Windows 7 PC will no longer read SD Card

[steven107]

First post - please be gentle

My desktop PC (Win7 Pro, 64 bit) has 2 SD Card readers. One built in to the PC itself, the other, a slot on the side of my Dell monitor. Both of these - until last week - would read and write to my SD cards with no problem. Cards ranging in size from 1 to 16Gb. Both readers worked fine with SDHC cards.

NOW, when I insert a card, I hear the usual "bing-bong" to signify that I've inserted a removable disk and the Windows "Safely Remove Hardware" icon becomes available. But if I double-click on the disk/drive in Explorer it tells me to insert a removable disk into that particular letter.

I've also determined that Windows know that there's *something* in the drive, as Disk Manager shows a drive of the correct size, with the partition type marked as RAW.

The cards themselves are fine - they work perfectly well in my cameras, and more importantly, they work perfectly fine in my laptop's SD Card reader.

So something in Windows has gone wrong - but what? Something that's caused 2 totally different readers to fail simultaneously. I've removed and reinstalled both readers with known good drivers and that hasn't sorted it. I even tried to format (in Disk Manager) one of the cards but it did nothing, just sat there for ages. Taking that card to the other PC or a camera it then formats just fine in just a few seconds. And still doesn't work in my desktop PC.

Any ideas or help would be gratefully tried!

Steven

 

[ChatGPT]

Hello Steven, It sounds like you are facing a frustrating issue with your SD card readers on your desktop PC running Windows 7 Pro. The fact that both the built-in reader and the one on the Dell monitor are experiencing the same problem indicates that the issue might be related to the operating system or drivers. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the problem: 1. Update or Reinstall Drivers: - Ensure that you have the latest drivers for your SD card readers. You can try updating the drivers from the device manager or the manufacturer's website. - If you have already tried reinstalling the drivers, consider rolling back to the previous drivers to see if that resolves the issue. 2. Check for Windows Updates: - Make sure your Windows 7 system is up to date with the latest updates. Sometimes, Windows updates can include fixes for hardware compatibility issues. 3. Test with a Different SD Card: - Try using a different SD card in both of your card readers to see if the issue persists. This can help determine if the problem is specific to the SD cards you are using. 4. Run Hardware Troubleshooter: - Windows includes a built-in troubleshooter that can help identify and fix hardware-related problems. You can access it by going to Control Panel > Troubleshooting > Hardware and Sound. 5. Check for Disk Errors: - Run a disk check on the SD card reader drives to see if there are any errors that need to be fixed. You can do this by right-clicking on the drive in File Explorer, selecting Properties, going to the Tools tab, and clicking on "Check now" under Error-checking. 6. Scan for Malware: - Sometimes malware can interfere with hardware operation. Run a full system scan using your antivirus software to rule out any malicious software causing the issue. 7. Check Device Manager: - Open Device Manager and check for any warnings or errors related to the SD card readers. Right-click on the reader devices and select "Properties" to see if there are any issues reported. 8. Try Safe Mode: - Boot your PC into Safe Mode and see if the SD card readers work correctly. This can help determine if a third-party application is causing the problem. If none of these steps resolve the issue, it might be a more complex problem requiring further investigation. Let me know if you need assistance with any specific step or if you have any other details to share about the issue.