The memory card is not displayed in the phone. Why the computer may not see the memory card and what needs to be done to make it work? Using Recovery Mode
The micro SD card helps to significantly increase the memory capacity of your Android device. Therefore, if Android does not see the microSD flash drive, users immediately need to understand the causes of the malfunction and eliminate negative factors.
This article is suitable for all brands that produce phones on Android 9/8/7/6: Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Fly, Alcatel, Xiaomi, Nokia and others. We are not responsible for your actions.
Memory card problems
If Android does not see the memory card, then the cause of the problem may be on the side of the device itself or in the operation of the flash drive. Start diagnostics from an external drive. Common causes of failure include:
- Unsuitable file system(e.g. NTFS or ExFat instead of Fat32).
- Formatting errors, file system failures.
- Incompatibility of the card and phone, unsupported volume (the device cannot work with cards larger than 16 GB, and you put a flash drive of 32 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB).
- Hardware problems of the memory card, physical damage to the contacts.
If the card from the camera or from the DVR is not readable when installed in the phone, then the first thing to do is to make sure that the mobile device supports this format and volume.
An incompatibility problem can only be corrected by replacing the drive with a suitable one. It is much easier to deal with errors in the file system (or the wrong file system). After formatting, the card will be detected without rebooting and other unnecessary actions:
Increase Formatting will delete all data on the memory card. If this is critical, save them to your computer before cleaning the drive, and after changing the file system, put them back on the card.
Phone problems
If the memory card is compatible with the phone, the file system is in a format that is suitable for Android, there is no hardware damage, then the reasons should be sought in the operation of the smartphone. If the smartphone does not see a flash drive installed from another smartphone, but the computer does, then the following factors can affect this:
- Incorrect drive installation.
- Damaged/dirty memory card slot.
- Android software glitch.
Try to pull out the memory card, and install it again, making sure that the slot is working. If you see that the contacts are dirty, clean them with a regular eraser or a damp cloth. If cleaning doesn't help, chances are the contacts are loose or damaged. Repairing them yourself is problematic, usually a component replacement is required.
If the device in Recovery sees a flash drive, while Android does not see the SD card in applications, although it shows that the space is occupied, then the cause of the problem should be sought in the system. If the error occurred due to a system failure, restarting the device will help fix it.
Increase Another solution is to reinstall the problematic application or transfer from internal memory on microSD. What to do for this:
- Open settings.
- Go to the "Applications" section.
- Select the application that is having problems.
- Click Move to SD Card.
Increase If you have difficulty detecting an external drive after flashing the device, you should reflash it again using the official Android build from the manufacturer. You can get by with a less radical method and simply reset the settings through the Android interface or the Recovery Menu.
If you use an android phone samsung, bq, sony, lg, xiaomi, zte, lenovo, fly, nokia, asus, alcatel, xiaomi and so on, you may find that the system storage is completely full.
This slows down the speed of work, and in order to free up space, an external card is usually inserted. micro memory sd.
However, some users complain that their android 7 (7.0), android 6 (6.0), android 4.4.2 and others including latest version Android 8 does not see the SD memory card, including even a new one.
It happens that the device does not see the files on the card - music, applications, photos, or does not see the formatted one.
How to make the phone see the memory card? Are there any programs for android to see it? There are no such programs, and there is more than one reason.
If the smartphone suddenly stopped seeing the data on the memory card, then first of all you need to check it yourself, but let's look at the solutions in order
The first reason why the android phone does not see the SD memory card is dirt
Most users do not pay much attention to the behavior of their external drive, as a result of which they suffer from dust, dirt, etc. Dirt on the card can make it difficult to detect.
What to do: Check the area around the metal part (contacts) and if necessary clean it with water or alcohol. Then dry it before putting it back into your phone.
The second reason why an android smartphone does not see a microsd memory card is a compressed slot
The smartphone is getting thinner and thinner all the time, and the design is getting more inventive. This is where a paradox arises - the phone is thin, therefore, a thick battery cannot be inserted there and the result is sad.
