The computer does not see the micro sd flash drive
How to fix Micro SD Card not showing up in Devices and Drives Windows 10
USB flash drive check: fix file system errors
In this case, you can try to restore the operation of the flash drive and all the files on it using the error checking and correction utility. chkdsk (built into Windows).
To do this, disagree with Windows’ suggestion to format the media (screenshot above). but just run the command line (The easiest way is to press WinR. then type CMD and press Enter. see the screen below).
Next, in the command line, enter chkdsk g: / f (where g: is the drive letter of the flash drive) and press Enter.
An example of recovery is shown in the screenshot above. After such a simple procedure, the flash drive returned to its working state and functions normally to this day.
When the check succeeds, the command line usually says something like: “Windows checked the file system and found no problems. No further action is required.”.
As a rule, if there was a small failure of the file system, then chkdsk will fix it and the flash drive will become readable (after this procedure, both the phone and the laptop will be able to read it).
Now, what to do if chkdsk did not help, and you need to restore files from a flash drive.
Letter conflict: drive letter change
In general, when you connect a drive (including a flash drive). Windows automatically assigns a letter to this drive (for example, F :).
But there is such a “glitch” that the letter is assigned incorrectly: for example, the one that is already in the system. as a result: a conflict occurs and your flash drive is invisible!
Therefore, if the flash drive is invisible, the first thing I recommend to do is to go to “Disk Management”: look at the drive letter, change it (it is possible to format the media).
1) To do this, press the WinR buttons first. in the “Open” line enter the command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.
A lot of Windows applications and settings can be opened this way. The full list is here: https://ocomp.info/spisok-komand-vyipolnit.html
2) Next, find in the list the disk (microSD card) that you do not see (is not visible). Right-click on it (sign-1 in the screenshot below) and select “Change drive letter or drive path” in the context menu.
1) If in “Disk Management” the desired flash drive is not in the list, go to the next subsection of this article.
2) If the file system is marked as RAW, the flash drive must be formatted (more on this at the beginning of this article).
3) In the next step, press the “Change” button (number-1 in the screenshot below). then set the slider to “Assign drive letter (A-Z)” and select some unique letter (the one that is not in the system).
Agree to the changes made. Sometimes, you may need to restart your computer (laptop).
If the problem was related to an incorrectly set drive letter, the flash drive will become visible and will work as usual.
Not recognized or not visible?
Many users confuse one point (although it is not the key one, it will help in solving the problem). I will show it on the example of one user question.
I took the card from my phone (microSD) and inserted it into my new device, but he offered to format it.
Then I put it back in my old phone, but he also wanted to format it. My laptop also does not see this card and suggests formatting it. What to do? Help recover data from a flash drive.
To use a drive. format it first (Windows 10)
An illustrative case. The laptop sees your flash drive, and even offers to format it. those. he does not understand that there is data on it, he cannot recognize your flash drive, he cannot read the file system (in this case, the file system is marked as RAW).
- failure of the file system on the flash drive;
- Windows cannot read an unfamiliar file system (for example, it often happens with disks connected to a TV. it can reformat them into its file system, and then Windows does not see it).
By the way, many people make one mistake when connecting microSD to a computer: when inserting a card into an adapter, they do not push it all the way (see photo-1 below). As a result, the PC simply does not see anything when the SD adapter is connected.
Inserting a microSD card into an SD adapter
Formatting a USB flash drive
If you do not need the data on the flash drive or you have already restored it, and Windows still continues to ask you to format the media (that is, the microSD card). just agree.
You can also format a USB flash drive by going to “My Computer” / “This Computer” (screen above):
- First click on the SD card with the right mouse button and select “Format” in the context menu;
- Next, select the file system (I recommend starting from which file system the device supports / will work in. As a rule: FAT 32, exFat);
- Click the “Start” button (Windows will ask you if you want to format the media exactly. Agree.);
- If everything went well. you will see a message that formatting is complete (each step is shown in the screenshot below).
If your flash drive is not visible in “My Computer”, or Windows cannot format the media, you must use a special. utilities for working with such flash drives.
HDD Low Level Format Tool
One of the best programs for low-level formatting of various drives: hard drives, flash cards, etc.
