The computer does not see the phone's SD card. Recovering SD cards and USB flash drives in Windows
Why doesn't my phone see the memory card? First, you should decide on the type of problem and try to solve it yourself. Although for many people in this case it is easier to contact a workshop so as not to waste their time.
We are talking about a small device for digital equipment that allows you to increase its memory. Such a device can be: a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet, a digital camera, etc. Modern technology has a fairly large built-in memory, but only for basic tasks. Some people like to watch movies on their phones, others need music on their phones. If the phone does not see the flash drive, what to do in this case and how to fix this problem?
There are 3 main types:
MicroSD (11 x 15 mm). It is the most popular and widespread type. Micro SDs are used mainly in mobile phones, but can also be used in other technical devices using a special adapter. Due to the versatility of MicroSD memory, they are the most preferred.
MiniSD (21.5 x 20 mm). It is an outdated type due to the greater popularity of other formats; it is used in portable equipment.
SD (32 x 24 mm). It is used in technology where fast data exchange speed and a large amount of information storage are fundamentally important. This includes a camera, video camera and similar equipment.
They all come in different storage capacities, but SD is divided into 4 generations:
SD 1 (8 MB-2 GB).
SD 1.1 (up to 4 GB).
SDHC (up to 32 GB).
SDXC (up to 2 TB).
There are many storage devices and adapters for them. Through the adapter you can see a flash drive that was previously unreadable. It may also look like a USB flash drive.
Therefore, if the DVR does not see the memory card, then the problem may be its type, so you just need to replace it. After all, DVRs require storage media with high data exchange rates.
Phone: solutions
If the phone does not see the memory card, what should I do in this case?
This means that the selected flash drive does not fit the phone model. If the phone does not see the drive, although it is inserted, this does not mean that it fits and should open. The fact is that each manufacturer of cellular devices and flash cards has its own characteristics. Most often, the instructions contain a list of SD cards that are suitable for the device. The incompatibility criterion may be size, data transfer speed, drive version, etc. If the smartphone does not see the memory card, then the problem may simply be their incompatibility.
You need to purchase a card that your cell phone supports, but if you have important data on the media, you can use other data transfer devices, such as adapters and card readers.
What to do if there is no contact with the drive? Not everything is exactly the same; there are minimal errors everywhere, including production. This can happen over time. How to make the map visible? If the phone stops seeing the memory card for no apparent reason, then you just need to remove and reinsert the drive. In this case, it is important that the device is turned off, otherwise the data on the media may be damaged.
The card has a damaged sector. In this case, you should check the card on your computer for errors using the adapter. If it doesn't help, then format it. These actions are acceptable provided that the flash drive is visible to the computer.
Blocking on the card itself. Sometimes it may not open on the computer even because of such a small thing. Using programs, you can remove the lock, but in some cases it can be removed manually on the storage medium itself.
System glitch, crash or freeze. In this case, you need to restart the device.
If after all the manipulations the storage device stubbornly refuses to be detected and the phone does not read the memory card, you should take the drive to a specialist. In this case, it is not worth solving the problem yourself. In addition, the damage may not be visible to the naked eye. It may also be that the flash drive does not appear after repair, so you should check all this on the spot.
Laptop: solutions
Why doesn't my laptop see the memory card? The computer can also be included in this issue - there are actually not many main reasons. As with mobile phones, some causes can be fixed on your own.
Same name for flash drive and other storage media. In this case, the flash card is not detected as a separate drive and crashes occur instead. If the memory card has the same letter in the name as the built-in logical drive on the computer, you should change the name of the flash drive. This can be done using standard means through the disk control panel. How to get into it depends on the operating system.
There are no necessary drivers for reading. It happens that the computer is not equipped with the proper software. But this determines how efficiently the machine will serve. Here you need to download drivers from the Internet, disk or other storage medium.
The reason that the computer does not see the memory card may be physical damage to the computer, laptop or drive itself. Therefore, it is better to take it to a specialized center or to a specialist.
One possible reason is viruses. Here you need to install an antivirus and carry out a full diagnostic, followed by cleaning the system. It is not recommended to install several antiviruses, as this will put a load on the system.