A thin battery does not hold a charge for a long time, so some use non-original batteries, which are cheaper, last longer and are therefore slightly larger than the original ones.
If such batteries are used, they may compress the card slot and cause unreadability.
What to do: remove the battery from the phone and put in the original working battery (at least to make sure that the reason is not in it).
The third reason is why the android phone does not see the microsd memory card
Many smartphones support connectors that allow you to insert or remove an external storage device while it is running.
Only if you often insert and remove it, then this can lead to various kinds of damage to the metal contacts.
What to do: you can touch up the contacts a little and, if necessary, clean them.
As a last resort (I hope it didn’t come to this) you will have to replace the slot - for this you will need to go to a repair point.
The fourth reason why an android smartphone does not see a micro sd memory card is viruses
Android users can download and install applications on the SD card.
Some applications contain virus files that can damage the performance of the external drive.
What to do: put it in the reader and connect it to a computer or laptop.
Then remove the malware with an antivirus software or format (android viruses are not afraid of a computer).
The fifth reason why the android phone does not see the micro sd memory card is damage
To check if the drive is damaged, install it in a memory card reader and connect it to your computer.
If you can open it on your computer, then it's fine. Otherwise, it may be physically damaged.
The sixth reason why the android does not see the microsd memory card is the phone is damaged
If you have already checked the SD card according to the above situation and found it to be in good condition, you may need to send the phone for maintenance.
There might be something wrong with the device that can't read the external drive.
To make the flash drive readable on Android devices, you must carefully save it.
What has been described above, for those who are in a hurry, and who have time, may remain - let's look at the problem in more depth.
Other ways when android does not see a memory card
Today we store a lot of data on a removable memory card - photos, videos, documents and applications.
If the android phone does not see the microsd, then there are many reasons. Do not panic - this does not mean that your data files will be lost - the problem is usually easily solved by the smartphone owner himself.
The smartphone may not see the memory card due to incompatibility - the card is not suitable for your smartphone.
Therefore, it is worth making sure that the card model is compatible with your phone. In the characteristics of the device, you can see if it supports this model.
Also see what size it supports - maybe the most popular one with 32 GB does not pull it.
If you have done this, and the smartphone continues to not see the external drive, go to the methods described below.
The smartphone does not see the microsd - restart and reinstall the card
If the drive responds to the device, but the smartphone still does not detect it, the first thing to do is to restart the phone.
If the problem was caused by a software bug, the system will quickly detect the removable drive after a restart.
The memory card should be inserted into the slot without pressure until it clicks. If problems continue, try the following method to reset your device (do a reset).
After the reset, the system files will be restored, and the smartphone will automatically return to the factory state.
Be careful - this procedure will delete personal user data and do not forget to charge the phone at least 50%.
Android does not see the sd memory card - check the sd memory card for errors
For this method, follow a few simple steps:
- connect the drive to a computer or laptop;
- in the "My Computer" section, find it and right-click it;
- select "Properties" and go to "Tools";
- select "Check disk for errors" and click "Check";
- on the "Parameters" tab, check the box next to "Automatically fix ..." and "Check and repair ...", then run the test.
- After scanning, insert the drive into your phone.
If error checking fails, more advanced measures will have to be applied. Try formatting it.
It happens that there are mistakes, but nothing can be done. There are times when the SD card does not want to be formatted. In this case, use the next step.
If, after formatting, the phone saw a memory card, but cannot open it, then format it again, but on a smartphone.
Of course, it happens that even the computer does not see the memory card. What to do? Then, most likely, there is only one way out - to determine the manufacturer and try to find a program on its website that corrects its product.
If all the above methods do not solve the problem, contact the nearest repair point where you will reinstall the Android system or restore the memory card.
Why android stopped seeing the microsd memory card after formatting
This is the last section in our history. If you formatted an external drive on a computer or laptop, then the Android phone may not see it.
Why? Because it "does not understand" all the formats with which computers and laptops work.
A computer or laptop could format in ntfs format, and an android needs exFAT or FAT32.
What to do? The solution comes naturally. Insert again into the PC and below the line "File system", select the correct format and format again. Good luck.