- supports the following interfaces: S-ATA (SATA), IDE (E-IDE), SCSI, USB, Firewire;
- Supports drives from most manufacturers: Western Digital, Maxtor, Hitachi, Samsung, Toshiba, Seagate, Fujitsu, IBM, Quantum, etc.;
- supports formatting SD cards when using a card reader (which is what we need!).
How to Format SD Card in HDD Low Level Format Tool:
- Insert the SD card into a laptop (computer) card reader and run the utility;
- In the first window, click Continue. The difference in the paid and free versions is only in the speed of work (for working with a flash drive. the difference in speed is insignificant);
Next, select your drive in the list: you need to navigate by the size and brand of the manufacturer. By the way, my SD card is marked as USB stick. After selecting the drive. click the Continue button.
The last step is to select the “Low-Level Format” section and click the Format This Device button. Next, just wait for the operation to complete. As a rule, after such formatting, the flash drive starts working as expected.
Recovering files from a flash drive
If, after trying to fix errors, Windows still intends to format it (i.e., the OS sees it, but does not recognize it), then first of all, I will recommend that you recover files from it (if, of course, you need them).
After you format the flash drive, it will be more difficult to recover data from it (and in the case of writing new files, it is completely impossible!).
There are special programs for data recovery. Some free and popular ones, I will list in the table below.
3 free data recovery software
- file systems support: exFAT, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5;
- the ability to recover deleted files;
- the ability to reconstruct damaged file systems;
- data recovery after formatting;
- automatic configuration of parameters for recovery (useful for novice users).
Basically, you can use any of the recovery utilities. Easier for beginners. this is Recuva, in the arsenal of which there is a master who walks through the steps of the entire procedure from A to Z.
The screenshot below shows my scanned hard drive in Recuva to find old deleted pictures, photos. Many of the deleted files were found and recovered (a green circle opposite the file is a good sign, which means the program appreciates the ability to recover).
An important point: when restoring files. restore them to another medium! ☝ Ie if you want to recover a file from a USB flash drive, save it to your hard drive (if you save it to the same USB flash drive that you scanned in the program, the file being restored will overwrite other unrecovered data). Such is the tautology.
In general, the recovery procedure requires another rather voluminous article (to dot everything).
USB Detected But Not Showing up. Windows 10/8/7
Classes and formats of SD cards
SD card SD card strife. they differ not only in volume and manufacturer, but also in size, class (speed). generation. All this, of course, can affect the visibility of the SD-stick in the card reader.
There are three form factors for SD cards: SD, miniSD, MicroSD (differ in size). Maps are used in a variety of portable devices: phones, cameras, camcorders, tablets, etc.
The most widely used are microSD cards (due to their compact size, they can even be inserted into a miniature phone or MP3 player).
To connect a microSD card to a laptop or computer, a small adapter is always included with it (see photo below).
Typical SD card information
Manufacturer: no comment here. The only moment is when you buy yourself an SD card, I recommend staying at well-known manufacturers: SanDisk, Transcend, Sony, etc.
Since SDHC works in a different way than standard SD cards, the new format is not backward compatible with SD card readers.
When the card and card reader support UHS. the maximum speed will be reached (up to 50 MB / s UHS-50; 104 MB / s UHS-104). Otherwise, the card reader and card will use the slower, maximum available SD speed.
Important! Compatibility table of card readers and types of SD cards
In principle, each card reader (on the packaging with it) indicates which cards it supports. Naturally, if you insert a newer card, he simply will not see it, and you will not be able to read it. The table below will show you the compatibility of card readers and types of SD cards.
Usually, SD cards indicate not the speed of work (in MB / s, although sometimes it is indicated), but the class of the card. Using the tables below. you can find out what speed your card will support.
The higher the speed, the more expensive the card. Some devices require a specific class of card (for example, a camera, otherwise video recording will go with brakes, or not at all). so be careful with this moment!
| 2 | 2 MB / s |
| 4 | 4 MB / s |
| 6 | 6 MB / s |
| eight | 8 MB / s |
| 10 | 10 MB / s |
| one | 10 MB / s |
| 3 | 30 MB / s |
The bigger, the better. True, try to proceed from real needs: if you need to store a dozen or two photos, then it may not make sense to overpay and take a large-capacity card?
