The dash cam was there for exactly this moment. Then you put the memory card into your computer and nothing happens. Or you get an error, or Windows asks to format it, or the clip from the accident isn’t there.

Don’t give up on the footage yet. Dash cam cards fail in fairly predictable ways, and the video can often still be recovered. Below are the steps that give you the best chance, and the mistakes that can make it impossible.

First: stop the dash cam from recording over it

Most dash cams record in a loop. When the card is full, the camera deletes the oldest clips and keeps going. If the camera is still in the car and powered on, it may be recording over the footage you need every time you drive.

Take the card out of the dash cam as soon as you can, or unplug the camera so it can’t power on with the car.
Don’t drive with the same card in the camera while you sort this out. If you need a working dash cam, use a different card.
Don’t delete, format or “repair” anything on the camera. Many dash cams have a format option in the menu, and some show a “card error, format now?” message. Say no.

Step 1: Check whether the clip was saved as an event

Many dash cams have a G-sensor that detects an impact and moves the clip into a protected folder, so the loop recording doesn’t overwrite it. If the card can be read at all, look for a folder with a name like Event, EMR, Emergency, Locked or Protected, not just the regular video folder.

Also check whether your dash cam has a phone app, cloud upload or built-in memory. Some models keep a copy of event clips there.

Step 2: Try a different reader before anything else

Dash cams usually use microSD cards, and the problem is sometimes the reader, not the card.

Try a different card reader or adapter. Cheap microSD-to-SD adapters fail often.
Try another computer, or a phone that takes microSD cards.
If the card shows up, copy everything off it first, then look at the files from the copy, not the card.

Why the card won’t read

Wear. A dash cam writes to its card constantly, every time you drive. Memory cards have a limited number of write cycles, and dash cam cards use them up much faster than cards in a phone or camera.
Heat and cold. A card in a parked car can go through extreme temperatures, which shortens its life.
Power loss during a crash. If power was cut in the accident while the camera was writing, the card’s file system can be left damaged. The last clip may be there but not finished properly.
Physical damage. A crash or a hard knock can crack a microSD card or damage its contacts.

When the files are there but won’t play

Sometimes the card reads, and the files are there, but the clip from the accident won’t open or shows an error. This often happens with the clip that was being recorded at the moment power was cut. The camera never got to finish writing the file, so it’s missing the part that tells a player how to play it.

The video data inside is usually still there and can often be repaired without losing quality. Keep the original file and don’t run it through converters that save over it.

What not to do

Don’t format the card, in the dash cam or on a computer, even if you’re told it’s needed to use the card.
Don’t keep putting the card back into the dash cam to “see if it works.” The camera may start recording, and that can overwrite what’s left.
Don’t run disk repair tools like CHKDSK on the card. They can delete damaged files they don’t understand.
Don’t install recovery software on, or recover files to, the same card. Read Is It Safe to Use Data Recovery Software? before trying any.
Don’t bend, open or solder anything on a damaged card.

If you need the footage for insurance or police

Keep the card as it is and store it somewhere safe, away from heat and moisture. Write down where and when it was taken out of the dash cam, and don’t edit or trim the original files. If you do get a copy off the card, keep the original files unchanged as well.

When to get professional help

It’s time to stop and get help if:

The card isn’t detected in any reader
The computer asks to format it, or shows it as RAW or the wrong size
The card is cracked, bent or was damaged in the accident
The accident clip is missing or won’t play, and you need it

Disklab is a data recovery lab in St. Louis, on Olive Blvd. You can drop off your device or ship it to us from anywhere in the US.

Disklab recovers data from memory cards and flash media, including microSD cards that no computer will recognize. Dash cam card won’t read? Start a recovery case or call us at +1 (844) 347-5522. The evaluation is free, and you pay only if we recover your data.

The Dash Cam Recorded the Accident, but the Card Won’t Read. Now What?