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sd card reader 1

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goldtooth

Technical User
Feb 18, 2009
85
GB
My SD card reader works OK when I put a card in, but after taking it out (after using the "safely remove hardware" gadget) and inserting it again, or inserting another SD card in the slot, the pc doesn't see it, even though the green light next to the card reader flashes. Any idea what's going on?
 
It sounds like you are actually unmounting the card reader itself, so you would need to unplug & replug it to get it working again.
Just try unplugging the card instead of using safely remove hardware. Just make sure that it is not being written to at the time.
 
Thanks, kestrel1. You're right - it works without using the "safely remove hardware". I've been told to always use this when disconnecting a card or usb. Is there any way of fixing my pc so that the card reader itself doesn't unmount?
 
Not as far as I know. It is actually treated the same as any USB external memory within Windows & is always mounted, even without any actual card inserted. If you had been using Linux the drive would only be mounted when a card is inserted. Therefore the card can be un-mounted & not the reader.
It is normally best to use the safely remove hardware option as this does shut the device off from anything be written to it when you are removing it. Normally though you are safe enough to remove without using that option. I normally leave it to settle for a few minutes just to make sure that nothing is being written & make sure that the lights are not flashing on the device. I normally use Linux anyway, but still have to use Windows for my line of work. Never managed to corrupt a device yet :)
Anyway, glad it helped you out.
 
With card readers, it actually depends upon the card reader. I believe at least MOST act in this manner, but it seems I've seen at least one or two that did not... But the vast majority of card readers do indeed work this way. Why? I don't really know, but it is annoying.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
 
A few questions. What operating system? Is the SD card reader built in? Is it a desktop model plugged into a USB slot on the computer?

Like kestrel1 said, you shouldn’t have to unmount it every time you pull it out, but in the past, Windows towers that came with built in card readers that were wired to the motherboard always caused me problems. I usually swapped them out for 3.5” card reader and ran the USB cable out an open PCI slot in the back and plug it into an open USB slot. Not attractive, but always works.

Gabriel Blanc-Laine
VP Sales & Marketing
 
GabrielBL - thanks. I have run Belarc Adviser to show my desktop pc is running:
Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 2 (build 6002)
The built-in SD card reader is:
Generic- SD/MMC USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 3
Does this help?

 
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