Card reader: solutions
Why doesn't the card reader see the memory card? A card reader is a device for writing, reading and formatting flash cards. The card reader may not work normally for some reasons: it is either physical damage or incompatibility with the flash drive.
The device can be external or built-in. The names speak for themselves, and the possible reasons why the device does not see the SD card are the same. It is worth emphasizing that the card reader ignores the card in case of errors that may occur when formatting it on a computer. If he doesn’t see the camera’s memory card, then it may simply be a matter of model incompatibility.
Camera: solutions
Why doesn't the camera see the memory card? What is the problem?
Locked flash card. There is a small visible lever on the side of the drive that you just need to slide.
A very common reason why a flash drive is not readable is that the amount of information on the card is incompatible for a given camera model. The only thing that will help here is to change the card itself to a different type.
Banal physical damage. What to do if the problem is with the camera? It is best to take it to a diagnostic center. If the problem is in the flash drive, then it is wiser to simply change the card.
Tablet: solutions
Why doesn't the tablet see the memory card? All the above reasons also apply to the tablet (freezing, bad contacts, breakdown, incorrect formatting, etc.). The methods for solving them remain the same.
Conclusion
Above we discussed all the main reasons why a flash drive does not function, and ways to solve these problems. PSP was not considered here, since PSPs are not so popular and have similar problems to the computer. In addition to the methods described above, it is worth mentioning that flash drives can be recovered using various programs. If the computer makes a sound detecting a flash drive, but the memory card is not visible, then the HDD Low Level Format Tool can help in this case.
It is also worth considering that if a drive is readable on one system, it is impossible to say for sure whether it will be viewed on another. If something doesn't work for unknown reasons, don't be upset. Sometimes you just need to be more careful with your equipment and accessories. Then she will not stop working. Many problems can also be avoided by reading the operating instructions in advance.
Hello everyone! Your phone doesn't see the memory card? Was there important data on the flash drive? In this article I will tell you why the memory card may not be visible on the phone, and I will also share my methods for restoring a flash drive.
At the same time, I will say right away that the accessory could simply break, but in 50% of cases the fault is a software glitch, which you can fix yourself without contacting a specialized cell phone repair service.
The instructions and tips described below are suitable for all phones, including older models that cannot be classified as “smartphones”. This topic is especially relevant for those users who still have important data on their phone. Sometimes it is impossible to restore the functionality of the flash drive in the phone itself, but it is possible to transfer data to a computer using a card reader.
After studying today's article, the user will learn:
1. Why flash drives stop working.
2. How to check the status of the memory card.
3. How to format a flash drive on a computer.
4. Formatting the memory card using phone functions.
5. Memory card malfunctions and their causes
Important! If you are installing a flash drive for the first time, then the reason for its lack of operation may be the capacity of this drive. This applies to older phone models that are not designed for large memory cards.
The phone does not see the memory card
Now study the main malfunctions and possible solutions:
— The file system is damaged – the memory card can be restored by formatting (the most common malfunction);
— The contact of the drive has come loose in the phone’s flash reader – you need to insert the flash drive firmly and reboot the phone;
— The flash reader has failed, so the phone does not see the memory card - repairs at a service center will help here;
— The flash drive burned out - it, of course, can no longer be restored. Although you can still try to recover data, here is one of my articles in which I told you how to recover data from a burnt flash drive.
So let's continue. Now you need to check what exactly happened to the memory card. First of all, reboot your phone; sometimes such a simple action is enough to fix an error in the file system of the drive. Did not help? Remove the battery (if the flash reader is located behind the battery and not on the side) and check whether the flash drive fits tightly to the contacts.
The next step is to check the flash drive on another device. The easiest way to do this is with a card reader: just place a flash drive in it and connect it to the computer. If there is no reader, then insert the flash drive into another phone.
If the memory card is readable on another device, then the problem lies in your device. To find out more, you need to take it in for repairs. Sometimes it's just a bug in the software, and sometimes it's a broken contact. If the memory card is not visible on other devices, then it is either burned out or its file system is damaged. In the second case, formatting will help. Also, in some cases, you can repair a memory card using simple commands, which were described in this article:
ATTENTION! When formatting, all data will be deleted from the flash drive. If you are not sure that the cause was a software glitch, then it is better to immediately take the memory card to be checked. For those who want to try to “reanimate” a flash drive, I have prepared two simple instructions. If your phone still does not see the memory card, then read on.