Quite often, owners of Android devices face an unpleasant problem when a MicroSD phone. What to do in this case, what troubleshooting methods to apply? First you need to determine the root cause and analyze possible situations.
Why does the phone not see the MicroSD flash drive?
Needless to say, there can be any number of reasons for such failures. Here are software failures of the system itself, and the banal lack of contact between the memory card and the card reader, and violations in the file system of the USB drive, and even physical damage.
However, the situation may look twofold. On the one hand, this may concern the newly purchased new card, and on the other hand, the problem may lie in the fact that over time the phone has stopped seeing the MicroSD flash drive. What to do in this case will now be considered.
By the way, the issue of compatibility between the card and the phone itself will not be discussed here. This is worth paying attention to separately, since outdated gadgets are not able to detect the latest generation SD cards. Moreover, it may be that the card's memory is larger than that stated in the device's support. So in this case, the map will not be determined.
The phone does not see the MicroSD flash drive: what to do first?
If there are problems with already installed card memory, no matter how it sounds, the cause may be the usual contamination of the device, say, dust ingress. Agree, not every user constantly cleans his phone.
Here the way out is the simplest: pull the card out of the phone, wipe the contacts on the flash drive itself and on the card reader, and then insert it again. By the way, this option is also suitable for new cards. Well, you never know, the contacts just didn't work. Therefore, do not rush to run to the service center or throw away the card you just bought.
Using Recovery Mode
If the simplest manipulations with contacts do not help, you can use the special recovery mode (Recovery) provided in any Android device, although you can start with a normal reboot.
To access the mode we need, we use the simultaneous holding of the power and volume down buttons. This is the most common option. But, in principle, each manufacturer can prescribe another combination himself. That's not the point. After starting the device, a special service menu will appear, where you need to select the Wipe cache partition item, after which you just need to reboot the device. If after that the phone does not see the MicroSD, we proceed to more effective measures. They will be radically different from the previous steps.
Problems with the MicroSD card on the computer: what can I do?
Well, firstly, it is worth noting the generally exceptional situation when both the computer and the phone do not see the MicroSD flash drive. It's already worse. On the phone, this problem is almost never fixed.
First you need to insert the card into another device or computer and make sure it works. If it is found, the problem is only with the phone or drive names on the computer. If the card is not detected, the problem is either with the file system or with the memory card itself.
So, for starters, you should use which in Windows is called quickly enough. You can use the combination Win + X and then select Disk Management, or enter the command diskmgmt.msc in the Run menu bar.
This method is good because absolutely all connected disk devices, even unformatted ones, will be displayed in the main window. It is very possible that the letter of the removable card, such as "F", is the same as the designation of the optical drive. We right-click on the map and select the command to change the letter.
However, after such an operation, a situation may also appear when the phone does not see the MicroSD flash drive. What to do, because it is already recognized on the computer? by the most simple option Correcting the situation will be partial or complete formatting of the media. However, full formatting with deleting all data and re-creating the file system still looks preferable.
It can be produced either here, or from the standard "Explorer". In both cases, right-clicking calls where and selects the format string. In a new window, you need to uncheck the quick format, and then specify the creation. But, in principle, FAT32 is installed by the system by default. Now it remains to confirm the start of the process and wait for its completion. After that, you can safely insert the card into the phone.
Restoring the MicroSD Card
Now a few words about one more situation when the phone does not see the MicroSD flash drive. What to do if it is found on a computer, but not on a mobile gadget?
First, you should again connect the card to a computer and laptop and carry out a standard check of the device for errors. We use the same "Explorer" with the subsequent transition to the properties menu. There we select the service section and with the obligatory indication of automatic error correction. Also, although not necessary, you can use a surface test with automatic recovery of bad sectors.
Another option involves fixing access to the memory card on computer terminals, as well as normalizing the parameters and system registry keys in the HKLM branch. You should find the SYSTEM folder in the directory tree, in which the StorageDevicePolicies directory is located. On the right side, the defining parameter must be assigned a zero value (usually 0x00000000(0)). After that, the problem should disappear.
