How to Recover Data from a CFexpress Card

How to Recover Files From CFexpress Card

Your data, in its current state, is vulnerable to permanent loss if you don’t act quickly. Before you jump straight into tackling the problem, you should first perform CFexpress card data recovery using data recovery software to ensure none of your files become permanently lost.

Choosing the right CFexpress recovery software can be challenging, especially if you don’t know what to look for. To help with your search, we’ve chosen a data recovery tool that we believe is best suited for the job.

The ideal data recovery tool, in this situation, should have the following features and capabilities:

• 🗃️ Support for FAT32 and exFAT – CFexpress cards typically use the FAT32 or exFAT file system, so a recovery tool that shows good recoverability from these file systems is a great start.
• ❌ Ability to scan corrupted CFexpress cards – If your CFexpress card has become corrupted or raw, the recovery program must still be able to recognize and scan the device for lost data.
• 🔍 Multiple scan modes – In cases where your CFexpress card is particularly damaged, you may need to rely on more in-depth scanning methods, like a signature scan, to get your files back.

Disk Drill is our preferred software of choice. It has the ability to scan a wide range of file systems, including FAT32 and exFAT, and it incorporates multiple scan modes into a single click so you recover as much of your data without the added effort of performing separate scans. Furthermore, it can read and scan CFexpress cards even if they suffer from logical damage that’s causing them to not appear in programs like File Explorer. Learn more about the program in our Disk Drill review.

Follow these steps to perform CFexpress card recovery using Disk Drill to restore data from the CFexpress memory card. These steps will be the same for both Windows and macOS users:

1. Download and install Disk Drill.
2. Connect the CFexpress card and select it from the list of devices. Click Search for lost data to begin the scan. If your CFexpress card is in an unstable state, you can also create a byte-to-byte backup of it beforehand using Disk Drill’s free Drive Backup tool.
3. Click the Review found items button once Disk Drill’s scan has finished. If you want to recover everything straight away instead, click Recover all.
4. Choose what files you wish to recover from the CFexpress card. Existing data can be found in the Existing dropdown section. If your file system was intact, you can find your deleted data in the Deleted or lost section. Otherwise, files that were recovered by their signature will be in the Reconstructed section. When you’re ready to proceed, click Recover.
5. Choose a safe recovery location on a separate storage device, then click Next to complete CFexpress card data recovery.

Here at Pandora Recovery, our goal is to help you retrieve your data with as little stress as possible. To help with this, we’re extensively reviewing as many data recovery solutions as we can find. You can explore our wide range of Windows and Mac data recovery software reviews, and compare Windows and Mac recovery solutions to see how they differ. If you’re after a solution that’s tailored to your needs, check out our software picker too.

How to Fix Common CFexpress Card Corruption Problems

Despite your CFexpress card being in a less-than-desirable state right now, the good news is that there are a number of proven solutions you can use to get the CFexpress card back in working condition.

Fix CFexpress Card Errors With Built-in Tools

Many times, your operating system includes repair tools that are intended to address the sort of issues that could be afflicting your CFexpress card. For Windows, this is the error-checking tool. For macOS, this is First Aid. Both are great means of fixing a memory card without formatting.

Windows

The error-checking tool utilizes the functionality of CHKDSK to scan your CFexpress card for errors and attempt to address them.

Follow these steps to perform error checking on your CFexpress card:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Right-click the CFexpress card and click Properties.
3. Click Tools.
4. Click Check.
5. Click Scan and repair drive. Follow the on-screen instructions.

macOS

Disk Utility for macOS includes a First Aid feature that works similarly to error checking in the sense that it’s designed to scan your CFexpress card and repair any problems that it finds.

Here’s a brief rundown of how to use the First Aid feature:

1. Press Command + Spacebar on your keyboard. Type “Disk Utility” and open it.
2. Select your CFexpress card from the left panel, then click First Aid.
3. Click Run.

Repair CFexpress Card File System Corruption

A third-party solution that can repair file system corruption is TestDisk. It’s a free memory card repair tool that may have a chance of fixing the damage and restoring the CFexpress card’s partition, along with the data. Our TestDisk review covers the ins and outs of the program if you want to learn more.

These instructions will guide you through restoring your CFexpress card with TestDisk:

1. Download and extract TestDisk. Launch testdisk_win.
2. Press Enter to create a log file.
3. Highlight your CFexpress card and press Enter to proceed.
4. Select your file system and press Enter.
5. Highlight Analyse and press Enter.
6. Press Enter to begin a quick search.
7. Select the partition and press Enter.
8. Choose the Write option, then press Enter.
9. Press Y to confirm the action.

Format Your CFexpress Card

Formatting a corrupted or problem-prone CFexpress card is usually enough to fix it since it clears everything out, akin to performing a reset of the memory card. However, bear in mind that once a CFexpress card is formatted, all of the data is deleted from it. Therefore, we highly recommend performing data recovery before this step to make sure you don’t lose anything.

Windows

This is how you format a CFexpress card using Disk Management on Windows:

1. Right-click Start and click Disk Management.
2. Right-click the volume of your CFexpress card, then click Format.
3. Enter a volume label and specify what file system you wish to use. Make sure Perform a quick format is ticked and click OK.
4. Click OK to confirm.

macOS

Here’s how you can format a CFexpress card on macOS using Disk Utility:

1. Press Command + Spacebar on your keyboard. Type “Disk Utility” and open it
2. Click View, then Show All Devices.
3. Select your CFexpress card in the left sidebar, then click Erase.
4. Click Scheme, then click GUID Partition Map.
5. Click Format, then choose a file system.
6. Enter a name for the CFexpress card.
7. Click Erase, then Done.

Contact Data Recovery Services

Particularly damaged CFexpress cards may not even allow you to perform data recovery. In cases like this, you should rely on a data recovery service to get the job done for you. This method gives you the highest chance of recovering your data, but it also costs the most. A specialized data recovery service employs the services of recovery specialists who are equipped with the know-how and tools to get your data back safely.

What Is the Difference Between CF and CFexpress Cards?

CFexpress cards are the successor to CF cards, so they come with some considerable differences. The most noticeable difference is performance, as CFexpress cards can read and write data up to 4 GB/second, whereas CF cards cap out at 167 MB/second. This increase in performance makes CFexpress cards ideal for high-performance use, like 4K/8K video recording which CF cards would struggle with. Furthermore, they don’t share the same port, as CF cards are typically larger and thicker compared to CFexpress cards, which are smaller and thinner.

We’ve included a table below that covers some of the most important differences between CF and CFexpress cards: