[Simulated (OP)]

I have a SD card for my video camera, it doesn't read it from the camera so I have to pull it out everytime I want to move videos from it and put it in a reader (which is kind of dumb because it reads the 2gb one) but anyways, because i've been doing that for a year now it got to the point where it has lines on the metal part from the taking it in and out all the time. it won't read it in the reader, it says it needs to be formated, but if i do it i'll lose everything and i have some stuff i need off of it. and it won't even recognize it in the camera anymore.
is there anything I can do to make it work?

[Bored chemist]

Do you have a really steady hand, some conductive paint and a "dock" that you don't mind risking?

[Simulated (OP)]

I have two readers, I could tear one apart, i beileve that's what you mean by dock.
Conductive paint, I'll go find out..

[RD]

... it won't read it in the reader, it says it needs to be formated, but if i do it i'll lose everything and i have some stuff i need off of it. and it won't even recognize it in the camera anymore. is there anything I can do to make it work?

I'd hold off with the silver paint as this could be corrupted data, (software fault not hardware fault).
There are programmes (and companies) who salvage data from corrupted media, (e.g. SD cards).

[nicephotog]

Why not stuff some sleeves of paper behind it in the slot to make it contact???
I always did that with my old phone SIM.

[RD]

I've found a free programme which can recover data from corrupted cards ...

Recuva (pronounced "recover") is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted by user error from digital camera memory cards or MP3 players. It will even bring back files that have been deleted by bugs, crashes and viruses!

http://www.recuva.com/

Unlike the programmes I linked to above this one is fully functional.
Recuva was able to recover voice recordings on my mp3 player I had "deleted" a few months ago ...

  [ Invalid Attachment ]
[ignore the dates, they're spurious]

It also works a treat on "deleted" files in the recycle bin.