Finally, if the card has minor physical damage, which is usually associated with malfunctions of the microcontroller, you will have to look for special utilities for formatting, after knowing the VID and PID parameters. This can also be done using special programs such as USBIDCheck, or by disassembling the card (where the data is indicated on the internal chip).
Then, a program is downloaded from the Internet for each card of a certain manufacturer in accordance with known parameters, after which formatting is performed.
Conclusion
If for some reason the removable device is not detected, you should not panic. First you need to determine the root cause of the failures. As practice shows, any of the proposed methods helps to solve the problem. If we talk specifically about phones, here, rather, cleaning the device from dirt, formatting the card or restoring performance, as described in the last version, is more suitable.
By the way, the issue of compatibility between the card and the phone itself was not considered here. This is worth paying attention to separately, since outdated gadgets are not able to detect the latest generation SD cards.
Sometimes it happens that the card reader does not see the memory card and an unprepared user begins to panic and look for an answer on the Internet. For the most part, such actions may turn out to be fruitless, and the problem may remain unresolved. This happens because the user finds disparate information, which is to collect in a heap, for him it is overwhelming work. To facilitate the work of such people, this article was written. In it, we will study in detail all the known causes that arise in this situation, as well as provide recommendations for eliminating such problems. And I'll start, perhaps with a small explanation of what a card reader and a memory card are.
In the modern world of high technologies, electronic information carriers are used in almost all spheres of our life. And we can't imagine our life without them.
Definition of concepts
Memory card- this is a very convenient option for storing all important information. This quality made it possible for such carriers to win universal love and popularity. Distinctive feature This device is that it does not have moving elements and is characterized by high efficiency and performance.
card reader is a flash card reader. There are two types:
- External;
- built-in.
The external one is connected to the computer via a wire, and the internal one is built into the system unit of the computer or was originally installed on some laptops. It can also be found on mobile phones in the form of a slot for a flash drive. And in turn, it can both recognize and not flash media. In this case, you must try to configure the device. There are many reasons why such problems arise.
Card Reader Features:
The card reader has two main functions:
- performs recording and formatting;
- reads data from a flash card.
The device is equipped with a special controller and a group of sliding contacts. For example, Cell phones, which are equipped with a flash card slot, have a built-in data reader. If the card reader does not see the memory card, then the problem lies precisely in it, and not in the phone.
And so, the main causes of our problem
Today we have the opportunity to choose any type of flash cards. All memory cards differ in certain ways. And the card reader may not see the memory card due to the different location and number of contacts that are involved in the work, the shape, size and performance of the devices may also vary. In addition, flash drives can consume different amounts of energy. All memory cards have their own individual characteristics, so in certain cases, the card reader may not see the device.
The most popular reason why the card reader does not see the memory card is the incompatibility of models. Each data reader has its own list of memory cards that it could view. Often, most users ignore the instructions for the device, mistakenly believing that if a flash card is included in the card reader slot, then it must be seen and read.
Today, there are two types of Secure Digital memory cards:
- regular SD, up to 2 GB in size, with byte-by-byte page addressing;
- a modified version of the standard card, known as SDHC, with sector-by-sector paging. Its size can be 32 GB.
Thus, if you insert an SDHC flash card into an SD device, then it will either not be viewed, or it will work “crookedly”.
Using an adapter (SD - MMC) it is recommended to check whether the contacts are correctly positioned. Sometimes you can observe a situation where the state of the built-in contacts can be disturbed by the inserted memory card. In this situation, the adapter needs to be replaced. If this is not done, then it will happen that the card reader does not see the memory card.
If the icon is not found, you must temporarily disconnect USB devices that are not needed in this operation and re-check the status of the card reader. You can also test the card reader on another PC. If this does not help, then it is likely that the card reader should be replaced or contacted by professionals to solve this problem.