The computer does not recognize / does not see the flash card: microSD, miniSD, SD
Good day everyone!
Today, the popularity of SD-flash drives, I think, is not inferior to USB-flash drives. Judge for yourself: phones, tablets, cameras, cameras. SD-flash drives are used everywhere (sometimes they are called SD-cards)!
In general, I must admit that SD-cards are quite “capricious” devices, and it is not uncommon for a computer not to recognize or see it. In these cases, as a rule, we immediately remember that there are important photos, files, data on the flash drive. which simply need to be 100% returned and restored! ☝
In this article I will give the most common reasons for the invisibility of an SD card by a computer (laptop), as well as recommendations for eliminating them. I hope my humble advice will be useful to someone.
Frequently asked Questions
My camera, computer, tablet and even my phone do not see the micro flash drive from the camera, and on it there are photos of my child for 3 years! There is hope?
Hope, as they say, dies last. In general, it would be interesting to hear after what events the problem appeared. The fact is that, according to your description, it is difficult to diagnose what happened to your micro SD card.
For example, if no device sees files on a USB flash drive after you dropped this same USB flash drive into water or on a hard surface, write it all. Try connecting the USB flash drive to the computer via a card reader. maybe you just connected it to the device incorrectly.
I borrowed a USB stick from a friend. After “cleaning” the antivirus program on any PC does not see the USB flash drive (none of the programs). During the connection, a sound is emitted that the USB is connected and the notification diode on the flash drive is also working.
Perhaps the file table has flown, so Windows does not see the USB flash drive. Try to format the USB flash drive with proprietary software (if available on the manufacturer’s website). Alternatively, try a low-level formatting program. HDD Low Level Format Tool.
If there is no physical damage on the flash drive and the reason was the antivirus, there should be no other options. over, formatting. the only method to programmatically affect this storage device.
When you connect a USB flash drive, the software is installed. Windows shows the device is ready to use, but the PC still doesn’t recognize.
Go to “Disk Management” and check if the flash drive is defined as a file volume or unallocated space. Further it is necessary:
- assign a USB flash drive through the Windows Disk Management panel a new letter
- create a new file volume
- format the flash drive to FAT32 or exFat
Silicon Power 32GB flash drive, PC can’t see it. Shows as unallocated space in Disk Management, but I get an error when I try to create a simple volume.
You can create a new partition by going to Disk Management through the Control Panel. The file space can be marked as RAW, and you need to create a new partition on it. In addition, there are specialized programs for working with sections and formatting. Check out our guide on how to format a USB flash drive.
Explorer does not see the memory card after formatting, when you try to turn it on, the phone says “could not safely remove the device: sandisk SD card”.
The memory card model may not be supported by your mobile device. this happens often. Besides exFAT, try formatting Fat32.
Test the card on any other Android device: is the flash drive readable? If Windows Explorer does not see the card, go to Disk Management through the Control Panel and check if there is an unallocated area. If there. it needs to be formatted and assigned a drive letter.
I try to recover photos using Recuva, but when connected via USB, the computer does not see the memory card, the phone is displayed as a portable device. USB debugging icon is enabled.
When restoring files from the internal memory, you need to make an image of it (see instructions), and only then mount a copy of the internal memory as a separate disk. Only after these complex manipulations will Recuva be able to detect the disc.
If the computer does not see the SD card, and not the internal memory, then this is another question. The fact is that you need to connect a memory card to a PC not via a cable, but using a card reader. Only then will the SD card show up as a disk.
When trying to format the USB flash drive, the computer gave a message: “The disk is write-protected.” It was not possible to format, but the PC stopped seeing the flash drive.
You can check the performance of the flash drive through Disk Management (Start. Run. diskmgmt.msc).
When a USB storage device is connected, a new device will appear in the list. In order for the flash drive to be detected again, you need to create a new disk on it and format it. This can be done using the SDFormatter utility.
The USB port of a computer or laptop does not work; the port is faulty, damaged, or not attached to the motherboard
Quite a banal reason, and nevertheless, this also happens. The problem is solved quite simply. remove the flash drive from the USB socket and try other free ports for reading the flash drive. If successful, you will hear a characteristic “victory” sound of Windows or, at least, an icon in the notification area that the flash drive is connected to the PC.
