Unexpected Uses for Old SD Cards: Reasons and Solutions
Overview: Do you have an old SD or microSD card (with a suitable adapter)? If so, don’t throw it away—you can do a lot with this compact flash drive. Whether your old SD card has a capacity of 64 MB or 64 GB, you can use this card for many tasks. Smaller cards can be used for media storage, SD printing and digital photo framing. Meanwhile, larger cards can be used to crash-boot your computer, modify your Nintendo Wii, or even install CyanogenMod on your Android device.
For years, SD cards have been a compact, cost-effective storage and media solution for everything from Android phones to digital cameras. At some point, they may even convince you to spend more money and get a durable version. With many console makers skimping on internal storage, SD cards can still serve as external storage for gamers who download games from online stores like the Nintendo Switch. However, every year, more and more other storage options become available to us, such as cloud storage. Recently, SD cards have become less necessary for ordinary people.
What Can SD Cards Be Used For? Reason
- Some applications, such as 4K/8K video, require SD memory cards with very high data transfer rates to ensure maximum performance. Other applications require cards with large storage capacities, such as cards that store 360-degree video. At the same time, consumers demand the lowest cost per gigabyte.
- However, there are still use cases that do not require these additional features, such as industrial applications running on embedded Linux or Windows operating systems or real-time operating systems (RTOS), such as WindRiver VxWorks and QNX.
- On the other hand, industrial and embedded markets such as factory automation, enterprise mobility, transportation, telecom/networking, healthcare, and the Industrial Internet of Things require SD memory cards as powerful storage devices. It is also very stable and can withstand harsh environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures. From -40°C to 85°C.
- These markets don’t require terabytes of storage; a few GB or even 512 MB or less will be enough to store your data. For example, an SD memory card can be used as a boot device for small data files for wireless base stations in mountains or deserts. These markets don’t require terabytes of storage; a few GB or even 512 MB or less will satisfy your data storage needs. For example, an SD memory card can be used as a boot device with a small data file for a wireless base station in the middle of a mountain or desert.
Read More Information: Life Expectancy of Storage Devices Hard Drive and SSD Drive
Unexpected Uses for Old SD Cards? Benefits and Solutions
Luckily, this doesn’t mean you have to send your old SD card to the landfill. Besides the usual media storage functions, you can still use it in unexpected ways today. So, here are a few methods you can consider before reformatting your SD card:
- Encrypted File System
Although many operating systems claim that their security features are sufficient to prevent unauthorized access, it never hurts to be careful, especially with sensitive information. Like flash drives, SD cards can store, transfer, and share encrypted file systems (EFS). Microsoft describes EFS as “an additional layer of security for files and folders.” Among the ways to increase the security of your SD card, the first line of defense is to add a password or PIN. You can then take it to the next level by embedding text files into images, etc.
- Boot Storage
The SD card can be made bootable like an external hard drive. However, SD cards have some important advantages over external hard drives, such as operating in a wider temperature range. For example, some SD card models have a temperature range of -40°F to 185°F.
- Embedded Systems
SD card slots have become less common on laptops in recent years, and manufacturers like Apple have decided to ditch them in favor of thinner designs. While you can still buy dongles to fill this gap, it doesn’t make the process as easy as it used to be, which is a shame when you realize how dongles can be used to run embedded systems. Unlike operating systems, embedded systems are designed to perform one type of task.
Recover Deleted Data from SD Card by SysTools Experts
In case you lose deleted, formatted or damaged data from your SD card, we recommend you use the best SD Card Data Recovery Software. Due to the fast process of recovering lost data from NTFS and FAT files, it always maintains good results after data recovery.
- Download and install the Memory Card Data Recovery Tool.
- Click the “Scan” button and wait for the software to finish scanning.
- View the recovered data on the software panel.
- Select the file you want or save the entire file.
Furthermore, it supports recovering deleted partitions from flash drives on any type of computer, desktop or laptop. You just need to download and install this tool on your Windows computer and follow some steps to restore it.
Also read: How to Remove a Write Protected USB Drive?
Final Conclusion
Finding old SD memory cards is no longer as easy as going to your local electronics store. However, some SD memory card manufacturers still offer legacy SD memory cards and services to support certain industrial markets. In this article, we will discuss the unexpected uses for old SD cards, their benefits and their importance for your business. And if users also want to recover data from an HDD or external hard drive, try the above file recovery software, which can recover lost data with high recovery speeds.