The situation when the computer does not see the card reader occurs for several reasons: a file system failure has occurred, a drive letter conflict, incorrect connection, incompatibility of the card reader and memory card. To solve the problem, you need to use a special utility, format the USB flash drive, connect it to another device, or reset the BIOS settings. The card may be damaged, so when connected to a laptop, the user will not be able to open the files located on this media. Older laptop models have a built-in card reader that cannot read modern SD cards. The solution to the problem is to purchase a new card reader that has a USB connector. You can open a flash drive through a camera or phone by connecting the device via a USB cable to a computer in order to copy the necessary files stored on this media.
Checking card reader drivers
The user must first make sure to insert the SD card in the correct direction. The device should show how to insert it.
If the appropriate drivers have not been installed on the computer, the SD card will not work. In this case, the flash drive cannot be found in Disk Management. To check the card reader drivers, you need to go to the "Device Manager" and see if there is a question mark next to the desired device.
There are two ways to access Device Manager:
- In Windows 7 and 10, you can log in through the Control Panel.
- Use the Win + R key combination to call the "Run" menu and enter the text "devmgmt.msc" in the field. Then you should click "OK".
If there is no problem with the drivers, no icons will be displayed next to the device in the USB Controllers tab. If there is no card reader in this list, you need to install or update drivers for it. To find the programs you need, you can use the automatic search. If a CD was included with the device when you purchased it, you should download the programs recorded on it.
If the automatic search did not give a result and you do not have a disk, you need to go to the official website of the manufacturer and look for drivers there. The user can click on the "Update configuration" button in the "Device Manager" (see image below).
Troubleshooting programs
If the laptop prompts you to format the flash drive when you start it, it sees the device, but cannot recognize its file system. In this case, a message is displayed, as shown in the figure:
This is due to an error in the file system of the card, or the OS cannot read a system that is unfamiliar to it. This problem occurs after connecting the flash drive to the TV. Checking the device with the troubleshooter will help resolve this situation. You can use the chkdsk utility built into Windows. To call it, you need to run command line and enter in the "cmd" field. Then press the "Enter" button and enter the following text: chkdsk g: / f (the letter f indicates the disk of the sd card) and press the enter button.
If the problem was a system failure, after the procedure is completed, the card will become readable again. If the utility did not help and the formatting message reappears, you need to restore the files on this device (if they are of any value to the owner). You can do this with the help of free programs: "Recuva", "Pandora Recovery", "R.saver". When resuming information, the data must be installed on the hard disk.
Section title conflict
Checking the drive letter in Disk Management will fix the error if there is a character conflict (the OS assigned the flash drive a letter that is already in the system). Procedure:
If the reason is not in the conflict of letters, then the desired card will not be in the list. If the file system is RAW, the SD card will need to be formatted.
Reset BIOS settings
You need to check if the corresponding slot is enabled in the BIOS settings. If not, then select the desired device in the section with ports and check the box next to it.
You can reset the BIOS settings after restarting the computer. You should press F2 when a black screen with numbers appears. For some manufacturers, the "Delete" key is used to exit the BIOS. Each device has its own BIOS, which is different from the rest. The name of the section with devices is "Miscellaneous Devices", the designation of the sd card is "SD Reader" or "Media Card Reader".
Mechanical damage
Checking for mechanical damage to contacts will most likely help solve the problem of the invisibility of a memory card on a laptop. To make sure that the card works, you need to try opening it on another computer or laptop. In case of failure, it is recommended to replace the flash drive, as it is not working. If another device was able to recognize removable media, but it malfunctions, the problem is mechanical damage or dirty connectors.
You need to take a cotton swab and moisten it with alcohol, and then wipe the contacts on the back of the flash drive. Do not pour liquid on the memory card and insert it into the port until it is completely dry. If, after the contact cleaning procedure, the memory card worked on another laptop, but still does not want to start on the computer, you need to clean the flash drive slot with a special nozzle with compressed air.
The problem may also lie in a card reader that does not support certain types of sd cards. Information about the compatibility of the device can be found on its packaging or on the official website of the manufacturer.
If none of the methods brought the desired result, you need to check your computer for viruses. Some malware blocks access to removable media and makes it invisible. You can use the built-in Windows diagnostic program to let the OS find the problem and fix it.
