Summary :
Does your SD card reader fail to work when you insert an SD card to it? Why does this happen? How to fix this issue? In this post, MiniTool shows you 4 solutions to SD card reader not working.
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SD Card Reader Not Working Windows 10
Windows 10 is quite an excellent Windows operating system and many Windows users have chosen to upgrade their system to Windows 10. However, lots of users reported their SD card reader not working on Windows 10.
Hey, my laptop came with Windows 8, but I bought an SSD and downloaded Windows 10 for it. It has a built-in SD card reader but my SD card won’t show up.tom’sHARDWARE forum
- On this page, you can find the official Onn ONA19TB002 USB Driver, which allows you to connect the device during the flashing process or while generally connecting the device to the computer. There are two drivers available for the device, i.e., MediaTek Driver and ADB Driver.
- Download Windows USB 2.0 Drivers Updates. Usually USB 2.0 means a faster connection speed and this is the major difference (generally but not always) between USB1, USB2 and USB3, with the latter providing super speeds of up to 5Gbps. Like all drivers, USB drivers are updated regularly and should be kept up-to-date with major changes or updates.
“Why is my SD card reader not working” may be the most concerned question for these new Windows 10 users. The culprits behind this issue are various, but the most possible factors are a poor connection between SD card and SD card reader, missing SD card driver, and SD card infected with virus.
For most computer issues, you can try restarting your computer to see if the issue has been fixed successfully. So, when running into SD card reader not working on Windows 10, you can try restarting your computer first.
Before restarting your computer, disconnect the external card reader if you are using it to read your SD card and then reconnect it after restarting. See if your SD card reader can work well. If not, you can try the following solutions.
Solutions to SD Card Reader Not Working Windows 10
After learning about the possible factors that lead to SD card reader stopped working on laptop, you can try the following solutions one by one when the built-in SD card reader or the external SD card reader is not working.
- Check the hardware issues.
- Run Windows Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.
- Assign a new drive letter to SD card.
- Update SD card reader driver.
- Clean up virus or malware on SD card.
Fix 1: Check the Hardware Issues
When SD card reader stopped working on Windows 10, you should check the following hardware, including the SD card, SD card reader, the USB cable, etc.
Check the SD card reader
You should make sure that the used SD card reader is compatible with your current operating system (Windows 10). Older readers might be unable to work with the newer operating system.
Apart from the incompatibility between the older reader and the current operating system, the incompatibility between memory card format and the older reader can also lead to SD card reader not working.
Some older memory card reader is unable to recognize the SDHC and SDXC memory card format. Is your SD card reader too old? If yes, you may need to buy a new one and make sure it is compatible with the SDHC or SDXC format or your current operating system (Windows 10).
Check the USB cable
Excluding the above factors, you should check whether the USB cable leads to SD card reader not working if you are using the external SD card reader. To do that, you just need to try to replace the current USB cable with a different one.
Check the SD card
Check whether the gold finger (transmitting signals) on the SD card turns black. If yes, it means that the gold finger has been oxidized and you need to use an eraser to erase the oxide layer.
Then, check if the SD card gets corrupted. If you unplugged SD card while the card was being read, leading to a loss of electrical power to the card, the card may be corrupted. To repair the corrupted, you can read the post Fix Corrupted SD Card with Professional SD Card Repair Tools.
Check the USB port
SD card not working can also be ascribable to the USB port if you are using the external SD card reader. As we know, the external SD card reader needs power through the USB connection when it connects to your computer. However, when the USB port on your computer doesn’t carry enough electrical current to power the reader, the latter will not work.
Therefore, try a different USB port on your computer to see if the SD card reader not working issue could be fixed.
After excluding all the above hardware issues, you can try the following fixes if your SD card reader still does not work.
Fix 2: Run Windows Hardware Devices Troubleshooter
Maybe some potential device issues lead to SD card reader not working on Windows 10. If that is in case, please run the built-in Windows tool – Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. This tool will quickly figure out the device issues.
How to run this tool? Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Insert the SD card into the card reader. Connect the reader to the Windows 10 computer if it is an external SD card reader.
Step 2: Hit the Windows icon and then click the Settings icon from the menu.
