 3. You can also format the SD card to resolve this problem. Right-click on your SD card from the File Explorer and proceed with the "Format" feature. Next, specify the required settings and tap the "Start" button.

3. What should I do if my SD card says full, but it's empty?

If you are facing the issue of "SD card is full or not accessible," it is advisable to use EaseUS Partition Master. As the issue might redirect to not having a proper drive letter, this can be resolved with EaseUS Partition Master.