Formatting a flash drive on a computer: step-by-step instructions
You can format a flash drive on a computer using a card reader. If it is not there, then go to the second instruction. And now on topic:
1. You need to place the flash drive in the card reader, and then insert it into the corresponding slot in the computer or laptop.
2. Now we wait for the flash drive to automatically launch on the computer. If this does not happen, then go to “My Computer” - there you will see a new device (if the flash drive is not burned out).
3. Right-click on the mouse icon and select “Format” from the context menu.
4. After this, the formatting menu will appear. You need to select the file system of the flash drive: “NTFS” or “FAT”. By default, the FAT format is selected for almost all cards, but if this formatting does not bring results, then try selecting NTFS.
Check that everything looks like this screenshot:
Now click on the “Start” button and wait for the process to complete.
Now you can insert the flash drive into your smartphone and check whether it works or not. If the problem persists, then you should try the second instruction. Sometimes the card is not readable after formatting on the phone due to the partitions that Windows creates when formatting.
Format a flash drive in your phone
The phone sees the memory card, but you still can’t open it? Then let's format it right here. We insert the drive, check the contacts and go to the memory settings. On Android phones, you will find this option in the memory options. In this section, you need to click on the “Disable card” or “Eject” button, as shown in the screenshot:
Now click the “Clear memory card” button. The process will take no more than a minute. After this, you need to select the “Connect SD card” menu item. In addition, I recommend that you watch the following video:
It is worth considering that depending on the Android firmware version, the path to this function may differ. Formatting flash drives in gadgets with another operating system is the same process - you need to find the “Memory Settings” section.
So, to summarize today’s article - “The phone does not see the memory card”, it will be necessary to add that if formatting does not help, then you can immediately take the memory card to a service center or buy a new drive. I hope that my article helped you recover your flash drive. It's especially good if you were able to do it without formatting.
In this article, we will look at several reasons why the computer may not see the memory card, and also provide options for solving this problem.
In order to fix the problem, you need to find the cause. The reason could be either hardware or software. Let's take a step-by-step look at what needs to be done when the computer does not want to see SD or microSD.
Step 1: Checking the serviceability of the flash card and card reader
Check that your SD card is working properly. To do this, just connect it to another computer or laptop. Also, if you have another memory card of the same model, check whether it is recognized on your computer. If this is the case, then the card reader on the computer is working properly and the problem is in the card itself. The reason for the failure of the memory card may be incorrect removal during operation or its physical wear. In this case, you can try to restore the functionality of the SD card. To do this, experts distinguish 2 methods:
This utility allows you to quickly restore the functionality of a memory card. If it is password protected, then the program will not be able to format the card.
If the card reader itself does not see the memory card, you need to contact the service department for repairs. If you need to use the device urgently, you can use a temporary solution: use a portable card reader that can be connected to a laptop via a USB port. 
It happens that a flash card is not detected by the computer due to lack of power. This is possible if the storage capacity is large, the power supply is faulty, and the USB ports are overloaded.
There may be a problem with model incompatibility. There are two types of memory cards: SD with byte-byte page addressing and SDHC with sector-by-sector addressing. If you insert an SDHC card into an SD device, it may not be detected. In this situation, use an SD to MMC adapter. It also plugs into the computer's USB port. On the other side there is a slot for different types of memory cards. 
Step 2: Check for Windows failure
The reasons why the memory card is not recognized by the computer due to a failure of the operating system may be:
The program is very popular for finding and updating outdated drivers. To use it, do this:
It is best to get drivers from the website of the manufacturer of your memory card. So, for example, for Transcend cards it is better to go to. Remember that installing drivers from unverified sites can harm your computer.
Step 3: Check for viruses
An antivirus program must be installed on your computer. To fix the problem, just scan your computer and flash card for viruses and delete infected files. For this purpose in "Computer" right-click the drop-down menu and select the item there "Scan".
Often the virus changes the file attribute to "hidden", so they can be seen if you change the system settings. To do this, do this:
- go to "Control Panel", then in "System and safety" And "Folders settings";
- enter the tab "View";
- in the parameter "Show hidden files and folders" set the mark;
- click "OK".
