If you’ve inserted an SD card into your computer but it’s not showing up, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to get it to appear. An SD card not showing up is usually caused by driver issues or the card not being properly inserted. With some simple checks, you should be able to get your computer to recognize the SD card.
Quick Fixes
Here are some quick things to check if your SD card is not showing up:
- Make sure the card is inserted all the way into the card reader slot
- Try reinserting the card into the slot to get a better connection
- Use a different card reader if possible to rule out a faulty slot
- Plug the card reader into a different USB port on your computer
- Check for any obstructions in the card slot that could be preventing full insertion
- Inspect the end of the SD card for any apparent damage or dirtiness
- Try the SD card in another device like a camera to see if it’s working properly
Often reseating the card or trying a different card reader will resolve the issue quickly if it’s just a loose connection or dirt in the port. If you’ve tried these basic steps, but the SD card still isn’t showing up, move on to the driver fixes below.
Update or Reinstall Drivers
Outdated, corrupt, or missing drivers are often the cause of an SD card not appearing. To fix driver issues:
- Check for any Windows updates and install them, as updates often contain driver updates
- Go to Device Manager, find any devices under “Disk drives” related to the SD card reader, and update or reinstall the drivers
- If it’s a built-in SD card reader, update the drivers for the laptop/PC from the manufacturer’s website
- For external USB card readers, update the drivers from the device manufacturer’s website
- Try uninstalling the drivers altogether, restarting your computer, and letting Windows automatically reinstall fresh drivers
The SD card may show up after updating the drivers through Device Manager or reinstalling them. Be sure to get the drivers directly from the manufacturer, like the laptop or card reader maker, to avoid getting faulty drivers from third-party sites.
Change or Assign Drive Letter
If your SD card shows up in Disk Management but not File Explorer on Windows, it likely does not have a drive letter assigned. Here’s how to change or add a drive letter:
- Open Disk Management (press Windows key + R and type “diskmgmt.msc”)
- Right-click the SD card’s partition or volume and choose “Change drive letter and paths”
- Click “Add” to assign a new drive letter
- Select a drive letter from the dropdown that is not being used by another drive
- Click “OK” and the SD card should now appear in File Explorer
This will assign a new drive path like E: or F: so Windows and programs can access the SD card. Make sure not to choose a letter already assigned to another drive.
Format the SD Card
If your SD card shows up in Disk Management but is listed as RAW or unhealthy, it likely needs to be formatted before it’ll work properly. Here’s how to format the card:
- Right-click the SD card’s partition and choose “Format”
- Choose the filesystem – exFAT is ideal for SD cards 32GB and larger
- Give the volume a name if desired
- Tick “Quick Format” to format quickly
- Click “Start” to begin formatting
This will delete all data on the card and reformat it from scratch. After formatting, the card should show up properly when you reopen File Explorer.
Clean the SD Card’s Contacts
If reseating the card hasn’t helped, the SD card slot pins may be dirty or damaged, preventing a connection to the contacts on the card. Try cleaning the contacts gently with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol:
- Lightly dampen a cotton swab with a bit of rubbing alcohol
- Swab along the pins or contacts inside the card slot
- Insert and remove an SD card a few times to scrub the contacts further
- Let any moisture evaporate fully before reinserting your SD card
This can help clean off any corrosion or dirtiness so the SD card can properly connect and be detected again. If the contacts appear damaged or scratched, the card reader may need to be replaced.
Confirm the Card is Unlocked
Some SD cards have a physical write-protect lock on the side that prevents writing data to the card when switched on. Make sure this slider tab is switched off/unlocked if your card has one.
Run Diskpart in Command Prompt
Diskpart is a command-line utility that can help troubleshoot SD card issues. To use Diskpart:
- Open an elevated Command Prompt window (press Windows key + X and select “Command Prompt (Admin)”)
- Type “diskpart” and press enter
- Type “list disk” to show all connected disks and look for your SD card
- Type “select disk x” where x is your SD card’s disk number
- Type “clean” to delete all partitions and format the disk
- Type “create partition primary” to create a new primary partition
- Type “format quick fs=ntfs label=SDCard” replacing ntfs with fat32 or exfat as needed
- Type “assign” to give the volume a drive letter
- Type “exit” when finished
Diskpart will reformat your SD card and attempt to fix any errors. The card should then show up like normal in File Explorer after closing Command Prompt.
Check for Physical Damage
Closely inspect your SD card for any physical damage or cover/door for the card slot that could be obstructing insertion. Issues to look for include:
- chips, cracks, or scratches on the card surface
- bent or misaligned pins on the metal contacts
- any obstruction in the card reader slot
- missing or loose cover for the card reader compartment
- damage to the card reader port if external
If there is obvious physical damage to the card reader or SD card, it will likely need to be replaced to function again. Try using an external USB card reader or new SD card to rule out physical problems.
Restart Your Computer
After making any driver, hardware, or formatting changes, be sure to fully restart your computer to allow changes to take effect.
Restarting will reload all drivers and refresh hardware connections. This can prompt your computer to detect the SD card if it was having trouble finding it previously.
Use a Different Computer
To confirm the SD card itself is not faulty, try inserting it into a different computer or device like a camera. If the card still isn’t recognized, it’s likely a problem with the card and will need to be replaced.
If the card works normally on other devices, the issue is isolated to your computer. You can then be confident that more troubleshooting steps on your computer will resolve the problem.
Recover Data from the Card
If important photos or other data are stored on the SD card, you may wish to try recovering the data before reformatting or replacing the card if possible. Some options for data recovery include:
- Trying data recovery software that can scan and restore deleted files from SD cards
- Using a Linux system to access the SD card data files that can often still be read even if the card appears damaged
- Taking the SD card to a specialist data recovery service for extraction of files in a cleanroom
Recovering the data first before trying other troubleshooting steps gives you the best chance of salvaging anything important on the SD card.
Replace the SD Card
If you’ve exhausted all other troubleshooting, the SD card itself may simply be corrupted or damaged beyond further use. SD cards gradually fail over time with normal wear and tear.
Try replacing the card with a new one if errors persist. It’s a good idea to regularly backup any critical SD card data in case of failure. Always safely eject the card before removing it to prevent possible corruption.
Get a USB Card Reader
As a workaround, you can get an inexpensive USB card reader that can read many types of memory cards and will work independently of an internal laptop card slot.
A USB reader can isolate whether the issue is with the internal card reader or with the SD card itself. External readers connect via a simple USB port that’s easy to replace if needed.
Conclusion
When an SD card is not appearing after insertion into your computer, first make sure it’s fully inserted in the slot and that no obstructions or damage are present. Updating drivers, changing the drive letter, reformatting, and restarting your PC can force detection of the card in many cases.
If the card works normally on separate devices, troubleshoot issues with your card reader hardware and drivers specifically. As a final resort, recover data from the SD card if possible and attempt replacement of the card or acquisition of an external USB card reader which can help isolate the issue.