Why does the android phone not see the memory card? How to determine why the phone does not see the memory card. Reinstalling Windows XP USB Drivers

The size of the available memory in modern Android smartphones allows you to store a huge amount of data.

But when the initial volume for everyday needs is not enough, microSD cards come to the rescue. Unfortunately, embedded hardware does not always work as it should for various reasons. Let's try to figure out why the memory card refuses to work on the phone and how it can be fixed.

Contact problem

If the removable storage has been working properly recently, the first step is to check that it is correctly connected to the smartphone. Even a slight misalignment of the SD card can lead to a data read error. In addition, mobile device contacts can become clogged during operation, which becomes a common cause of failures and errors.

To solve this problem, you need to remove the memory card from the device and carefully clean the slot tracks to remove any dust particles that have got inside. When reconnecting the microSD to your phone, make sure that the memory card is inserted the right way round and is securely seated.

Device incompatibility

Before purchasing a new memory card, you need to check its compatibility with your mobile phone. Modern smartphones use the microSD media type. This format, in turn, has four generations (SD 1.0, SD 1.1, SDHC and SDXC), the main difference between which is the amount of available memory and the speed of data reading. For example, SD 1.0 can hold anywhere from 8MB to 2GB, while SDXC can hold up to 2TB.

When it comes to mobile support, it is backward compatible. Smartphones with a specific microSD format will work with older versions as well.

Smartphone malfunction

In some cases, errors with displaying SD card data may be caused by Android system. Incorrect operation of applications and the action of virus files can block reading information from external media. This may make the memory card appear to be defective.

The simplest and most obvious way out of this situation is to remove the malware and then reboot the device. To do this, you need to download a good antivirus program. If the SD card is in working order, but the smartphone refuses to recognize it, you can try doing a factory reset. You need to understand that all data from the phone will be deleted.

Incorrect formatting

Software glitches while wiping the microSD routine may cause it to malfunction. In this case, you will need to do the formatting again via the computer.

First, you need to insert the removable media into the card reader and wait until the system recognizes it automatically. After that, you need to right-click on the microSD in Explorer and select "Format". In the "File system" section, be sure to specify "FAT32", since Android does not support other formats.

Broken memory card

When none of the above methods work, there may be an internal malfunction of the memory card. This happens when, with prolonged use, the contacts wear out and the signal does not go to the board. Sometimes damage occurs due to mechanical damage to the SD card or a factory defect.

You can check the performance of the media using another smartphone or computer. If none of the devices sees it, you just need to buy a new memory card. If the data stored on it is important, you can contact the service center for help. There is a chance that the data can be recovered.

We talked about the main types of SD card malfunctions and how to fix them. Most of the problems can be solved on your own, but if the equipment fails, you will have to replace it.

Why the phone does not see the memory card

Most modern smartphones have a very small built-in memory and when buying them implies its expansion by means of special memory cards. This is very convenient, since you can purchase a card of any required size. But what if the phone does not see the USB flash drive? Our instructions will help you restore access to files.

Outgoing contact

Why can't the phone see the memory card? If you are faced with this unpleasant situation, you do not need to immediately throw out the USB flash drive and buy a new one or go to the nearest service center. First, try simply pulling the card out of the port and reinserting it. If the problem was that the contact had departed, this simple manipulation will correct the situation, saving you both time and money.

Damage to a sector on a memory card

If the first tip didn't work for you, you still don't need to panic. It is also possible to repair the memory card on your own if the sector is damaged. To verify this, insert the card into the card reader. If he recognized her, then you can try to "cure" her.

To do this, go to My Computer and find the memory card there. Right-click on it and open Properties. Next, you need to select the Service tab in the properties window and find the "Check disk for errors" section there. Perform a check by selecting the "Check and repair bad sectors" item.

After the verification is complete, remove the card from the card reader and insert it into the phone to check if he sees it now.

If this method does not help, you can resort to extreme measures and format your card. If the card reader recognizes it, save copies of all the files you need to your computer in advance, as formatting the card will destroy all data on it. It is likely that you will then have to reformat the card directly in the phone.

Damage to the memory card

If the above methods do not bring results, you will have to seek competent help from the service center, where professionals will be able to establish exactly why the phone does not see the USB flash drive, and will find a way to solve this problem. If the matter is in the breakdown of the card itself, then you will most likely simply be offered to purchase a new one, since repairing a memory card in most cases is either very difficult or simply unprofitable for its owner in terms of cost.

In the future, you can avoid repeating this problem if you follow a few simple rules for using memory cards:

• Do not unplug the memory card while copying and moving files, as this may damage sectors.
• Do not subject the card to any physical damage (i.e., do not bend, drop, crush, etc.).
• Keep the card away from heat sources, moisture, sunlight and electrostatic damage. If you store such a storage device separately from your phone, place it in a plastic bag and store it in a dry, dark place.

