Transfer your files from your camera or music player easily and quickly with a card reader. All-in-one readers work with all popular cards, including SD, MMC and compact flash. Some of them have read/write speeds of up to 34MB/s. The most common issue that is encountered with media card readers, also called memory card readers, is the device not being detected by the PC. Take a look at how you can troubleshoot this problem.
Verify Minimum System Requirements
Check the documentation to make sure the reader is supported by your operating system. For example, SanDisk card readers support Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2000 SP4.
Verify the Reader's Status
Right-click "My Computer," select "Manage" and on the left pane select "Device Manager." The card reader will appear in two places, "Disk Drives" and "Universal Serial Bus." Look for "USB Mass Storage," too. If there is a yellow exclamation point or question mark, try to refresh the devices. Refresh the devices by right-clicking the entry with the error and click "Uninstall." On the top menu, click on "Action" and then click on "Scan for Hardware Changes." Then double-click "My Computer" and look for the card reader.
Try Other USB Ports
Often, the reader fails to receive enough power. This is particularly likely if you are using a hub and even more likely if the hub isn't powered. Check to see if the hub has a power cord going to the wall. Try other USB ports.
Change the Drive Letters
You can re-assign a drive letter using "Administrative Tools" in the Control Panel. There will be an area called "Computer Management," and under "Computer Management" there will be a section called "Disk Management." Right-click the drive you want to change, and give it a new letter.
Other Things to Check
Make sure the connection to the USB port is secure. For troubleshooting purposes, you can disconnect everything else that's plugged into any USB port. Disconnect them one device at a time, and see which one may be causing the trouble. Make sure the USB port you're using works. Try something else in it.
Tags: card reader, card readers, Computer Management, Make sure
