Introduction
In today’s era, when everything is technology-oriented, the SD card is quite an applicable invention. This miniature device is very portable and can store massive data. Although these devices are excellently reliable, you sometimes get a warning of SD card not showing up.
There are plenty of ways that can lead to a corrupted or damaged SD card. Also, there is no time frame for this; it can stop working at any time. Micro SD card not recognized is a widespread problem faced by many in their daily lives. You can quickly fix this problem by following the instructions given in this article.
Part 1: Why is the SD card not recognized on Windows 7 / 8 / 10?
To find the solution to an SD card not recognized on windows, you first need to understand the problem. This sign does not always mean that the card is permanently wasted and your data is lost forever. The damage can be of two types: physical and logical. Lost data can be retrieved by simply following a few easy instructions. Let us first discuss the reasons behind the SD card not showing up on windows, and then we will look at its solution.
- Dirty SD Card
The card is mostly not recognized on the windows due to dust accumulation over its docking surface. The simple solution is to neatly clean the card with alcohol or water moistened clean cloth. Avoid scratching the metal surface. Once the card is dry, try to reconnect it with the computer, and hopefully, it will work.
- Update your Drivers
The driver reads the devices and extracts information out of them. Outdated drivers can be another possible reason why the SD card is not showing up on windows. To fix this issue, you need to update your device drivers.
- SD Card might be locked
Sometimes the SD card not recognized issue can arise due to the write-protected feature installed by default. The trigger switch on the SD card’s side turns the card write-protected and makes it seem damaged when turned-on. Just unlocking the controller will resolve the issue.
- Partition Loss
Accidentally formatting the memory card’s partition is why something went wrong, and it can also fail the operation sometimes. In this case, your SD card’s file system is destroyed, and therefore it raises the SD card not showing up issue.
- Physical Damage
A card being physically damaged is the most common type of damage SD cards face. Many times, you damage the card by unintentionally spilling water or any other liquid on it. You can accidentally impair its plastic covering by hitting it somewhere. Besides, you can leave it unprotected somewhere by accident; children got their hands over it, and now ruining is its destiny.
Part 2: How can we fix the SD card or memory card not detected on Windows 7 / 8 / 10?
All the reasons mentioned above can leave your SD card impaired. If you face the issue of the Micro SD card not being recognized on windows due to the reasons stated above, try the following fixes to make your SD card recognizable again on windows.
- Utilize a different USB Port
Sometimes the port you are using is the problem instead of the SD card itself. Thus, try plugging the SD card into different ports available on your PC or try it on another PC.
- Try SD card on another Device
Sometimes the reason for the SD card not recognized on windows can be a defective or virus-bugged PC as well. Thus, try fixing this problem by inserting the SD card in a different computer altogether.
- Change Driver letter in Disk Management
You can face the SD card not showing up as an issue on windows if there is no drive letter. Follow the steps given below to overcome this issue:
- By right-clicking on the menu, select ‘Disk Management.’
- Navigate to your SD card in disk management and right-click on it
- Select “Change Drive Letter and Paths”
- Click on the ‘change’ button and choose a drive letter from the given list.
- Select “Ok”
If you cannot find your SD card, you can click on the ‘Add’ button and add your card to the list.
- Try Running CHKDSK
An undetectable SD card can be resolved by running CHKDSK. Follow the given steps to overcome this problem:
- Right-click on ‘My computer.’
- Click on “Disk Management”
- Press Windows + R keys
- Once done, type ‘cmd.’
- Hit the ‘Enter’ button
- Now Type: CHKDSK D:/f
- Once again, press “Enter.”
Part 3: How to recover and retrieve data from corrupted SD Card?
By adopting the solutions mentioned above, you can quickly fix your SD card not recognized problem. If none of the solutions work, then try using Recoverit. It is effective, convenient, user-friendly, and affordable data recovery software that can restore all data formats, including audio, videos, and documents.
It aids you in recovering your lost data back in its original form. Moreover, the latest version, Recoverit Ultimate, has introduced some advanced features that allow you to recover not only your data but also retrieve corrupted video files. You need to follow a few steps to recuperate your lost data via Recoverit data recovery software. The steps are as follows:
Step-1: Selecting a Starting Location
Once you are done with downloading and installing step, you need to select a starting location from where you will start recovering your corrupted files.
Step-2: Scanning Corrupted file Location
After selecting the location, you will have to scan the location for the entire corrupted files. Once finished, you can now start scanning by selecting multiple files of your choice.
Step-3: Preview and Recover the Files
Recoverit gives you an added option to preview your files before recovering them just to be sure that you have recovered the desired files. Once previewed, now click on the recovery tab after scanning.
Conclusion
Worldwide, many users face the problem of micro SD cards not recognized in windows. There can be plenty of reasons behind this problem. These reasons can be a dirty SD card, outdated drivers, locked SD card, partition loss, or any other physical damage. The result of all these issues leads to the loss of your essential data files.
There are many ways to resolve the SD card not recognized problem. One such easy, simple, and very affordable way of overcoming this issue is utilizing Recoverit data recovery software. We highly recommend choosing Recoverit as it retrieves your data files in no time.
