Unless you have a camera with built-in Wi-Fi, you likely connect your camera’s SD card (SDHC card) to your PC to backup photos from the memory card to your Windows 10 PC.
At times, when you connect your smartphone’s SD card, camera’s SDHC card or any other type of memory card, the card doesn’t show up in the File Explorer.
If you are also experiencing the same issue, here is how to troubleshoot the issue.
Solution 1 of 5
Check if SD card has a drive letter
Step 1: Open Disk Management by right-clicking on the Start button and then clicking Disk Management option.
Step 2: In the Disk Management, first make sure that your SD card is showing up. Like other removable devices, SD card also appears as a removable device. If showing up, check if it has a drive letter. If it lacks a drive letter, follow the next two steps to add a drive letter.
a. Right-click on the SD card in the Disk Management and then click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
b. Click the Add button. Select one of the available drive letters and then click the OK button to add a drive letter to the SD card.
If the SD card was not showing up due to the lack of a drive letter, it should now appear in the File Explorer.
NOTE: If SD card is not showing up in the Disk Management, please refer to solutions given below.
Solution 2 of 5
Enable the card reader
The card reader is enabled by default settings in Windows 10, but it’s a good idea to make sure that it’s not disabled. Here is how to check that.
Step 1: Open the Device Manager. Expand Memory technology devices to see the card reader entry.
If the card reader entry is not appearing or if you cannot see Memory technology devices, it’s likely because the card reader driver is missing or corrupted. Refer to solution number 3 for install/reinstall the driver.
Step 2: Right-click on the card reader entry and then click Enable device. If you see Disable device option, it indicates that the card is enabled. In that case, you don’t need to do anything.
Solution 3 of 5
Reinstall the card reader driver
By default, Windows 10 automatically detects almost all card readers without requiring additional device drivers. But, if the SD or SDHC card is not being detected, it could be because of the card reader driver is corrupt or missing. Here is how to install/reinstall the card reader driver.
Step 1: Open Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start button and then clicking the Device Manager option.
Step 2: Expand Memory technology devices to see the card reader entry.
Step 3: Note down the card reader make and model, and then download a fresh copy of the driver from your PC’s or card reader manufacturer’s website. If you cannot see the name and model of the card reader, contact your PC’s manufacturer.
Step 4: In the Device Manager, right-click on the card reader entry, click Uninstall device option.
Step 5: Select Delete the driver software for this device checkbox and then click Uninstall button to remove the card reader driver.
After uninstalling the driver, reboot your computer once.
Step 6: Run the downloaded driver setup file and follow on-screen directions to complete the installation. Restart your PC, if required.
Step 7: Check if the SD or SDHC card is showing up now.
Solution 4 of 5
Run the hardware troubleshooter
Windows 10 ships with a built-in hardware troubleshooter. Using this hardware troubleshooter, you might be able to make the SD card show up on your PC.
Navigate to Settings app > Update & security > Troubleshoot. Click on Hardware and Devices troubleshooter and then click Run the troubleshooter. The troubleshooter might be able to identify the problem and fix it automatically.
Solution 5 of 5
Connect the SD card to another PC
If the memory card is still refusing to show up, probably the memory card is not working or corrupted. Try connecting the card to another PC. Alternatively, if you have a spare memory card, connect it to your PC and then check if it shows up.
If the card reader is not working, you can buy an external card reader.