Step 3: On the Settings window, click Update & Security.
Step 4: Select Troubleshoot from the left pane of the new window and then find and click Hardware and Devices from the right pane and click the Run the troubleshooter button.
When the tool finishes its work, please see if SD card reader not working has been solved.
Fix 3: Change Drive Letter to SD Card
SD card reader not working can be ascribed to the driver letter confit. For example, the SD card has a drive letter that is D, while the CD/DVD on the computer also uses the same letter.
If the drive letter conflict is the reason for this issue, you can try changing a drive letter to the SD card.
To finish this fix, you can try the Windows built-in tools (Disk Management and Diskaprt) and a third-party program (MiniTool Partition Wizard).
Here I would like to show you how to change drive letter to SD card with MiniTool Partition Wizard. Apart from this function, this program can also help you restore partition on SD card, format 256GB micro SD card to FAT32, and erase an SD card with ease.
If you want to use Disk Management or Diskpart to complete this changing, you can click here.
Step 1: Download the free program by clicking the above downloadable button and then install it and launch it to get its main interface.
Step 2: The SD card will be displayed on Disk Map. Highlight the SD card and then select the Change Drive Letter feature from the left pane. Or right-click the card and select Change Letter.
Step 3: Choose a drive letter that has not been used by other drives from the list. Then, click OK to confirm.
Step 4: Click the Apply button to execute the changes. It will just take a few seconds.
After changing the drive letter to the SD card, check whether the SD card reader still fails to work.
Fix 4: Update SD Card Reader Driver
The fourth reason for “SD card reader stopped working on Windows 10” is that the device driver is outdated, missing or incompatible.
To check whether the device driver is the culprit behind this issue, you can open Device Manager by typing Device Manager in the Cortana’s search bar and selecting the best-matched result.
On the Device Manager window, expand the two places: Disk Drives or Universal Serial Bus controls to see if there is a yellow triangle mark.
If you see a yellow triangle on SD card, it means that your SD card driver goes wrong and you need to replace it with a good one. If not, it means your SD card driver is normal and you can try the following fix to get rid of SD card reader not working.
To update the problematic device driver, you can right-click the target device driver and then select Uninstall device and the Uninstall button. After that, right-click Disk drives and then click Scan for hardware changes to refresh the device driver.
Once the device driver has been updated, you can check whether your computer can detect the SD card reader.
Fix 5: Clean up Virus or Malware on SD Card
If you have tried all the above fixes and you still cannot see your SD card on your computer when you put it into the SD card reader, it is possible that your SD card has been hidden or encrypted on your computer by virus or malware.
Why has your SD card been attacked by virus or malware? The possible reasons include:
- You have connected your SD card to a virus-infected system.
- You have transferred virus-infected files to the memory card.
- You have explored malicious website while using the SD card.
When your SD card gets attacked by virus or malware, you may run into the following situations (including SD card reader not working).
- Files saved in SD card turn into the hidden state.
- The SD card performance becomes sluggish.
- Files miss from the SD card.
- You cannot copy files on the SD card (click here to know more reasons for copy and paste not working).
- You will see error code when accessing the SD card.
- …
Tip: Virus attack is an annoying problem that might happen anywhere and anytime. To keep your data on SD card safe, you need to back up your SD card and scan for virus regularly.
To clean up the virus or malware on your SD card, you need to utilize Command Prompt.
Step 1: Open Command Prompt by pressing Windows + R and typing cmd on the Run window.
Step 2: On the Command Prompt window, type attrib -h -r -s /s /d #:*.* (# means the drive letter of the SD card) and then hit the Enter key to run this command.
After executing this command, your SD card should appear on your computer.
We Want Your Voice
This article comes to an end. Hope all the mentioned fixes can help you solve the issue ‘SD card reader not working’. If you have some doubts when carrying out the above fixes, please do not hesitate to let us know by sending an email to via [email protected] and we will replay to you as soon as possible.
If you have other feasible solutions to the SD card reader not working, please leave them in the following comment zone to help other users who run into the same issue.
SD Card Reader Not Working FAQ
The possible reasons for card reader not working are:
- The reader is incompatible with your operating system or memory card.
- The drive letter conflicts with other drives.
