Summary: SD card not showing up on Mac indicates you can't see the SD card on desktop, in Finder, or Disk Utility. This post will tell you how to fix SD card not showing up on Mac.
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It's a common problem that SD card not showing up when connected to Mac. Then, where you can find the SD card on Mac? By checking the following lists, you'll know how to find and open an SD card that won't show up on Mac.
- Table of contents
- SD card not showing up on Mac desktop, how to fix?
- SD card not showing up in Mac Finder, how to fix?
- SD card showing up in Disk Utility but not mounting, how to fix?
- SD card not showing up in Mac Disk Utility, how to fix?
- Files on SD card not showing up on Mac, what to do?
- Understanding why SD card not showing up on Mac
A restart message appears when inserting an XQD memory card on a computer upgraded to Mac OS X 10.6.8. If you have already updated your OS and are unable to switch back to the previous version (such as 10.6.7), please use your XQD memory card with the XQD memory card reader model MRW-E80 (sold separately). Mac OS X 10.5.
SD card not showing up on Mac desktop, how to fix?
By default, the detected external disks will be mounted on the desktop of Mac. This setting works for SD cards, memory cards, external hard drives, USB flash drives and much more. However, sometimes such settings may have been changed by accident. As a result, the external drive won't show up on Mac as you expected.
Here is how to change the settings showing SD cards, so that you can find and open the SD card on Mac desktop.
1. To show the SD card on Mac's desktop, open Finder.
2. Click on the Finder at the top menu of your Mac and choose Preferences….
3. Click on the General tab.
4. Check the External disks option.
Then, you'll be able to see the SD card on the Mac desktop.
SD card not showing up in Mac Finder, how to fix?
All attached and detected internal disks and external disks can be accessed in the sidebar of Finder. If your SD card is not showing up in the Finder, you can also check if the Finder Preferences have been set up properly.
1. Open Finder.
1. Click on the Finder at the upper left of your Mac and choose Preferences….
2. Click on the Sidebar tab.
3. Check External disks option under Locations so that you can locate SD card on Mac's Finder.
4. Launch the Finder and check if you can find the SD card showing up in the Finder sidebar.
If the SD card is still not showing up, the storage devices might be hidden by accident. Here is how to unhide the SD card.
1. After you properly connected the SD card to your Mac, wait a second so that Mac can recognize the SD card.
2. Then open the Finder by clicking the smile face on your desktop.
3. Find Locations in the left sidebar. If no storage device is listed here, the SD card is hidden in the Finder.
4. Simply point your mouse at the Locations, and then click Show. Then your SD card will show up and the option will become Hide.
Then the SD card will appear in the Finder. But if you still cannot see it on the desktop and in the Finder, where else to find the SD card on Mac? You can check if the SD card is showing up in Disk Utility.
SD card showing up in Disk Utility but not mounting, how to fix?
One case is that the SD card is showing up in Disk Utility, but it's grayed out. The SD card is not mounting. That's probably the reason why you can't view SD card on your Mac.
Though the unmounted SD card might suffer from SD card corruption, luckily, the SD card is recognized by Mac Disk Utility. So, you can try thoese solutions to fix the corrupted SD card, which helps mount SD card on Mac.
Solution 1: Mount the SD card manually
You can right-click on the SD card and choose the Mount icon beside it, or click on the Mount button on the top of Disk Utility window. Either way, you can mount the card and access pictures, videos or other files stored on it.
Solution 2: Repair the SD card with First Aid
If the SD card is showing up but you can't mount the SD card manually, then the SD card is corrupted for some reason. An effective strategy is to repair it with First Aid in Disk Utility. First Aid can repair disk-related issues on Macs, which include SD cards failing to show up on your Mac.
To use First Aid:
Step 1: Launch Disk Utility by going to Launchpad and then Others.
Step 2: Select the SD card that happens to be unmountable and click First Aid at the toolbar.
Now, sit back and wait for the repair process to finish. Hopefully, it works its magic.
