sdcard + android: Pics disappear

Question: #

inserted 128gb sd from sony or similar looses files after 6 monyhs. eg i open gallery and see either
a) a thumb and click and see shortly - then pic disappears.
b) immediately the placehosder for thumbs becaouse not even these are not visble.
as far as i recognize is b) appearing later as a) now, when i unmount and remount card then thumbs and pics appear again.
then after some time a) happens than b)

what can i do to
a) have a fully workin sd or
b) slow a comin death (if the case) or
c) save data nondestructive

Question: #

if we talk bout a) Filesystem Level b) OS/Driver Cache and Indexing: c) Media Scanner / Media Store Database: d) App Layer:

and pics are visible sometime, than prob is not in a) but rather b or c as we excluded d)

u believe that too and how could we fix b or c or at least circumvent

How to fix or circumvent issues in b) and c): #

1. Force Media Rescan #

• On Android, media files become visible to apps because the media scanner indexes them.

• You can manually trigger media scanning on the SD card to force Android to update its media database:

  • Using ADB shell:

    adb shell
    am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED -d file:///storage/XXXX-XXXX
    

    Replace XXXX-XXXX with your SD card’s mount ID.

  • Or use third-party apps from Play Store (e.g., "Scan Media", "Rescan Media") that force media rescanning.

• Rescanning often restores missing thumbnails/files temporarily.

2. Clear Media Storage Data #

• Sometimes the Media Storage app’s database or cache becomes corrupted.

• You can clear its data to force a full rebuild:

  • Go to Settings > Apps > Show system apps > Media Storage.

  • Tap Storage > Clear Data (this will remove the media index).

  • Then reboot the phone; Media Storage will rebuild its database (this may take several minutes during which media may appear missing).

4. Avoid Interrupting the Media Scanner #

• Prevent unmounting or removing the card during scans.

• Regularly reboot the device to allow fresh scans.

6. Advanced: Use a File Manager App #

• File managers show raw filesystem content, bypassing media store.

• Apps like “Solid Explorer” or “Total Commander” can browse the card directly, confirming whether files truly exist regardless of media scanner state.