You can connect your SD card reader to your computer using a congenital-in card reader or an external adapter. All the same, at times, your computer may neglect to discover the portable devices. As a result, your SD card won't show in File Explorer.

Poor contact, driver issues, information corruption, and virus infection are all common reasons for an SD card non appearing in the File Explorer. Here are a few troubleshooting tips to help yous fix this event on your Windows computer.

Reasons Why Your SD Card Reader Is Non Working on Windows 10

Devices may non testify up in your File Explorer due to temporary glitches. However, if reconnecting the SD bill of fare reader doesn't prepare the issue, here are a few common reasons why information technology may happen.

  • Your SD card reader is not firmly connected to your estimator.
  • The SD carte file arrangement is corrupted.
  • Yous're using an outdated device driver.
  • The SD card is infected with a virus.
  • The SD card is missing a drive letter.

Fortunately, if your SD card reader is not showing up, you tin fix it by post-obit these troubleshooting steps.

ane. Clean the SD Card and Adapter

If you haven't used your SD menu for a long time, the contacts on the card and the adapter may have accumulated dust and droppings. Your computer may fail to recognize or discover the SD card because it tin can't found a proper connection to read the device.

Clean whatever dust y'all see on your SD card and the adapter. And so, connect the cleaned SD carte reader firmly and look for the computer to detect the memory. For USB-based adapters, switch USB ports to meet if that helps.

2. Assign a Drive Alphabetic character to Your SD Card

Each retention device connected to your system is assigned a drive letter by default. If these identifiers are missing, you will not be able to access files stored in the drive directly.

You can check whether your SD card reader has a drive letter assigned to it or not from the Disk Direction utility. If it is missing, y'all tin assign a new one in a few clicks.

To check if your SD card is missing a drive letter:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open Run.
  2. Type diskmgmt.msc and click OK. You tin can also search "Disk Management" in the Windows search bar to open the utility.
  3. In Deejay Management, check if your SD card reader is detected under book and if information technology has a drive letter assigned such as I, Due east, F, etc.
  4. If it'due south missing, right-click on the SD card reader and choose Change Drive Letter and Path.
  5. In the Add Driver or Path window, click on Add. This will assign a new drive letter to your SD card reader.
assign missing drive letter SD card

Close the Disk Direction tool. Disconnect and reconnect your SD card reader and check if it shows up in File Explorer.

Is the drive letter available, only the SD carte is still not showing up in File Explorer? In that case, it's time to run the Check Disk utility to check and fix whatever retention card errors.

3. Check SD Carte du jour Errors With CHKDSK

Check Disk (CHKDSK) is a Windows utility that scans your drivers for errors. It can scan drives for file organisation errors and bad sectors and gear up them automatically. Hither's how to use CHKDSK to scan for and fix whatsoever SD card errors.

Repair SD card chkdsk utility
  1. Open the Disk Management utility.
  2. Correct-click on your SD card nether Volume and cull Properties.
  3. Open the Tools tab in the Backdrop window.
  4. Click the Check push nether the Error Checking section.
  5. Select Browse and repair drive.
  6. Windows will scan the drive for errors and fix them automatically.
  7. ClickClose and restart your computer. Afterward the restart, check for any improvements.

If CHKDSK doesn't find or set up any errors, yous tin apply the Device Managing director to detect the errors affecting your SD card reader.

iv. Check Your SD Card for Errors in Device Manager

Your SD carte reader may not show upwardly in File Explorer considering it's throwing upwardly an error message, but the calculator isn't showing you what that error bulletin is. In such a state of affairs, y'all tin use the Device Manager to find the error. Here's how to do it.

  1. Press the Windows central + R to open Run.
  2. Blazon devmgmt.msc and click OK to open up Device Director.
  3. In Device Director, aggrandize the Portable Devices category.
  4. Bank check if your SD bill of fare is listed with a yellow exclamation marker.If it is, correct-click on the device and choose Properties.
  5. In the Backdrop window, open the General tab and cheque the Device status.
View SD card error status

The device status shows if your device is enabled or disabled, followed past an error code or bulletin. If there is an fault bulletin, perform a quick search on the internet for information technology to find solutions.

five. Update Your SD Bill of fare Drivers

Your computer may fail to recognize or detect the external storage device due to outdated or missing device drivers. Fortunately, you can easily update device drivers from Device Manager. Hither's how to practise it.

  1. Press the Windows Cardinal + X to open the WinX menu.
  2. Choose Device Managing director from the options.
  3. In Device Manager, expand the Disk Drives section and locate your SD card.
  4. If it has a xanthous exclamation marking, right-click and cull Update drivers.
  5. Select Search automatically for drivers. Windows will scan for compatible drivers. If plant, information technology volition automatically download and install the required drivers.
update sd card driver

After the drivers are installed, restart your PC. Connect your SD card reader again and check if it shows upwards in File Explorer. If the trouble persists, perform a driver reinstall.

Reinstall the SD Menu Commuter

If updating the device commuter did not help, attempt reinstalling the SD carte driver. You can perform commuter updates and reinstallation from the Device Manager. Here's how to do it.

  1. Open Device Manager.
  2. Expand the Disk Drivers category.
  3. Correct-click on your SD card device driver.
  4. Choose Uninstall Device. Click Uninstall to confirm the action if a prompt appears.
  5. Once uninstalled, restart your PC and connect the SD card reader. Information technology will automatically detect and reinstall the required drivers.

half-dozen. Check Your SD Card for Data Corruption

A corrupted SD card may non bear witness up in File Explorer. To make sure your SD card is not corrupted, insert it into another computer or SD card compatible device.

If it doesn't piece of work on other devices, yous may have a file system corruption result. A quick file organization format can fix issues that may have occurred due to corruption. Hither's how to practise it.

  1. Press the Windows central + R.
  2. Type diskmgmt.msc and click OK to open Deejay Management utility.
  3. Locate your SD carte in the Volume section.
  4. To format the storage drive, right-click and cull Format.
  5. Choose the Volume label/name, file system and go out the allocation unit size to default.
  6. Click OK to format your SD card with a compatible file organization.
format corrupted sd card drive

Formatting your SD card will erase all the data. However, if information technology is just the option left, you still exist able to recover data from a reformatted driver.

What if the SD Carte Doesn't Show Up in Disk Management or Device Manager?

If your SD card is non showing upwards in Deejay Management and Device Manager, check the SD menu reader for hardware issues. A faulty menu adapter is a common cause for SD cards not showing up in Windows File Explorer.

Connecting your carte du jour reader to another PC should help y'all ostend whatsoever existing hardware issues. Opt for a USB adapter if the congenital-in card reader stops working.

Now Your SD Menu Volition Show in File Explorer

Windows automatically detects portable storage devices such as SD cards and shows them in File Explorer. If your SD card is missing from the File Explorer, check for drive corruption, missing drive alphabetic character, or hardware failure.

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About The Author

Tashreef Shareef (144 Articles Published)

Tashreef is a programmer and works as a technical writer at MakeUseOf. With a bachelor'southward degree in Computer Applications, he has over 5 years of experience and covers Microsoft Windows and everything around it. When not looking for a missing semicolon or churning out text, you tin can find him trying FPS titles or looking for new animated shows and movies.

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