SD Card Reader Won’t Show in File Explorer? Here’s How to Fix It

You’ll be able to join your SD card reader to your pc utilizing a built-in card reader or an exterior adapter. Nonetheless, at instances, your pc could fail to detect the transportable gadgets. Consequently, your SD card will not present in File Explorer.

Poor contact, driver points, information corruption, and virus an infection are all frequent causes for an SD card not showing within the File Explorer. Listed below are a number of troubleshooting suggestions that will help you repair this problem in your Windows pc.

Causes Why Your SD Card Reader Is Not Engaged on Windows 10

Units could not present up in your File Explorer because of momentary glitches. Nonetheless, if reconnecting the SD card reader would not repair the difficulty, listed here are a number of frequent the reason why it might occur.

• Your SD card reader will not be firmly linked to your pc.
• The SD card file system is corrupted.
• You are utilizing an outdated gadget driver.
• The SD card is contaminated with a virus.
• The SD card is lacking a drive letter.

Thankfully, in case your SD card reader will not be displaying up, you may repair it by following these troubleshooting steps.

1. Clear the SD Card and Adapter

If you happen to haven’t used your SD card for a very long time, the contacts on the card and the adapter could have collected mud and particles. Your pc could fail to acknowledge or detect the SD card as a result of it will probably’t set up a correct connection to learn the gadget.

Clear any mud you see in your SD card and the adapter. Then, join the cleaned SD card reader firmly and await the pc to detect the reminiscence. For USB-based adapters, change USB ports to see if that helps.

2. Assign a Drive Letter to Your SD Card

Every reminiscence gadget linked to your system is assigned a drive letter by default. If these identifiers are lacking, you won’t be able to entry recordsdata saved within the drive instantly.

You’ll be able to test whether or not your SD card reader has a drive letter assigned to it or not from the Disk Administration utility. Whether it is lacking, you may assign a brand new one in a number of clicks.

To test in case your SD card is lacking a drive letter:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open Run.
2. Sort diskmgmt.msc and click on OK. You can too search “Disk Administration” within the Windows search bar to open the utility.
3. In Disk Administration, test in case your SD card reader is detected below quantity and if it has a drive letter assigned akin to I, E, F, and so forth.
4. If it is lacking, right-click on the SD card reader and select Change Drive Letter and Path.
5. Within the Add Driver or Path window, click on on Add. It will assign a brand new drive letter to your SD card reader.

Shut the Disk Administration software. Disconnect and reconnect your SD card reader and test if it exhibits up in File Explorer.

Associated: How to Change Drive Letters in Windows

Is the drive letter out there, however the SD card remains to be not displaying up in File Explorer? In that case, it is time to run the Examine Disk utility to test and repair any reminiscence card errors.

3. Examine SD Card Errors With CHKDSK

Examine Disk (CHKDSK) is a Windows utility that scans your drivers for errors. It might scan drives for file system errors and unhealthy sectors and repair them robotically. Right here’s how to make use of CHKDSK to scan for and repair any SD card errors.

1. Open the Disk Administration utility.
2. Proper-click in your SD card below Quantity and select Properties.
3. Open the Instruments tab within the Properties window.
4. Click on the Examine button below the Error Checking part.
5. Choose Scan and restore drive.
6. Windows will scan the drive for errors and repair them robotically.
7. Click on Shut and restart your pc. After the restart, test for any enhancements.

If CHKDSK would not discover or repair any errors, you need to use the System Supervisor to seek out the errors affecting your SD card reader.

Associated: What Is the Distinction Between CHKDSK, SFC, and DISM in Windows 10?

4. Examine Your SD Card for Errors in System Supervisor

Your SD card reader could not present up in File Explorer as a result of it is throwing up an error message, however the pc is not displaying you what that error message is. In such a scenario, you need to use the System Supervisor to seek out the error. Right here’s how to do it.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open Run.
2. Sort devmgmt.msc and click on OK to open System Supervisor.
3. In System Supervisor, broaden the Transportable Units class.
4. Examine in case your SD card is listed with a yellow exclamation mark. Whether it is, right-click on the gadget and select Properties.
5. Within the Properties window, open the Common tab and test the System standing.

The gadget standing exhibits in case your gadget is enabled or disabled, adopted by an error code or message. If there may be an error message, carry out a fast search on the web for it to seek out options.

5. Update Your SD Card Drivers

Your pc could fail to acknowledge or detect the exterior storage gadget because of outdated or lacking gadget drivers. Thankfully, you may simply update gadget drivers from System Supervisor. Right here’s how to do it.

1. Press the Windows Key + X to open the WinX menu.
2. Select System Supervisor from the choices.
3. In System Supervisor, broaden the Disk Drives part and find your SD card.
4. If it has a yellow exclamation mark, right-click and select Update drivers.
5. Choose Search robotically for drivers. Windows will scan for suitable drivers. If discovered, it should robotically obtain and set up the required drivers.

After the drivers are put in, restart your PC. Join your SD card reader once more and test if it exhibits up in File Explorer. If the issue persists, carry out a driver reinstall.

Reinstall the SD Card Driver

If updating the gadget driver didn’t assist, strive reinstalling the SD card driver. You’ll be able to carry out driver updates and reinstallation from the System Supervisor. Right here’s how to do it.

1. Open System Supervisor.
2. Increase the Disk Drivers class.
3. Proper-click in your SD card gadget driver.
4. Select Uninstall System. Click on Uninstall to verify the motion if a immediate seems.
5. As soon as uninstalled, restart your PC and join the SD card reader. It is going to robotically detect and reinstall the required drivers.

6. Examine Your SD Card for Information Corruption

A corrupted SD card could not present up in File Explorer. To ensure your SD card will not be corrupted, insert it into one other pc or SD card suitable gadget.

If it would not work on different gadgets, you’ll have a file system corruption problem. A fast file system format can repair points that will have occurred because of corruption. Right here’s how to do it.

1. Press the Windows key + R.
2. Sort diskmgmt.msc and click on OK to open Disk Administration utility.
3. Find your SD card within the Quantity part.
4. To format the storage drive, right-click and select Format.
5. Select the Quantity label/title, file system and go away the allocation unit dimension to default.
6. Click on OK to format your SD card with a suitable file system.

Formatting your SD card will erase all the info. Nonetheless, if it’s only the choice left, you continue to be capable of get better information from a reformatted driver.

What if the SD Card Does not Present Up in Disk Administration or System Supervisor?

In case your SD card will not be displaying up in Disk Administration and System Supervisor, test the SD card reader for {hardware} points. A defective card adapter is a standard trigger for SD playing cards not displaying up in Windows File Explorer.

Connecting your card reader to a different PC ought to provide help to verify any current {hardware} points. Go for a USB adapter if the built-in card reader stops working.

Now Your SD Card Will Present in File Explorer

Windows robotically detects transportable storage gadgets akin to SD playing cards and exhibits them in File Explorer. In case your SD card is lacking from the File Explorer, test for drive corruption, lacking drive letter, or {hardware} failure.

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