- The driver of card reader is outdated or missing.
- Your card gets virus attack.
- The connection between the SD card and your computer is poor due to the damaged USB port, USB cable, and card reader.
- Your Sd card has been write-protected.
- The drive letter of your SD card is missing.
- The driver of SD card is corrupted.
- The partition on SD card is missing.
- Your SD card is corrupted.
- Check the SD card health by using the CHKDSK command or MiniTool Partition Wizard.
- Reassign a drive letter to the SD card.
- Update the SD card driver.
- Remove the write protection of the SD card.
To recover the data from the corrupted SD card with ease, you can utilize MiniTool Partition Wizard. The detailed steps are list in the post Hard Drive Recovery - Recover Lost Data and Restore Lost Partitions.
6 Fixes| USB Device Malfunctioned and Not Recognized
Here is the solutions to the USB device malfunctioned and is not recognized issue. If you are having this USB device error, don't worry. Quick access to the methods below to make your USB recognizable and work again.
Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
---|---|
Fix 1. Unplug Computer | Shut down computer > Unplug the power cable...Full steps |
Fix 2. Change USB Cable/Port | Check all the available USB cables and ports...Full steps |
Fix 3. Uninstall Device Driver | Navigate to the Driver tab, choose Uninstall...Full steps |
Fix 4. Update Device Driver | In Device Manager > Choose Update Device Driver...Full steps |
For More Fixes | Change USB settings and reinstall USB driver...Full steps |
'USB device not recognized' is an error that usually occurs to the Windows computer when you plug in a USB device. When Windows generates such an error, the USB will not show up on your computer, and you can't access your data. In different situations, the error is followed by different messages.
'The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it.'
'One of the USB devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it. For assistance in solving this problem, click this message.'
How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized in Windows
If your device is not recognized at the moment, you can try the below six solutions to make it show up again. We strongly recommend you follow the sequence. Because there are many reasons might lead to Windows failed to recognize the USB device, each method corresponds to a different reason.
Fix 1. Unplug your computer
It sounds like a piece of cake thing to do, but it works! For most unrecognized USB devices, there is typically nothing wrong. A computer restart could solve it. This way is meant to reboot the motherboard, which has all of the computer hardware connected to, including the USB ports. Rebooting the motherboard usually helps solve the temporary insufficient power supply for outside devices.
Step 1. Cut your computer power at its source, which is unplugging your computer from the wall outlet.
Step 2. Leave the computer alone for a few minutes, and then replug it in the wall outlet for a restart.
Step 3. Now check if the computer can detect the USB device and assign a drive letter to it.
If this fix failed, don't panic, the next methods are also doable.
Fix 2. Change the USB port
Is the computer's USB port working properly? You need to check the available USB ports one by one to see whether it is a computer hardware problem or a problem with the device itself. If changing to another port solves the problem, then there is something wrong with the previous port. You can give up that broken port, or send your computer for repair.
Fix 3. Uninstall USB device driver to make USB recognized
This method solves the problem that the currently loaded USB driver becomes unstable or damaged. But uninstalling the driver could result in a total disability of all the USB ports, take care of this method.
Step 1. Right-click on the Windows logo and choose Device Manager.
Step 2. Now find and expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Now right-click on any of the USB drivers and click Uninstall. Do for all USB drivers one by one.
Step 3. Now, restart your PC. The USB drivers will automatically re-install and solve the corrupted USB devices problem.
Fix 4. Update/Rollback a device driver
Device Manager operation is another widely suggested way to troubleshoot a non-recognizable USB device on Youtube and IT forums. Does this method apply to your situation? Go on to have a check.
Step 1. Right-click on the Windows logo and choose Device Manager.
Step 2. Expand 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers' and you will see the item called 'Generic USB Hub'. Righ-click on the first Generic USB Hub and choose 'Properties'.
Step 3. Now, navigate to the 'Driver' tab, choose 'Update Driver'.
Step 4. When asked how do you want to search for driver software, there are two options.
1. Search automatically for updated driver software
This way is an automatic update by Windows. When it is finished, all you need to do is to disconnect the USB device, restart the computer and reconnect the USB device again. Windows will install the latest driver for you.