Memory card incompatibility with a smartphone

The phone does not see the USB flash drive

The reason that the phone does not see the USB flash drive may lie in their incompatibility. In this case, the smartphone simply does not support the format or size of the flash drive that you want to use. If it is difficult to miss with the format of the card, then the error with the volume is very common, since many tend to purchase a card of the largest volume, so that there is more space for storing photos and other files. Unfortunately, not only outdated phone models, but also many modern smartphones do not support memory cards with a capacity of more than 32-64 GB, while in stores it is quite possible to purchase a 128 GB flash drive. Therefore, be sure to check in the instructions for the phone what the maximum amount of memory cards it supports.

Why the phone does not see the USB flash drive

Memory cards of the same format are produced by different manufacturers, and not every company has these cards fully conform to the standard. This leads to compatibility issues. For example, some Nokia branded phones do not work with Apacer memory cards.

It is very important to purchase memory cards from trusted manufacturers. For example, Sony developed the MemoryStick format, and only the cards it produces are 100% compliant with the standard.

When buying microSD cards, which are used in many modern smartphones, it is better to choose a manufacturer whose name is on hearing. SanDisk is one of the developers of SD and MicroSD formats, so its products are exactly according to the standard.

If your phone doesn't see the flash drive, don't be upset. It is quite possible that there are no serious problems with either the card or the phone, and you will quickly solve this problem. If the memory card is still out of order, and you have to purchase a new one for replacement, pay great attention to choosing a quality card from a well-known manufacturer, which will fit your phone in size and format.

SD cards will remain a popular storage format for a long time to come. The standard is very closely entrenched in the photo and video equipment market, and therefore the need for card readers has been, is and will continue to be. From time to time, users encounter a problem with the operation of SD cards (or card readers) in computers running Windows 10. The card is inserted into the appropriate port, but the computer cannot recognize it and the SD card is not displayed in Explorer. This is a very common and rather unpleasant problem, which, fortunately, is very easy to fix in the vast majority of cases. In this article, you will find some tips to help you if your computer cannot see your memory card.

Although in this manual we mainly talk about SD cards (the ones that are larger), the instructions are also relevant for microSD cards. Modern computers (Surface tablets, for example) are often equipped with microSD slots lately. The tips in this article also apply to these devices.

A computer or laptop does not see the memory card - what to do

First you need to make sure the card is working. To do this, insert it into another device with a slot for SD (or microSD using an adapter) cards. It can be a camera, camcorder, second computer, tablet, smartphone or any other device equipped with a corresponding slot. If the memory card is not recognized in this device or works intermittently, then it is either damaged or needs cleaning the connectors.

Take a cotton ball, “ear stick” or piece of cotton wool, lightly soak them in alcohol or an appropriate cleaning agent (in theory, ordinary water will do, but either a special cleaning agent or simple alcohol will do the best for the task) then lightly walk over the metal contacts on back of the memory card. Important: do not pour liquid onto the card (you only risk killing it) or insert it wet into the port. Make sure the contacts are dry and clean, and then try connecting the memory card to your computer again.

Check for dirt in this area of ​​the memory card or adapter you are using.

If after this procedure the memory card works in other devices, but does not work in the computer, then it makes sense to also clean the slot itself. There may be too much dust in it, which prevents the computer from reading information normally. You can use compressed air to clean the memory card slot in a computer or laptop.

Advice: do not blow into the slot. Your mouth will not be able to supply enough air and pressure to properly clean the slot of debris. This cleaning method can be more harm than good, since you run the risk of corny spitting on the slot in your computer. Better buy compressed air from your local computer hardware store. Fortunately, it is not expensive, and at the same time, high pressure and a long nozzle will allow you to effectively clean the deep port for a memory card without risking spitting on it with your saliva.

One more tip: Make sure you insert the card the right way round. The computer should show which side to insert the card. Some slots use a latching mechanism to secure the card into the slot. In such a computer, you cannot insert the card upside down because it will not lock. Other computers may not have this mechanism, so make sure the memory card is installed correctly. Do not use force when connecting or removing a card, as you risk breaking the slot, card, or locking mechanisms.

Let's say the memory card is working, you insert it in the correct direction, the slot in your computer is clean, but the PC still does not see the SD card. In this case, there are a few more tips that should help.

Check if the memory card is detected in the disk management interface. If a letter is not assigned to the memory card, the drive will not appear in Explorer, although both the slot and the memory card are physically working.

Check if the memory card slot is enabled in the BIOS settings of your computer. Sometimes it happens that the card reader on the PC motherboard is simply disabled for some unknown reason. You can check this by simply diving into the BIOS settings. Restart your computer and during startup press F2 / Delete (or another button chosen by your manufacturer) to get into the BIOS. Each computer has its own BIOS (UEFI), which differs depending on the manufacturer or motherboard model, so we cannot publish all the options here. You need to find the section with ports and devices ( Onboard Devices / Miscellaneous Devices and so on), and then look for something like “ Media Card Reader”, “SD Reader”, “Enable ExpressCard" etc. Make sure it is turned on, then save the settings, restart the computer and try to connect the memory card again.

