Question:

How to troubleshoot an SD card that fails to connect or mount on Windows 10?

I have an SD card that I used to record audio with a sound recorder. Recently, I tried to access the data on the card using a USB card adapter on my Windows 10 PC, but the card did not show up as a drive. Instead, I heard a device removed sound and saw a blue light flash on the adapter. I tested the adapter with other SD cards and it worked fine. I also tried the card on the sound recorder and a camera, but both devices gave me errors saying the card was invalid or unwritable.

I do not understand why the card stopped working, as I always ejected it safely from the PC. I cannot run any diagnostic tools on the card, as it does not stay connected for more than a fraction of a second. I also tried the card on another PC with the same adapter, but it did not work either. The only option I can think of is to buy a new card and adapter, but I do not want to lose the data on the old card.

Is there any way to fix this problem or recover the data from the card?

Answer:

SD cards are widely used for storing data on various devices, such as cameras, sound recorders, smartphones, and computers. However, sometimes SD cards may encounter problems that prevent them from being recognized or accessed by the device. This can be frustrating, especially if the card contains important or irreplaceable data.

One such problem is when an SD card fails to connect or mount on Windows 10. This means that the card does not show up as a drive letter in File Explorer, and cannot be opened or formatted by the system. The user may hear a device removed sound and see a blue light flash on the USB card adapter, indicating that the card is not stable or compatible with the adapter or the PC.

There are several possible causes and solutions for this problem, depending on the condition of the card, the adapter, and the PC. In this article, we will explore some of the common scenarios and steps to troubleshoot an SD card that fails to connect or mount on Windows 10.

Scenario 1: The SD card is corrupted or damaged

One of the most likely reasons for an SD card to fail to connect or mount is that the card is corrupted or damaged. This can happen due to various factors, such as improper ejection, power failure, virus infection, physical damage, or wear and tear. A corrupted or damaged SD card may have bad sectors, file system errors, or logical errors that prevent it from being recognized or accessed by the device.

To check if the SD card is corrupted or damaged, you can try the following steps:

• Try the card on another device, such as a camera, a sound recorder, or another PC. If the card works on another device, then the problem is not with the card, but with the adapter or the PC. If the card does not work on another device, then the card is likely corrupted or damaged.
• Try another card on the same adapter and PC. If another card works fine, then the problem is with the card, not with the adapter or the PC. If another card does not work either, then the problem is with the adapter or the PC.
• Try a different adapter or a different USB port on the PC. Sometimes, the adapter or the USB port may be faulty or incompatible with the card. If the card works with a different adapter or a different USB port, then the problem is with the adapter or the USB port. If the card does not work with a different adapter or a different USB port, then the problem is with the card.

If the SD card is confirmed to be corrupted or damaged, then the next step is to try to recover the data from the card. There are some data recovery software that can help you scan and recover the data from the card, such as Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, or Stellar Data Recovery. However, these software may not work if the card is severely corrupted or damaged, or if the card does not stay connected for more than a fraction of a second.

In that case, you may need to seek professional help from a data recovery service, such as Ontrack, DriveSavers, or Secure Data Recovery. These services have advanced tools and techniques to recover the data from the card, but they may charge a high fee and may not guarantee the success of the recovery.

Scenario 2: The SD card is locked or write-protected

Another possible reason for an SD card to fail to connect or mount is that the card is locked or write-protected. This means that the card has a switch or a setting that prevents it from being modified or formatted by the device. A locked or write-protected SD card may show up as a drive letter in File Explorer, but it cannot be opened or formatted by the system. The user may see an error message saying that the card is write-protected or that the disk is write-protected.

To check if the SD card is locked or write-protected, you can try the following steps:

• Check the physical switch on the card or the adapter. Some SD cards and adapters have a small switch on the side that can lock or unlock the card. If the switch is in the lock position, then the card is write-protected. To unlock the card, you need to slide the switch to the opposite position.
• Check the registry setting on the PC. Sometimes, the PC may have a registry setting that enables or disables the write protection of the removable disks. To check the registry setting, you need to follow these steps:
• Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
• Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
• If the key does not exist, you need to create it by right-clicking on the Control folder, selecting New, and then Key. Name the key StorageDevicePolicies.
• Double-click on the WriteProtect value in the right pane. If the value does not exist, you need to create it by right-clicking on the StorageDevicePolicies folder, selecting New, and then DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the value WriteProtect.
• Change the value data to 0 and click OK. This will disable the write protection of the removable disks.
• Close the Registry Editor and restart the PC.

If the SD card is confirmed to be locked or write-protected, then the next step is to try to unlock or format the card. You can use the Windows Disk Management tool or the Diskpart command to format the card, but be aware that this will erase all the data on the card. To format the card, you can follow these steps:

• Press Windows + X keys and select Disk Management from the menu.
• Find the SD card in the list of disks and right-click on it. Select Format from the menu.
• Choose a file system, such as FAT32 or exFAT, and a volume label for the card. Make sure the Quick Format option is checked and click OK.
• Wait for the format process to complete and then eject the card safely from the PC.

Alternatively, you can use the Diskpart command to format the card, but be careful not to select the wrong disk. To use the Diskpart command, you can follow these steps:

• Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Type diskpart and click OK to open the Diskpart window.
• Type list disk and press Enter to see the list of disks connected to the PC.
• Find the SD card in the list and note its disk number. For example, if the SD card is disk 2, then its disk number is 2.
• Type select disk 2 and press Enter to select the SD card. Replace 2 with the actual disk number of the card.
• Type clean and press Enter to erase all the partitions and data on the card.
• Type create partition primary and press Enter to create a new primary partition on the card.
• Type format fs=fat32 quick and press Enter to format the card with the FAT32 file system. You can also use exFAT instead of FAT32, depending on your preference.
• Type assign and press Enter to assign a drive letter to the card.
• Type exit and press Enter to close the Diskpart window.

Scenario 3: The SD card is incompatible with the PC or the adapter

A third possible reason for an SD card to fail to connect or mount is that the card is incompatible with the PC or the adapter. This means that the card has a different format, capacity, or speed class than what the PC or the adapter can support. An incompatible SD card may not be detected or recognized by the device, or may cause errors or performance issues.

To

check if the SD card is incompatible with the PC or the adapter, you can try the following steps:

– Check the format of the card. SD cards can have different file systems, such as FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS. Some devices may not support certain file systems, especially if they are older or have different operating systems. For example, Windows 10 can support exFAT and NTFS, but some older devices may only support FAT32. To check the format of the card, you can insert the card into a device that can read it, such as a camera or another PC, and check its properties. If the card has a different format than what the PC or the adapter can support, you may need to format the card with a compatible file system, but this will erase all the data on the card.

– Check the capacity of the card. SD cards can have different storage capacities, such as 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, or more. Some devices may not support certain capacities, especially if they are older or have different standards. For example, Windows 10 can support SDXC cards, which have capacities up to 2TB, but some older devices may only support SDHC cards, which have capacities up to 32GB. To check the capacity of the card, you can insert the card into a device that can read it, such as a camera or another PC, and check its properties. If the card has a different capacity than what the PC or the adapter can support, you may need to use a different card or a different device.

– Check the speed class of the card. SD cards can have different speed classes, such as Class 2, Class 4, Class 6, Class 10, UHS-I, UHS-II,