Solution 3: Format your SD card
If you still have not any luck in getting your Mac to mount the SD card successfully, it's time to reformat it. Reformatting gives the corrupted SD card a chance to rebuild the disk structures. It is a very sound strategy to solve most of SD card problems like SD card not showing up on Mac properly.
• How to format an SD card on Mac?
But before you go any further, you need to pause to think about the data stored on your SD card. Reformatting will erase all of the data stored on the SD card and leave you a blank SD card. So, do you have any data on the SD card that you are desperate to keep? If you have, you should rescue files off the SD card first.
If you have performed a regular Time Machine backup of your SD card files beforehand, you should be able to recover lost data from Time Machine.
If not, you should utilize a reliable and trusted piece of SD card data recovery software to recover lost data first. iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac, for example, is highly recommended here. Keep reading to see what it can do for you.
• How to recover data from SD card on Mac?
SD card not showing up in Disk Utility, how to fix?
By default, you will see all disks and volumes at the left sidebar in Disk Utility window. But if the settings are changed somehow, you can't see the SD card in Disk Utility. Then you might think your SD card is not showing up here.
Try these steps to make the SD card visible in Disk Utility.
1. Launch Disk Utility.
2. Click View at the top menu bar.
3. Choose Show All Devices.
4. Check if your SD card shows up in Disk Utility.
If you still see the SD card not showing up in Disk Utility, another option is to restart your Mac. A simple restart often can fix this problem.
However, if both solutions fail to show up your SD card in the Disk Utility, you can try to connect it to a Windows PC. Then you can check if Windows disk management can recognize it. If unfortunately, the SD card is not showing up on Windows PC either, likely, your SD card or card reader is physically damaged.
If SD card reader not working
You can try another card reader to access the SD card. If it's recognized and working, then it's the old card reader that stops your SD card from showing up. Using other media devices like a camera and accessing the SD card via USB port would be a solution.
If SD card is physically failed
If you have important files stored in this SD card, please send it to a local data recovery specialist for help. If not, buy a new one and replace it.
Files on SD card not showing up on Mac, what to do?
Another trouble you might find that your SD card is detected by your Mac but your pictures or videos files don't show up. It is common when you connect an SD card from a digital camera or a mobile phone. We also have included three quick solutions here to help you out.
1. Try a different card reader, a different USB port, even a different Mac computer or operating system and see if the pictures or videos on the SD card will show up. If yes, you're suggested copying the pictures, videos and other files off the SD card.
2. Check if you have set up your Mac to hide files. You can follow the detailed steps to recover and show hidden files on Mac.
3. Recover data from SD card with a data recovery software, such as iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac.
• How to recover data from SD card on Mac?
Understanding why SD card not showing up on Mac
Some users connect SD cards directly to the SD slot (if any) on their MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. And some access it through an external SD card reader. But either way, the SD card should be detected by the computer and then appear in Finder, on desktop, and in Disk Utility. However, sometimes, it seems that Mac doesn't see the SD card because you can't find it anywhere.
Why isn't the SD card showing up on Mac then? Well, many factors are possible. And some might leave your Mac not recognizing the SD card.
You use the SD card in the wrong way. When you insert the card into a card slot, make sure that the metal contacts face down and point toward the card reader. If you plug it in the wrong direction, the SD card won't show up and the card slot will be damaged. So, it's important to learn how to use SD cards on Mac in the right way.
Your card reader is out of date. Many SD card manufacturers like Lexar and Sandisk produce new types of memory cards with new features all the time. But your old card reader may not read new designed SD cards. You can't open the SD card on Mac computer until you replace it with a new SD card adapter.
The SD card format is not compatible with your card reader. Many users need an extra adapter to access their memory cards like Standard SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, and Micro SD cards. But different card readers have different tech specifications. So, make sure that the card reader conforms to the SD card's transfer rate, read-write speed, dimension, type, storage capacity, etc.
Other reasons. SD card not showing up on Mac could be caused by virus infection, macOS system error, or even an SD card corruption.
What's more, you should also examine the SD card carefully to see if it is overly dusty or greasy. If so, you can give it a quick wipe down with a clean, dry cloth and try again. Alternatively, you can try another SD card reader/slot to decide which one is to be blamed for the issue.
