Storage media · Sony TOUGH exFAT SDXC card
Recover files from a Sony TOUGH SDXC card
How can I recover media from a Sony TOUGH SDXC card?
Short answer
Yes, usually, while the card still reads stably: the rugged TOUGH housing does not change logical recovery, which needs readable exFAT metadata and intact media blocks. Scan read-only for ARW, JPEG or XAVC S and HS clips. Note that File Recovery Hero is not Sony's separate File Rescue utility.
The situation
Supported photo or video files are deleted or hidden on the card.
The sealed one-piece TOUGH body protects the card against water, bending and dust. It does nothing for a deleted directory entry. Logical recovery still needs the same two conditions as on any card: exFAT metadata the reader can parse, and media blocks that no later recording has claimed.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
Sony bodies write ARW stills and XAVC S or XAVC HS clips into their own folder tree. When files vanish, it is usually because playback deletion removed the entries, because the camera formatted the card between shoots, or because an ingest was interrupted. In each case the management area changes and the picture and clip data remain in the free space until something new is recorded.
TOUGH construction does not alter logical recovery: readable exFAT metadata and intact media blocks are still required.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Eject the card from the camera and keep it out; the TOUGH housing has no lock switch that could prevent writes for you.
- 2
Confirm from the manual or the camera menu which formats the body produced, ARW stills, XAVC S clips or XAVC HS clips.
- 3
Scan the exFAT volume read-only through a reliable reader and select exactly those formats, leaving the card mounted only for the duration of the scan.
- 4
Write the results to another drive and check the file numbering against the last images and clips you remember shooting.
Do not hand the card back to the camera for a repair or format prompt, and do not confuse this with the separate file rescue utility Sony distributes for its own cameras. File Recovery Hero is an independent product, and installing any software onto the card itself is a mistake.
03 / Choose the method
Match the tool to the source
For stable, readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 or uncompressed IMG, DD, RAW and BIN images.
Unconfirmed exports are marked .UNVERIFIED.
A TOUGH card that survived its accident physically but no longer mounts, stalls or reports a wrong capacity needs a laboratory rather than software. File Recovery Hero reads stable exFAT, NTFS and FAT volumes and uncompressed images of them; it repairs no individual file.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
An ARW is good when a raw converter builds the full-size image and the exposure data is present, not when a preview thumbnail alone appears. A clip is good when it plays from start to end at the expected frame rate, with sound, and matches the runtime the camera displayed.
Keep the source until two verified copies exist. One working preview is not enough.
Sources and technical references
FAQ
Questions about this recovery case
Can Sony TOUGH exFAT SDXC card be recovered in this situation?+
The sealed one-piece TOUGH body protects the card against water, bending and dust. It does nothing for a deleted directory entry. Logical recovery still needs the same two conditions as on any card: exFAT metadata the reader can parse, and media blocks that no later recording has claimed. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not hand the card back to the camera for a repair or format prompt, and do not confuse this with the separate file rescue utility Sony distributes for its own cameras.
Does scanning write to my memory card?+
Your memory card is only read. Nothing is saved to it.
How do I know whether the result is complete?+
An ARW is good when a raw converter builds the full-size image and the exposure data is present, not when a preview thumbnail alone appears.