The checkbox is responsible for activating the built-in SD card slot in the BIOS of Dell computers. If the checkbox is not checked, the port will not work.

In the case of desktop computers, it is also possible that the SD card slot on the front of the case is not connected to the computer's motherboard. Here you will have to open your case (before that, completely disconnect the computer's power from the outlet) and see if the wire is connected from the front panel of the case to the motherboard. The wire with a 9-pin connector must be connected to the appropriate comb on the motherboard.

Sometimes the source of the problem may be an adapter that does not work as expected. This is the case if you are using an SD adapter for microSD cards or other format cards paired with an adapter. Of course, an extra adapter is not always on hand, but this option is also worth considering if you can't get your computer to work with a memory card. Fortunately, the adapters cost mere pennies and it won't be difficult to find them.

You can refer to the system's built-in diagnostic and troubleshooting methods. Perhaps Windows itself can find the cause and successfully fix it.

The next option is to turn off and on the card reader. Perhaps a trivial bug in the operating system or controller led to the failure of the card reader.

If a peculiar reboot of the adapter does not help, you can try reinstalling or updating the card reader driver. Go to your manufacturer's website and check if there is a new driver version. If there is, download and install it. Previously, you can remove the old version of the driver in the Device Manager.

It should be understood that none of these methods will help if your computer slot is damaged or broken. If the memory card works in other devices, but is not detected in your computer in any way even after all these dances with a tambourine, then you need to contact a specialist who will check the physical health of the port, repair or replace it. To extract information from the card, insert it into another device (the same camera), and then connect it via a USB cable to your computer, or transfer the data you need from another PC.

We hope these tips will help you fix the problem and you will not have to go to a service center, repair your computer or change a memory card.

Over the past few years, the digital technology market has seen a significant increase in the share of mobile devices - smartphones and tablets running Android, iOS and Windows. The range of "smart" phones continues to grow now, which cannot be said about the flash memory built into mobile gadgets. Compared to the ROMs of desktops and even laptops with SSDs, the memory size of smartphones and tablets is quite small, barely enough to store apps and photos.

On the other hand, most smartphones and tablets support memory expansion by installing MicroSD and MicroSDXC cards, the storage capacity of which can reach 2 TB. It is quite a worthy alternative to a hard disk, but, alas, as with hard drives, troubles can also happen with SD cards. One of the most common malfunctions is when the smartphone does not see the memory card. Users have to face the same problem when connecting other storage devices, for example, the same flash drives connected using an OTG cable.

Our today's task is to figure out why the phone does not see the memory card and what can be done to fix this problem.

Temporary failure

Let's start with the simplest and most obvious things. Sometimes in the Android operating system, as in any other OS, minor glitches occur, as a result of which certain functions stop working. This also applies to the device's recognition of an external drive. If the card was detected normally before and suddenly stopped, restart the gadget. If the problem is temporary, after a restart, the SD card will be visible in the system.

The memory card is out of order

This is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a memory card, especially if it contains valuable data for the user. To exclude damage, carefully remove the card, inspect the contacts for signs of damage, oxidation, etc., and then insert it into another mobile device or connect it to a computer or laptop via an adapter. If the memory card does not work on the phone, but is detected by the laptop, even with errors, it is very likely that the file system is corrupted. Such a card can still be saved, or at least data can be restored from it using special programs.

If the memory device shows no signs of life, it is probably completely out of order. But in this case, do not rush to throw it away. A non-working card should be taken to a service center, where competent specialists will check it. At the same time, you should eliminate hardware problems in the phone itself by inserting a working SD card into it. If it is not determined, it will be possible to speak with a high degree of certainty about the breakdown of the built-in card reader.

Operating system files damaged

If the SD card is visible in the boot menu Recovery, but is not detected in the operating mode of the smartphone, this may indicate a problem with the system software due to damage to OS files by viruses or by the user (on rooted devices). If you suspect that the system files are damaged, try to restore them using the "wipe cache partition" functions of the Recovery mode.

Some special applications have the same function, for example, 4EXT Recovery and TWRP Recovery(the restore option is called the same in them). An alternative option is to reset the device to factory settings, first backing up important data and applications. What if the phone does not see the microsd card even after a reset? Look for other likely causes of the failure.

The memory card is not compatible with the phone

There are currently four generations of microSD cards: SD 1.0, SD 1.1, SDHC, and SDXC. Smartphones and tablets capable of working with the latest generation cards will work with previous versions of drives, but older phone models will not see the new format SD cards. If you bought, say, an SDXC card and, having inserted it into an old phone, realized that the gadget does not detect it, return to the store and consult the seller about this. Perhaps the purchased card is simply not suitable specifically for your gadget.