Conclusion:
Hopefully the 'SD card not showing up on Mac' issue has now been solved after you have followed our instructions. If you say 'SD card not showing up on Mac' but actually you mean the SD card can't be mounted, simply recover data from the SD card with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac and then reformat it.
Summary: SD card not working on your Mac? Mac won't read SD card? macOS Catalina is not recognizing SD card? In this article, we will help fix Mac not reading or recognizing SD card issue.
Accidents happen at any time (For example: When I insert SD card nothing happens on Mac). When your SD card is not working properly, you can't open and access the files stored the SD card.
As you see SD card is not readable by your Mac, those are possible questions in your mind. Why is Mac not reading SD card and SD card not working? How do I get my Mac to recognize my SD card? How to do SD card data recovery?
This passage is a complete SD card troubleshooting guide to fix SD card not working, reading or recognized issue.
- Table of contents
- 1. How to fix Mac not reading or recognizing SD card?
- 2. Understanding why SD card not reading or recognized on Mac
- 3. How to prevent 'SD card not reading or recognized' in future?
- 4. How to use and open SD card on Mac?
How to fix Mac not reading or recognizing SD card?
As below, we have listed some feasible solutions to fix SD card not working or reading on Mac:
SD card not working scenario | Step-by-step troubleshooting |
---|---|
SD card showing up in Disk Utility but not desktop | Check your Finder desktop preferences. Full steps... |
SD card shows up in Disk Utility but not Finder | Check your Finder sidebar preferences. Full steps... |
SD card showing up in Disk Utility but not mounting | 1. Restart your Mac 2. Check if SD card reader is not working. Full steps... 3. Check for the connection issue 4. Check if SD card is locked. Full steps... 5. Insert your SD card in different devices 6. Reset NVRAM/PRAM. Full steps... 7. Mount SD card in Disk Utility. Full steps... 8. Repair SD card via First Aid. Full steps... 9. Format your SD card. Full steps... |
SD card is not recognized/detected by Mac Disk Utility | 1. Restart your Mac 2. Check if SD card reader is not working. Full steps... 3. Check for the connection issue 4. Insert your SD card in different devices 5. Reset NVRAM/PRAM. Full steps... 6. Update the drivers on Mac. Full steps... 7. Send SD card to an expert for reparation 8. Replace SD card with a new one |
Option 1: Check your Finder desktop and sidebar preferences
On Mac, you can choose to show connected items on the desktop, including hard disks, external disks, connected servers. Therefore, if you don't set the preference to show your SD card on the desktop, it won't appear on Mac. Easy to understand, huh? Let's see how to show SD card on the desktop?
Step 1: Go to Finder > Preferences > General, make sure the 'External disks' option is ticked. This will make the SD card show up on the Desktop.
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Step 2: Select the Sidebar tab on the top, make sure the External disks option under Locations is also ticked.
Option 2: Restart your Mac
Whether the issue is related to networking, graphics, slow performance, faulty programs or macOS issue, a simple reboot can fix a computer issue 80-90% of the time. It also works when external drives are not recognized by macOS.
When your SD card is not reading on Mac, you can try to remove the SD card and then switch off the Mac. Leave it for a few minutes, turn it back on, and try again.
Option 3: Check if SD card reader is not working
To access an SD card, you usually need a card reader. When your SD card won't work on Mac, the first thing to check is whether the card reader is working or not. It doesn't matter that you access the SD card by the built-in slot on your Mac or a third-party one. Simply follow these steps to check if the SD card reader is recognized or not.
Step 1: Simply click Apple Menu > About This Mac > System Report.
Step 2: Find Card Reader under the Hardware list.
Step 3: If the card reader works, you can see its Vendor ID, Serial Number, and some other product information. When your SD card is inserted, it should also be listed at the right with specifications.
If unfortunately, the card reader is not recognized, it might be an SD card hardware issue. For a broken slot built-in your MacBook, you need to send it to a local Apple store for repair service. Instead, for a malfunctioned external SD card reader, you can simply replace it with a new one.
