How To Identify A Fake Memory Card (SD Card)

One thing is to buy a memory card and another thing is to buy an original one. Memory card sellers are not helping matters as they use their sweet marketing tricks to deceive unsuspecting customers who are novice when it comes to identifying an original memory card.

Imagine yourself buying a memory card and using it for only one day and it started giving you headache and you start experiencing memory card corrupted or formatting issues. Imagine buying a 32gb or 64gb SD card and in short time it starts misbehaving. Some memory card will be written 16gb but when you insert it on your phone, you will only see 2gb. That is crazy.

There are a lot of fake SD cards out there in the market and many people fall victims to this. Buying SD cards with one problem or the other. One of the most annoying experience is memory cards that worked perfectly when tested in the store but once you get back home, it starts giving one problem or the other. But relax, I will show you how to detect a fake SD with some tools such as SD Insight and H2testw. But before then, see the first steps you will take while buying an SD card

THE BEST WAY TO BUY SD CARD
* Ask for warranty
This will make the seller to be cautious because he knows he will loose if anything goes wrong with the sd card within the warranty period. Some sellers will not even sell the product to you again immediately you demand for warranty. They will stylishly chase you away because they know that their product is not original.

* Test the SD card at the shop
This is if you are not buying it online. It is important you test your new SD card right in front of the seller. Try to receive a file into the sd card, check the memory space and others.
However, if you are buying from online stores like Jumia and Konga, you can place your order and pay when the SD card gets to you fine.

HOW TO DETECT A FAKE OR FAULTY SD CARD

1. With SD Insight
It is extremely difficult to know a fake or original SD card by mere staring at it. The packaging is confusing and will look like original to you but with SD insight app, you will identify a fake or an original SD card. The application is free, fast and easy-to-use mobile app. It is used to view SD card manufacturing details, the original size of the memory card and many other vital information you need to know about your memory card.

How To Use SD Card Insight
Put the memory card inside your phone and in seconds the memory card information will be shown to you on the phone screen in a simple format understandable by anyone.

1. You can download SD Insight right from Google Play store buy searching for the word SD card insight
2. Once you have installed the app, Insert any SD card that you want to test into your Android smartphone.

3. Now Launch the installed SD Insight application. Immediately, you will see the information about your SD card including the manufacturers, product name, manufacturing date and real size in a format that you will understand

4. Finally, you can click the menu button to view more real information about the memory card

5. Assuming you have more than one SD cards in your phone, you will easily be able to also see the details for each SD card.

6. Not just seeing the real size and manufacturing date but you can also look into the validation period of the memory card against the class rating for the minimum data transfer rate for example, the Class 2,  class 4, class 6 and  the class 10 SD cards

SEE ALSO: How To Repair a Damaged Sdcard

2. Checking Fake SD Card With H2testw Software
H2testw is simply a PC software that is used to test fake memory devices like SD cards, flash drives and even hard drives. It is a free application that requires no payment. You can download and install it on your PC and it will be a great tool for you anytime you want to check your memory devices.

How Does H2testw Work?
This great tool works by filling the chosen target drive with test data and then reads this data back to verify it the originality in it. It displays all the information you need including errors found on the SD card or memory drive as the case may be.

WHERE TO DOWNLOAD H2testw?
Download h2testw here.