Filesystem crash

The same MicroSD cards can be used in different devices - smartphones, laptops, cameras, and so on, but this versatility sometimes leads to problems. So, a completely serviceable, but at the same time, previously working in another device, an SD card is often not readable on the phone, but it can be read without problems on a PC. The reason for this is most often either a failure in the file system of the card, or a file system that does not correspond to the mobile device. The problem is eliminated by formatting in FAT32 - the file system used by most smartphones in memory cards by default.

Formatting is best done on a computer with a built-in or third-party program, for example, SD Formatter.

File system errors can also cause other types of problems. If the memory card is not readable on the phone, and it is impossible to write data to it, but it is detected at the same time, this often indicates the presence of FS errors. Although a more serious reason cannot be ruled out - wear and tear of memory cells.

Problems with a flash drive when connecting via an OTG cable

You can connect to a mobile device not only a microSD card, but also a regular USB flash drive using an OTG cable or adapter. As is the case with memory cards, the phone does not always see the USB flash drive. Since flash drives and microSD cards use a similar type of memory, everything said above applies equally to flash drives with a USB connector.

However, before you check the USB flash drive, the quality of the connectors, etc., you need to make sure that the smartphone supports the technology. USB OTG On-The-Go that supplies power from the micro-USB port to the external storage device. To do this, you should either study the documentation for the phone, or install the application on it. USB OTG Checker, which will show whether the gadget supports work with external USB drives or not.

If it does not support it, it makes sense to contact the service center and find out if there is a way to provide such support at the software level, that is, by installing or updating the firmware.

But there are other reasons why the phone does not see the USB flash drive. If the carrier has a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 connector (and there are most of them), the smartphone must have an Android version of at least 3.1. There is a high probability that a flash drive of too large volume will not be detected, as well as a flash drive formatted in the NTFS and ExFat file system. In relatively rare cases, it is not possible to connect an external USB drive to a smartphone due to the lack of it.

There are also such models of gadgets that themselves are not able to automatically mount a USB-disk. To connect a USB flash drive to them, you need a special application, for example, Stickmount... And one moment. It is noticed that the phone sometimes does not see a USB flash drive or a micro SD card if the file system of the drive has too large clusters. Try reformatting the media using the minimum cluster size in FAT32.

Despite the current version of the Android operating platform in your smartphone, as well as regardless of its other technological parameters, it is possible that a situation will come when your gadget stops recognizing the memory card.

Of course, the problem may be in the flash drive itself, which may simply burn out or its free space has been exhausted, but the problem may lie in the operability of the flash reader. But, do not immediately panic and take the phone to the nearest service center for help.

Ways to solve the problem

To start try restarting your smartphone. Perhaps the problem lies with the operating system itself. Traditionally, rebooting the OS helps fix small system crashes that immediately disappear when a new session is loaded. If the reboot did not help, then the option with the system can be safely thrown aside;

Now you can try pull out the card directly, thoroughly wipe all contacts and put it in its original place. The problem may be a banal clogging of the contact surface, due to which your Android the phone does not "see" the removable media;

You can also test your memory card on another smartphone... This will help to discard the option of breaking your device. If and another gadget does not see your mapmicroSD, - then the problem is in her;

In most cases, the failure of the flash drive is due to improper formatting... To restore optimal functioning of the memory card, you need to reformat it using a PC (best of all, from a laptop). To perform this operation, you must:

• Place your USB stick in the card reader;

  Wait until map will not become available on the computer (perhaps its status will be reflected as unformatted);

  Right-click on the name of the built-in storage;

  Check the box "Format";

  The file system must be designated as FAT32, because the Android system does not see formats like NTFS;

  Check the box "Start";

Then disconnect the memory card from the PC system, insert it into your mobile gadget, and check whether it started working or not.

If the problem cannot be solved, it means that there is a snag in the physical state of the card, and this problem can only be solved in a service center.

Internal memory problems

In practice, there is another way to solve the problem when Androiddoes not see external memory devices. The failure could have occurred due to accidental deletion of operating files responsible for optimal reading and playback of data from removable media.

In most devices with Root rights, the built-in media can break when an inexperienced user accidentally confirms the deletion of system files.

You can of course try to turn off device and turn it back on. If this does not help, then you should open access to the Recovery mode.

Operations in mode Recovery

With the gadget turned off, hold down the power and volume down buttons (as a rule, each manufacturer of mobile gadgets independently sets the combination of buttons);

In the special menu that appears on the display, press the line Winecachepartition;

Reboot the device;

This method should solve the problems with SD carrier.

If our article helped you solve the problem with your memory card, share it on social networks with your friends.