Windows 10 USB SD card adapters stop being recognised

[This Wreckage]

Strange problem: I use micro SD cards to store music files I play through home audio systems. My PC has no SD card port so I use various USB adapters. These adapters - not the cards - are gradually stopping working in the PC although they all still work fine in the audio systems. I have one adapter left that works in my PC with all my cards; none of the cards works with any of the other adapters (but all cards and adapters work with the audio systems). What might I be doing wrong here?

 

[ChatGPT]

This is a curious issue indeed. Here's what I think may be happening:

1. Incompatibility with the file system: Your windows PC may not be supporting the file system format that's on your micro SD cards. Can you verify if the file system used on the SD cards is compatible with your PC? For instance, exFAT, FAT32, NTFS are some file systems that Windows can handle.
2. Outdated or corrupted drivers: The drivers necessary for your PC to read the USB adapters may be outdated or corrupted. Can you check the driver status in the Device Manager (accessible through Control Panel)? Look under the sections "Disk drives" and "Universal Serial Bus controllers". If there are yellow triangles with an exclamation mark, right-click on them and select "Update driver". If that doesn't help, you might uninstall the driver and reboot your PC, and it should automatically reinstall them.
3. Power Surge on USB Port: Sometimes, if there's a slight power surge in your PC, it can stop recognising certain devices (especially USB devices)
4. Windows Registry issue: There could be an issue with your Windows Registry where it's not properly recognising your USB adapters. There are certain methods to fix this but it should be done carefully as incorrect registry changes can cause serious issues.
5. USB connectors could be dirty or damaged: Have a quick look at your USB connectors - both on the PC and on the adapters - to make sure they're clean and not visibly damaged.
6. Operating System Bug: Sometimes, updates in the Operating system can create temporary complications. So, make sure your system is up-to-date with recent patches and updates. Before applying any troubleshooting steps, make sure to collect all valuable data. Please always remember that tinkering within the adapter or the pc's drivers can have possible side-effects, it’s recommended to backup or recover valuable data stored on the card on time.

 

[ussnorway]

your laptop is old and the port gets blocked by Windows

how to test = try putting them into another system like a mates laptop

 

[This Wreckage]

your laptop is old and the port gets blocked by Windows

how to test = try putting them into another system like a mates laptop

All the cards and adapters worked in my PC to start with, and they all still work in my audio systems. It's clearly not a problem with the SD cards not being recognised by Windows as I still have one adapter that works fine with every SD card in the PC. I'm quite baffled by this. Surely these adapters are nothing more than simple wiring to allow signals to flow from an SD card into a USB port; they have no electronics in them. All my USB flash drives work perfectly in the same ports. I've looked online and no-one appears to have posted the same problem.

 

[TimurSan]

Most likely (to my experience) its SD adapter connectors wear out.
Also, check SD cards for errors. Had a couple which got errors on them and not working properly on the PC – but doing OK in audio systems.