2. Browse my computer for driver software
When you choose this option, you need to continue with the other pop-up 'let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.'
From the list, select Generic USB hub, which normally the only choice. Click 'Next' and then Windows will install the driver for you.
- Tip
- If updating the driver doesn't help solve the USB device problem, try to update each Generic USB Hub until updated all for once.
In the same path to update the driver, you can also try to roll back to the previous driver before the error occurs. Instead of selecting 'Update Driver' in the 'Driver' tab, choose 'Roll Back Driver' this time.
The changes made on the computer power and the device driver should take effect, and your USB device will no longer report issues. Otherwise, try the rest three methods one by one.
Fix 5. Change the USB Selective Suspend Settings
Onn Usb 2.0 Hub Driverr Download
Another possible reason why your USB got malfunctioned is the hub driver suspends the USB automatically. In this case, change the USB selective suspend settings could help.
Step 1. Right-click on the Windows icon and click Power Options.
Step 2. In the Choose or customize a power plan windows, click Change plan setting.
Step 3. In the Edit Plan Settings window, click Change advanced power settings.
Onn Usb 2.0 Hub Driversb 2 0 Hub Driver
Step 4. In the Power Options window, find and expand USB settings, expand USB selective suspend settings and Disable both On battery and Plugged in settings.
Step 5. Then Click Apply and OK to save the settings.
Fix 6. Fix USB Root Hub
The USB root hub is the software driver that lets you connect multiple USB peripherals to your computer. Most computers have multiple root hubs so you can share the data bus across multiple devices. So if the computer cannot recognize your USB drive, you can try to fix the USB root hub.
Step 1. Open Device Manager. Find the Universal Serial Bus controllers option and single-click it to expand.
Step 2. Find the USB Root Hub option in this category. Right-click it and choose Properties.
Step 3. Go to the Power Management tab and uncheck the 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power' option. Then click OK to save your change.
Further Troubleshooting: Data Recovery
Onn Usb 2.0 Hub Driver Update
Those six ways we mentioned above are all the possible ways said to be helpful to fix the 'USB device malfunctioned and not recognized' error.
If one of the fixes worked, you should be able to access your USB and use the saved data again.
If you have solved the problem but find data missing happened with your USB flash drive. You need third-party software to retrieve your data. Here, EaseUS disk data recovery can help even when your USB device is listed in disk management but not showing up on your computer. The program works well in Windows 10/8/7/XP and other previous versions.
Step 1. Run USB Data Recovery Software
Connect the USB flash drive to your computer and launch EaseUS USB data recovery software on your PC. Select the USB drive which is labeled as a removable disk, and click 'Scan' to start looking for your lost files.
Step 2. Scan and Search Lost Files on a USB Drive
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will thoroughly scan your USB flash drive and find all your lost data on it. When the scan process completes, use the Filter feature to filter by a specific file type. This program allows you to check and preview files found on your USB.
Step 3. Restore All Lost Files from USB
A double-click will allow you to preview the scan results. Select the target files to restore and click 'Recover' to save them to a secure location on your PC or other external storage devices.
To retrieve data from USB devices, we suggest you save retrieved files to another secure location in case of further problems.
Bonus Tip: Format USB to NTFS/FAT32 and recreate partition on USB
Some people encountered more serious issues than once. They said the same USB device starts malfunctioning again after a short period of time after the repair. If this is the case, formatting and recreating a new partition can help.
- Connect the USB to the PC, right-click on This PC/My Computer and select Manage.
- Enter Device Manager, select Disk Management, locate and right-click on your malfunctioned USB, and select Format volume...
- Complete the Format process and set the file system to NTFS or FAT32.
Now you can check if the USB shows up on your computer or not, if not, continue with the steps below:
- Open Disk Management, right-click on USB, and select Delete Volume, complete the process.
- When USB shows as unallocated, right-click on it and select New Simple Volume, set the drive letter and file system (NTFS/FAT32) for it, and complete the process.
After this, you should access the USB drive on your PC and save data on it again.
Video Tutorial: Make USB Recognized by Yourself
This video collects 4 reliable solutions that are introduced above and you can also follow them to fix USB device not recognized issues by yourself.