“I just purchased a memory card (Sony MSA512A), put some songs on it and it was working on my smartphone flawlessly. But, the problem is when I am inserting it into a card reader and attaching it with my PC, the card reader is not showing up on my computer. I am using Windows 10 and when I hit a double click on my card reader, it is asking me to insert a device. Is there any expert who has any idea about what’s happening? Do I need to format my SD card to make it detectable by my computer? Thank you in advance!”
SD card is one of the best and most convenient data storage devices that is being widely used in multiple digital devices like mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras,s, etc. It has the capacity to store large-sized data and there come many circumstances when users need to connect their SD to the computer. However, the problem occurs when their SD card does not appear in Windows File Explorer. Also, the system does not display any notification for the same.
If you are facing the same problem and landed on this page while searching why is my SD card not showing on my computer issue then, stop scratching your head. In this article, we will walk you through some simple and actually working techniques to resolve these issues like micro SD card not detected on my computer. Here is our guide!
Why is My SD Card Not Showing on My Computer?
There could be several reasons behind this error or your SD card might be damaged physically or logically due to several factors. Some common reasons for the same are the following:
Improper Handling: Frequently inserting and removing an SD card from the device while running may corrupt the file system of the SD card.
Lost Drive Letter: An external device without a drive letter cannot be viewed from Windows Explorer. Hence, if your SD card loses its drive letter then, your system will not display it.
Connection Issues: If the SD card is not connected properly to the computer due to a damaged USB port, card reader, adapter then, it cannot be recognized by the computer.
Locked SD Card: In some cases, users make their memory card write protected due to which the computer becomes unable to read or detect it.
Outdated Device Driver: If your Micro SD card not detected by computer but can be accessed by Device Manager with a yellow mark then, it indicates the issues like why is my SD card not showing on my computer with system drivers.
Troubleshooting Why is My SD Card Not Showing on My Computer Issue
If your SD card is not appearing in Windows Explorer after plugging it into our PC’s card reader then, it is a very common problem. Below are some simple tricks to resolve this issue:
Technique 1. Connect SD on Another Computer
After encountering micro SD card not detected my computer error on computer issue, the first thing you should do is connect your memory card to any other computer.
If the SD card is still not detected by another computer then, probably your SD card has some issues that you need to resolve.
If the SD is detected by another computer then, there might be a problem with your previous computer or its USB plugging port.
Technique 2. Assign a Drive Letter to SD Card
In case if your memory card is connected to the computer but not appearing in File Explorer then, you can check it from the Disk Management to make sure whether its drive letter is missing. If it is then, follows the below instructions to assign a drive letter:
- Press Windows + R keys to open the Run wizard
- Enter diskmgmt.msc and hit the Enter button to open Disk Management
- Locate the SD card and hit a right-click on it and select Change Drive and Path… option
- In new pop-up windows, hit the Add button to assign a drive letter to the SD card
Technique 3. Use CHKDSK to Make SD Card Detectable
- First, hit a right-click on My Computer/ This PC and click on Manage >> Disk Management
- Select your device from the drive viewer to check whether your system can detect the SD card. If it is not detectable then, continue using the CHKDSK command with the following steps:
- Press Windows + R keys and type cmd. Hit the Enter button
- Type chkdsk D: / f and press the Enter button. Or, type chkdsk D:/f /offlinescanandfix and press Enter button
Technique 4. Update Your SD Card Drive Letter
Navigate to the Device Manager and if you are finding your SD card here with a yellow sign then, it might be possible that it has a driver issue. Now, you need to update your driver. Below is how to do it:
- Insert your SD card into a card reader and attach it to your computer
- Now, navigate to Control Panel and click on System >> Device Manager. Select Disk drivers
- Here, locate and select your SD card and hit a right-click. Select Uninstall >> Scan for hardware changes. This will refresh the drivers
Technique 5. Change the Write Policy
As discussed above that a write-protected SD card might not be detected by a computer. Hence, below are the instructions to change the written policy of an SD card from the registry editor:
- Press Windows + R keys to open Run
- Type regedit.exe and hit the Enter button
- Now, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlStorageDevicePolicies
- Locate and hit a click on StorageDevicePolicies. If there are no StorageDevicePolicies then, you need to create a folder
- For this hit a right-click on Control and choose New
- Select Key
- After this, name this newly created folder/ key StorageDevicePolicies
- Hit a right-click on StorageDevicePolicies. Select New
- Click DWORD (32 bit) value and name it WriteProtect
- Hit a double click on the WriteProtect value and enter 0 in the value section
- Eventually, hit the OK button and close the registry editor and check if your SD card is detectable or not
Pro Tip: If your SD card is still not detected by your computer then, this means your SD card has some serious issues. Then format your SD card after that use the SysTools SD Card Recovery Tool to recover deleted, corrupted, and formatted data from SD card. This tool resolves all the issues related to data loss from SD cards.
Conclusion
Today, there are thousands of users who are facing issues like Micro SD card not detected my computer. Well, this is so common and here we have disclosed the top 5 tricks to resolve this issue in an efficient manner. Now, users can opt for any solution at their convenience.