Consider a case where all of your USB ports are not connected to your PC. In principle, this is impossible, since the motherboard de facto has sockets available for connecting devices. here the only question is in the support of the specifications, the relevance of the mat. boards. However, many users are accustomed to connecting a flash device through the front panel of their computer. And on this front panel you need to output the wires from the motherboard.
How to solve a problem. In such a case, calling a specialist will help. If you. an experienced and courageous computer technician, you will figure it out for yourself why the USB port does not work.
Here you need to make a remark: such a case of a non-working USB is relatively rare, and it makes no sense to start investigating why the computer does not see the USB flash drive by unscrewing the screws on the system unit.
Incorrect formatting of the flash drive (the file system is incompatible with Windows)
The Windows operating system refuses to see files on the flash drive if the file system format of the flash drive is not compatible with it. This could be due to the fact that you formatted the drive in another OS (for example, Linux or Mac OS X). If your computer or laptop does not see the memory card, the problem may also be due to improper formatting.
How to fix the problem. We advise you to format the USB stick in FAT format. as the most versatile. This can be done both by means of operating systems and using special programs: JetFlash Recovery Tool, USB Disk Storage Format Tool, etc.
Read our article on formatting a flash drive:
The computer does not see the USB flash drive due to incorrect settings in the BIOS
In rare cases, the laptop does not see the USB flash drive due to erroneously set parameters of the USB controller in the BIOS. This is possible when assembling a new PC or changing the motherboard, if you changed the BIOS settings (or someone made a configuration without your knowledge).
The reader doesn’t see flash card SD computer does not see memory card
What to do. Go into the BIOS, holding Del or F2 when booting. If after pressing these keys the BIOS does not open, check what the PC writes at boot: perhaps you have a different button assigned.
Find the Advanced Settings section in BIOS. USB Configuration. The USB Controller parameter must be activated by setting it to Enabled. Save the settings by pressing F10 or through the BIOS menu, restart the computer and check if the computer sees the USB flash drive.
The card reader does not see the memory card
When an external card reader is connected to the USB port, the computer does not see the card reader. Alternatively, the computer does not see the SD card when reading from a card reader.
What to do? If your card reader does not see the SD card, the reasons can be quite commonplace. For example, this may well be due to the breakdown of the card reader. If possible, use a different card reader, such as the one built into your laptop. It also makes sense to replace the cable connecting the USB port with the card reader.
Flash drive drivers are missing or outdated “firewood” for Windows is installed
Conflict between USB flash drive drivers and OS is rare: modern operating systems in most cases determine the drive model and install drivers without problems. In other words, it is unlikely that the computer does not see the USB flash drive due to missing drivers. Nevertheless, such a mistake does take place. You may find that Windows XP is installed in the Print Center, and your USB flash drive is simply not detected on the “old lady” Windows. In fact, the laptop does not see the USB flash drive due to the outdated operating system installed in the service center.
What to do. Make sure your USB flash drive is compatible with the current operating system. As a rule, information about the supported OS is on the box or on the website of the device manufacturer.
The USB connector of the flash drive is clogged with debris
It is very important to keep the USB stick with the cap closed. Some owners of flash drives forget about the correct operation of the USB drive, which causes problems. With careless storage and constant use, debris accumulates in the connector of the flash drive, complicating the contact between the flash drive and the computer.
What to do. Thoroughly blow through the USB flash drive connector, making sure by eye that there are no peels, dust, foreign objects from your inside the connector. The most difficult case: the port is clogged with dirt and access to the contacts is impossible without cleaning. Take a stick, a match and clean the connector and internal contacts of the flash drive.
Small and easily fixable hardware malfunction of the flash drive
It is likely that the computer does not see the USB flash drive due to the fact that there are malfunctions on the device. Due to the presence of bad sectors, the USB flash drive stops working, is not recognized correctly by Windows, or reads files with problems. Also, due to the presence of bad blocks, information from the device is read slowly, with errors.
What to do? We recommend installing the Flash Memory Toolkit on your computer. It allows you to check errors on a USB flash drive, conduct a series of small and quick tests of the speed of reading and writing information. The test results will reveal the full picture for you and you can determine why your computer does not see the USB flash drive and fix the problem under Windows.