Often, after a flash card is infected with viruses, it has to be formatted and the data is lost.
Remember that the data on the memory card can disappear at the most inopportune moment. Therefore, make periodic backups. This will protect you from losing important information.
Due to their compactness and sufficiently large capacity, memory cards of various types have become one of the most popular storage media today. However, to read them on desktop computers and laptops, a special device called a card reader is required. For ordinary terminals, such devices are usually external, but in most laptop models they are built directly into the case. But very often it happens that when you connect a storage medium, the laptop does not see the memory card. What could be the cause of this phenomenon and how to eliminate possible problems, then we will try to figure it out.
Why the laptop does not see the memory card: main reasons
Among the main reasons that cause failures, which can be cited for quite a long time, there are several main and most common ones. These include the following situations:
- violations in the operation of the operating system;
- incompatibility of the memory card with the reader;
- damage and malfunctions in the operation of the memory cards themselves, adapters and card readers;
- absence or incorrect installation of reading hardware drivers;
- incorrectly set path to the memory card (drive letter);
- exposure to viruses.
We do not take incorrect formatting into account, since almost all file structures used for memory cards are recognized by Windows systems without problems. The only exception is RAW, but its appearance is most often associated with either damage to the controllers or exposure to viruses.
The laptop does not see the memory card: what to do? The simplest solution
So, we have decided on the reasons. Now let's move directly to troubleshooting. First, let's assume that the laptop does not see the camera's memory card or any other type of media solely due to short-term disruptions in the operation of the operating system.
Quite often, the most common reboot of the computer device, first removing the media from the card reader slot, helps to eliminate such failures. Alas, you cannot rely only on such a solution. At the same time, it is worth checking the system components through the command console by running the sfc /scannow command.
Compatibility issues between memory card and reader
One of the most common problems is the incompatibility of the reading device with the type of storage media used. So, if a laptop has a card reader designed to read SDHC cards, it will be able to work with SD (microSD) cards of generations 1 and 1.1, but there is no way to read information on an SDXC format drive.
In this case, you will either have to replace the installed device or buy an external card reader that claims to support all the necessary card standards.
Questions about installing and updating card reader drivers
Another reason that the laptop does not see an SD memory card or any other type is that the driver necessary for correct functioning is not installed for the card reader, or rather for the storage controller. You may also encounter situations where the driver was installed incorrectly or was not updated in a timely manner. In this case, in Device Manager, non-working equipment will be marked with a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. Updating control software using Windows, as a rule, does not lead to anything, since the system can install its own most suitable (as it seems to it) driver, which in fact does not suit the problematic device at all. And such a driver may simply not be in its own database, and the system will install some kind of universal controller.
In this case, to install the necessary software, it is recommended to use special programs for automatically recognizing hardware, searching, installing and updating problematic drivers like DriverPack Solution, SlimDrivers, Driver Booster and their analogues. Their advantage, compared to Windows tools, is not only the complete automation of all processes, but also the fact that in search of the necessary OP they turn directly to the manufacturers’ Internet resources.
But what to do if the laptop does not see the memory card even after thoroughly scanning the system with such utilities?
This, unfortunately, occurs very often, so the most acceptable solution would be to determine the identifiers of non-working equipment in the “Device Manager” (on the details tab), after which you will need to copy the longest line with the VEN and DEV identifiers, use it to search for a driver on the Internet, download to your laptop and install manually. Most often, installers are delivered as EXE files or INF format installation information.
In the first case, it is enough to simply run the installer as an administrator and follow its instructions, and in the second, you should use the RMB menu on the file and select the installation item. If a message appears stating that this type of installation is not supported, in Device Manager you must specify an update for the non-working controller driver, and then specify the location of the downloaded file on your hard drive.
Additional actions
If the laptop does not see the memory card even after this, it is possible that the unpacked drivers will have to be copied independently to the place where the installer is trying to place them. For example, very often such actions need to be performed when installing O2Micro drivers. During the installation process, an error appears indicating that the required files were not found in some directory (usually the O2Micro folder in the Program Files (x86) directory). In this case, it is advisable to immediately copy all objects to the specified location and run the installer from there, and not from the location where the downloaded files were saved.