• How to fix SD card reader not working on Mac?
Option 4: Check for the connection issue
If the card reader is working fine, then you should check the connections. First of all, make sure you insert your SD card properly. (The metal contacts must face down and point toward your Mac). Secondly, you can test your SD card on a different card reader. If you can access the SD card then, it should be the card reader that has a problem.
Option 5: Check if SD card is locked
Another case for SD card not working on Mac is that the SD card is write protected. When you try to write content to the locked SD card, you cannot modify the files on the locked SD card. To work on the SD card again, you need to safely eject the SD card and adjust the lock slider tab on the card to unlock the card. Then you can access the SD card after you reinsert it to the slot.
Option 6: Insert your SD card in different devices
Another very effective strategy that you can implement is to insert the SD card in different devices, such as phones, digital cameras, or other computers. For instance, you can remove the SD card from your Mac and insert it into your Android phone. If your SD card is still not detected or working on a phone, the card might be damaged or you need to try the following solutions.
Option 7: Reset NVRAM/PRAM
NVRAM/PRAM is a chip in Intel-based Macs used to remember the setting for your computer, including sound volume, display resolution, startup disk selection, time zone, peripheral devices and more. It's worth resetting whenever you find your computer's hardware acting in unexpected ways.
To reset NVRAM, you should shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold Option + Command + P + R. Keep holding down those keys for about 20 seconds. Then release the keys and allow your Mac to continue starting normally.
Option 8: Mount SD card in Disk Utility
After resetting NVRAM/PRAM, your SD card is still not recognized on Mac. You should go to Disk Utility again and see whether the SD card is listed. If you can see your SD card in Disk Utility, but the SD card is greyed out, that means the SD card is not mounting. Simply select the Mount option to see if the SD card will be mounted in Finder and desktop.
Option 9: Update the drivers on Mac
If the issue still exists, you can check whether the drivers on your Mac is renewed. If your Mac drivers are outdated, your SD card or other external hard drives will not be recognized by your Mac. Here are steps to update drives on Mac:
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1. If you have upgraded to macOS Mojave, you should choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then click Software Update to check for updates. If any updates are available, click Update Now to install them.
2. If you are using earlier macOS versions, just launch the Mac App Store, click the Update tab on the top and then choose the 'Update All'.
Option 10: Repair SD card via First Aid
Still, have no luck to get your Mac to read the SD card? The SD card may be corrupted and needs to be repaired. All portable hard drives have a limited life span, as wear and tear could bring bad sectors on the disk. Thankfully, macOS has a built-in repair tool - First Aid, which allows you to fix SD card errors on Mac.
Step 1: Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
Step 2: Select the corrupted SD card and click 'First Aid' on the top.
Step 3: Wait until the reparation process finished.
Option 11: Format your SD card
If unfortunately, you receive the error message: 'Disk Utility can't repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files', the file system of your SD card is seriously damaged and you need to reformat it.
Step 1: Recover data from SD card.
Reformatting will erase all data on the SD card, so please recover important data from SD card first.
• How to recover data from SD card on Mac?
Step 2: Format your SD card with Disk Utility.
• How to format an SD card on Mac?
Option 12: Send SD card to an expert for reparation
If your SD card can't be seen in Disk Utility at all after trying all above methods, it means the SD card has some hardware problem so that Mac can't detect it. In this situation, you have no choice but to send the SD card to an expert for reparation.
Option 13: Replace SD card with a new one
If the warranty of your SD card is still valid, it's most likely time to invest in a replacement or ask for a refund.
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Understanding why SD card not reading or recognized on Mac
However, there are times when you insert SD card into Mac, the SD card won't show up on Mac. Or what's worse, SD card won't work on your Mac. You must have experienced a similar situation. Don't be panicked, as you are not the only person, many Mac users have encountered this problem:
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I connected my SD card to transfer some necessary files and folders, but my card is not recognized by MacBook Pro. I thought to check my card properly and I connected that SD card to my friend's machine but again card didn't get recognized on his Mac machine. Maybe there is a problem with my SD card? Any solution to resolve the issue?
