S20 Aug 1 2022 security update - Encrypted SD Card no longer accessible

[ChessM]

How do you recover an encrypted SD card that is no longer accessible after the Aug 1  2022 security patch level?

The card no longer understands that it is encrypted, so I can not access any of my music and pictures stored there.

The system now thinks the card is not encrypted, so it can not read old data, but can still write new data to the card, which is readable....

Factory unlocked S20

[ChessM]

I might add that I too have the stuck "Checking SD Card"

Currently using a new SD card not encrypted with the hopes that next month's security update will fix the issue without resorting to a factory reset.

[sam_ay246]

Yeah it sounds like we just have to make bug reports on Samsung Members and hope they fix it 😕

[FoodMachine498]

Hi, anyone having any luck with this?

I'm having a similar issue where the files are all visible on a Windows 10 PC with the file structure and names, but nothing can open them.

However, the S20 is saying that there's no SD card inserted, but it'll see a different SD card.

[ChessM]

Can you encrypt a new SD card? 

I just get the checking error and it will not encrypt.

[FoodMachine498]

*Disclaimer: this worked for me, but do at your own risk!*

TL:DR - basically the phone seems to encrypt SD cards with the same key (different per reset?) so when it encrypts (even a copy?) of the encrypted data, it'd re-enable access.

1. Power phone off
2. Remove encrypted SD card and load into Windows 10 PC (I used an USB SD card adaptor)
3. (My issue was that I can see all files but they can't be opened) Copy files to a folder on the PC (in my case I tested with photos and videos I wanted to retrieve)
4. Safely remove this encrypted SD card from Windows and keep it safe for now.
5. Insert a different SD card into phone so the phone makes the Android folder structure on this new, unencrypted SD card
6. Remove this new SD card and load it into Windows
7. Copy the encrypted files from Windows PC to this new, unencrypted SD card (in my case into the DCIM folder). Make sure it's a copy in case anything goes wrong.
8. Insert this unencrypted SD card into the powered off phone
9. Boot the phone into Safe Mode (Power Off -> Hold Volume Down + Power -> Release Power but keep Volume Down pressed when Samsung logo appears)
10. Go to settings and encrypt this unencrypted SD card with a _copy_ of your files
11. I then had access to the files again
12. Plug phone into Windows PC and back up files 😅
13. Lesson learned to backup my files more regularly, or use secure, auto cloud backups.

[ChessM]

Sadly this didn't work for me.  Once in safe mode as described above - Never got past Checking SD card........