Damage to memory cards and adapters
Now let's see why the laptop does not see the SD memory card, to work with which you need a special adapter, called an adapter, corresponding in size to SDHC standard cards. It is possible that both the card and the adapter may be physically damaged. First, try using a different adapter or test the non-working one on another computer. If the card is not detected, it may very well be that it itself is damaged. But this could be physical damage or software failures in the operation of the control controllers.
Restoring operation of card controllers
Now let's assume that the laptop does not see a microSD memory card or some other supported standard due to a malfunction of the controllers. Simply put, such a card has completely lost its factory firmware. There are several ways to restore it.
The simplest solution is to use recovery programs from the manufacturer or use universal automated utilities like D-Soft Flash Doctor. It also wouldn’t hurt to use the ChipGenius utility, determine the VID and PID card identifiers in it, and then, as in the case of storage device drivers, search for control software on the Internet and install the firmware manually. If nothing helps at all, you can use a drastic method by performing low-level formatting using the HDD LLFT application. And this utility, as practice shows, allows you to revive any type of media in 99 percent of cases out of a hundred.
Changing the drive letter
Another common reason that a laptop does not see a memory card is that when the media is connected to a computer device, the letter assigned to the drive is already occupied. It is not surprising that the map is not visible in Explorer. For example, you have a flash drive identified in the system as “Disk F” and a memory card with the same letter. If the flash drive is connected, the system will not be able to recognize the card.
To fix the problem, go to the disk management section, select the desired drive, use RMB to go to the item for changing the drive letter or path, and then from the list select the desired unallocated letter (preferably the one located in the Latin alphabet after the letter “F”, and not before her). After that, just in case, reboot the system by removing the memory card from the card reader and reinserting it after the restart. It is quite possible that this method will work and the map will be determined.
Problems of viral exposure
Finally, do not forget that many viruses really love to settle on removable media or influence them through the operating system. If this is the problem, first use some powerful portable scanner and perform an in-depth check. The Kaspersky Rescue Disk utility is best suited for these purposes. You can write it to an optical disc or flash drive, and then boot from such media before Windows starts and scan by selecting everything that is available from the list. This may take quite a lot of time (especially if an increased level of verification is set), but the result will not be long in coming. In principle, you can use regular scanners by running them directly in the Windows environment, but this may not give the desired result. In addition, some of them can automatically remove the programs you need, considering them unwanted software. This is often observed in the work of the portable utility Dr. Web CureIt, which for some reason identifies software products from iObit as unwanted applications.
Today, the method of storing data on portable flash drives has gained quite a lot of popularity. And now all flash drive manufacturers are struggling to create the smallest in size and largest in memory capacity flash drives; Micro SD cards occupy the leading position in the minimum sizes.
Micro SD flash cards are currently the smallest data storage devices that have been put into mass production.
Due to their very fragile structure, these drives quite often become unusable due to physical damage or incorrect completion of work with such flash drives.
There are often cases when, after a short period of working with a card, it becomes unreadable or is not detected by devices at all, so you cannot rely on the long-term operation of such a drive. I advise you to use a Micro SD card as a space for work, and not for permanent storage of information. Although every day manufacturers of such SD cards are improving their durability, and are bringing them closer to the possibility of using them for permanent and long-term storage of information.
Reasons why the computer may not detect the Micro SD card:
· Hardware problem.
· Flash drive failure.
· Assigning an already assigned partition letter.
· File system conflict.
· Malicious programs in the operating system.
If your Micro SD card is no longer detected by your phone, camera or other device, then you need to remove it and insert it into your computer to diagnose, identify and fix the problem.
Let's move on to considering and eliminating the most common causes of malfunction of such a flash drive.
How to check if the Micro SD card is detected on the computer?
In order to understand whether your computer has detected your Micro SD card, you can use 2 methods.
First way. Open my computer and check the connection of the new partition. If you have a new disk, then the flash drive has been identified. 
Second way. If nothing appears in Explorer, then it’s worth checking whether the computer has even detected that an SD card is connected to it. To do this, go to my computer, right-click on the computer and select “Manage” from the drop-down menu. 
After which the Computer Management window will open, there is a menu on the left side. We need to select the “Disk Management” section.