Wondering why the SD card is not recognized by Mac? Go on, please.
SD cards are prone to be damaged. Here are 7 common reasons why an SD card isn't working on Mac.
- USB port is not working or damaged.
- SD card reader is not working.
- SD card is formatted incorrectly (the file system is not compatible with macOS)
- SD card driver is outdated.
- SD card is logically corrupted.
- There are bad sectors in the SD card.
- SD card is physically damaged.
In a word, you'll need to determine whether your SD card's error is due to a logical problem or a physical one. For the former, you can try to fix it by yourself, otherwise, you have to ask for help from a trained expert.
How to prevent 'SD card not reading or recognized' in future?
SD cards are easy to be damaged, but using them in the right way, corruption can be avoided to some extent. Read on for 7 effective tips to prevent 'SD card not working':
- Format the new SD card as soon as you get it. When you buy an SD card, you should format it on the device and make sure it is compatible with the device system.
- Always safely eject SD card from the device. On Mac, click on the Finder icon on the Dock. Locate the SD card from the left sidebar and click on the Eject icon next to the name of the SD card. As an alternative, you can drag the device to the Trash on the desktop to eject it. More specifically, you should avoid removing the SD card from the device when it is still accessed, such as transferring data or reading data, etc.
- Keep some space left on the SD card. Keep in mind that you should never run out of the space of your SD card.
- Turn off the device before removing the SD card. If you want to remove your SD card from a digital camera or mobile phone, you should ensure the device is entirely turned off. Otherwise, the SD card can easily be corrupted.
- Properly store your SD card in a safe place. Store the SD card in dry, cool space since dirt, moisture, and other factors could damage them.
- Stop using the SD card when getting any errors. As soon as you receive any errors when trying to access the SD card, such as “the disk you inserted is not readable by this computer”, you’d better stop all operations at once in case further damage will be made to the SD card.
- Install antivirus software and run it regularly. It’s important to scan an SD card for viruses and running antivirus software to remove any malware on your computer. In this way, you can prevent malware and virus from damaging your SD card.
How to use and open SD card on Mac?
Apple dropped the SD card slot in MacBook Pro starting with 2016 model. While MacBook Air 2015 and later MacBook never included an SD slot.
If your Mac comes with a built-in SD card slot, you can insert a compatible SD card, avoiding using SD card that has a thickness greater than 2.1mm.
When inserting SD card, you should make sure that the metal contacts face down and point toward the computer. Then your computer will recognize SD card inserted into the card slot as a storage device. You can read and write to SD card just like any other external drive.
• How to fix Mac not recognizing external drives issue?
But if your Mac doesn't have an SD card slot, you need to buy an SD card adapter. Insert the micro SD card into the slot face up with the gold pins going first.
How to open an SD card on Mac?
Step 1: Open SD card in Finder.
Click the Finder app, you will see your SD card listed in the left pane and then view the contents of the SD card in the right pane.
Step 2: Safely eject SD card.
After you finish your work on the SD card, you can remove it properly. But before that, you need to make sure that all data transfer to SD media is completed. Then the SD card will work correctly next time. To eject the card, drag its icon on the desktop to the Trash. After the icon disappears from your desktop, you are safe to remove the card from the slot.
You should avoid removing an SD card while your Mac is sleeping. It could lead to data loss. Always wake your computer, save your work, and then safely eject the SD card.
Conclusion
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How to deal with SD card not working or recognized on Mac? No matter what causes this problem, there are lots of potential solutions. You can begin by checking the connection and then try to repair the corrupted SD card. If your SD card is still not recognized by Mac, you should format the SD card on Mac to see if this fixes your issue.
If you experience any data loss issue during this process, the good news is that your data can still be recovered with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac. This free Mac data recovery tool can recover deleted/lost photos from SD card quickly and easily.
Should you have another suggestion to fix SD card not working or detected issue on Mac? Or have any questions when you are using iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac? Please feel free to contact us by sending an email.