In the displayed statistics, we can see all connected drives to the computer, determine their volume, or set the partition letter.
If you did not see your SD card in this list, then read the following reasons and their solutions.
Hardware problem
If you are trying to connect your SD card to your computer through an adapter or through a card reader, and nothing happens, you should first check that these pairing devices are working.
If you use a card reader to connect the card, then try inserting a known working Micro SD card into it, if a known working card is also not detected, in this case, check and reinstall the card reader drivers. If after all the attempts nothing has changed, then most likely the problem is in the card reader.
If you are using a laptop, then most likely you are trying to insert an SD card through an adapter, directly into the built-in card reader of the laptop. If nothing happens when using this connection method, then I recommend checking the drivers for the built-in card reader first, and then checking the functionality of the adapter.
Drivers for card readers can be downloaded and installed from the manufacturers’ official websites; if you have a portable card reader that connects via a USB port, then download the drivers from the manufacturer’s website. If you use a laptop's built-in card reader, then you can download drivers from the official website of your laptop manufacturer.
In order to check whether the driver of your card reader is detected by the system, you need to open the “Device Manager”, to do this, press the key combination Win + R and in the “Run” line that opens, enter the command “devmgmt.msc”.
The Device Manager window will open in which you can see devices that do not have a driver installed. Such devices will be marked with a yellow triangle with an exclamation point. If there are no such devices, then expand the “Portable Devices” section and make sure that the computer has detected the card reader itself in order to discard the option of a non-working device.
Flash drive failure
If you have checked the functionality of the above devices and are convinced that they are working properly, then it is worth checking the Micro SD card for physical damage, cracks, chips, deformation or damage to the outer layer, since such a flash drive consists of many small tracks, which are easy to scratch and tear.
Try connecting it to some device: smartphone, camera, etc. If the flash drive is not detected in any device, then most likely it is physically damaged and cannot be repaired. The only thing that can motivate you to contact the service center is the presence of important information on the card.
Assigning an already assigned partition letter
This type of problem occurs quite often. This happens when an SD card is connected to a computer, the system assigns it the same letter as the existing partition, because of this a conflict occurs and we do not see our flash drive in the list of computer disks.
In order to resolve this type of problem, open the “Computer Management” section described above.
After getting into the “Disk Management” section, we need to find our flash drive, focus on its volume, select a disk that matches the capacity of our Micro SD card. Right-click on it and select “Change drive letter or drive path...” from the drop-down menu.
A window will open in which we need to click the “Add” button.
In the window that opens, select the letter for this section and click “OK”.
Done, we have assigned a letter to our partition, now we check its presence in Explorer.
File system conflict
There are often cases when a flash drive is detected, but it cannot be opened. The reason for this may be a file system conflict or a damaged file system of the Micro SD card itself. If the data on the flash drive does not play any role for you, then you can try to format it into the NTFS file system.
To do this, right-click on the flash drive and select “Format” from the drop-down menu. 
In the formatting window that opens, in the “File system” section, select NTFS, set the Volume Label and click the “Start” button.
Thus, we formatted the Micro SD card into NTFS format, after which you can open it.
Malware in the operating system
When faced with the problem of identifying a Micro SD drive, you may not even suspect that the culprit for all this may be malware, so-called viruses, which can block USB ports and prevent the computer from working with your memory card.
In this case, it would be best to conduct a full system scan with your antivirus program, or resort to free antivirus programs that can help you with this.
I will recommend one of these to you - Dr.Web CureIt!
The program is absolutely free and is intended only for scanning and finding virus programs and removing them.
To download this program, go to the official Dr.Web website at https://free.drweb.ru/cureit/
Download the program and start scanning.
When finished, remove all malware found and after restarting the computer, try connecting the Micro SD card again.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many reasons why your computer does not see the Micro SD card, so it is impossible to unambiguously answer the question “Why does my computer not see the memory card?”, since this can be caused by problems of various kinds. To avoid making mistakes and solve the problem, you should take turns following all the steps described in this article.
Also, do not forget that when formatting, all information from the flash drive will be deleted.
And I still advise you not to store important information on drives of this type, as they most often fail due to their very fragile structure. Use this type of drive to directly work with files, saving them in more secure locations.
