Does not see the flash card, the first thing you need to do is reboot. There is a possibility that the device does not recognize the memory card due to a software glitch. In this case, such a simple manipulation will help between the phone and the card.
Problem with contacts
If this method does not have any effect, look for a possible cause of the failure in the departed . You can check this by removing and inserting the memory card. Also, the contacts of the phone or flash card could have oxidized. To clean dirt on the connectors, you need to gently rub them with a regular rubber band, and then wipe the contacts with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
Correcting memory card errors
If the described methods do not help, you need to remove the flash card and check it using a card reader for errors using Windows OS. To do this, go to the “My Computer” section, in the window that opens, right-click on the memory card disk icon, select “Properties”. Next, you need to switch to the “Service” tab and click the “Check Disk” button. The program will check and repair damaged areas of the flash drive. This should fix errors in the card's file system. After this, you need to insert the flash memory into the phone and check its functionality.
Formatting a flash card
If this method does not bring the card back to life, it is necessary to use drastic measures, such as formatting. Before formatting, you should copy all data on the flash memory to a computer, since after this operation all information on the card will be lost. To format a flash card using Windows OS, you need to right-click on the memory card icon in the “My Computer” menu, select “Format” and follow the instructions.
Help from specialists
If none of the above methods help, you need to take the card to a service center. The specialists themselves will find and eliminate the cause of the malfunction or offer alternative ways solutions to the problem.
In order to avoid problems with flash memory, you should remember that the memory card is very sensitive to any physical impact, and therefore requires careful handling. She is also afraid of moisture, direct sunlight and sudden temperature changes. In addition, you should not disconnect the card while transferring information.
Many new models of Android smartphones and tablets have a small amount of built-in memory, and the main storage medium in them is an SD card. There are often cases when the Android device does not see the memory card. This can happen for various reasons. And in such a situation, the user is completely deprived of the ability to interact with files. In this guide, we will explain why Android often does not see the card, and consider several ways to solve this problem.
From the article you will learn
Causes of the problem and their solution
The memory card may no longer be recognized in the device for one of several reasons.
System failure
The first step is to try a simple reboot of the device. It is quite possible that Android has crashed and the flash drive is not detected correctly.
In most cases, after performing a reboot, the system is eliminated most of minor glitches. If rebooting does not help, then it is not a system error.
There may be a problem with the contacts of the memory card or slot. Often the contacts become clogged or get wet.
Try removing the memory card, cleaning it from dust and inserting it back. If after these steps there are no changes in its operation, you need to establish that the reason is in it, and not in the contacts of the device. To do this, you can insert the memory card into another device. If it is not detected on other devices, then the problem is definitely not in the contacts of the device, but in the card.
Formatting error
What to do if Android does not see the microSD memory card? It may be that the error is due to unsuccessful formatting. To fix the problem, the flash card must be reformatted on the computer.
To do this you need:
Important! If the PC displays the contents of the drive, this does not provide an absolute guarantee that there are no problems with it. Therefore, formatting must be performed in any case, having first made a copy of the files on the PC.
Damage to device contacts
If, as a result of the check, it turns out that the problem is in the contacts of the device, you can try to carefully clean them using a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. At the same time, it is strictly not recommended to use various solvents for this purpose, since their use can further aggravate the situation.
If cleaning does not help, it is likely that the contacts in the slot have come loose. In this case, you will need the help of specialists.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, no one is immune from memory card failure or device malfunctions. If the problem cannot be solved on your own, you may have to take your device to a service center (if it turns out that the problem is with the device) or fork out money to buy a new memory card.
Memory cards (microSD) are often used as additional data storage on mobile devices. Losing access to this storage can be a real disaster for the user, because many people keep photos and other personal files on them, which often exist in a single copy. In addition, access to applications that were located on this media is lost.
Why can’t my phone see a memory card or USB flash drive that was working and read properly just yesterday? How to solve the problem on your own?
How to figure out the culprit
The source of the problem can be software and hardware errors both in the memory card (flash drive) itself and in the phone.
The reason is most likely in the card (flash drive) if:
- It is not detected or detected but not read by different devices.
- It stopped being read immediately after using it on another device.
- It has visible mechanical damage.
- When inserting a card into the slot (connecting a flash drive), the phone freezes, reboots or turns off. Provided that it reacts normally to other removable media.
The culprit is most likely the phone if:
- It does not detect or detects but does not read any microSD card or flash drive.
- When installing any card or connecting any flash drive, it turns off, reboots or freezes.
- The card slot (USB connector) has visible mechanical damage.
- The failure was immediately preceded by some actions with the phone: installing applications, updating firmware, anti-virus scanning, resetting to factory settings, etc. Or accidents - impacts, falls on the floor, etc.
When connecting flash drives with a full-size USB type A connector to mobile gadgets, OTG cables and adapters are used, which are also often the cause of such situations.
Unfortunately, in many cases there are no obvious signs of “guilt” of one or another device. For example, when a card or flash drive is not detected by a specific phone, while others read it normally, and the phone regularly reads all drives except this one.
Why are memory cards and flash drives no longer detected and read?
In about half of the cases, the cause of the failure is a drive failure. I already talked about the site. The same thing can happen with a card. In addition to the problems described, they often encounter another one - the formation of an oxide film on the surface of the contact group, which creates an obstacle to the exchange of data between the card and the phone. In addition, being small and fragile, micro SD cards are easily broken mechanically, much more often than flash drives.
Another group of reasons is programmatic in nature, that is, it is associated not with the drive, but with its contents. Among them:
- Unrecognized file system. This can happen if the card or flash drive was previously used on a PC running Windows and formatted in NTFS. Or it was in another smartphone and was formatted in exFat. So that removable media can be read normally on any Android versions, it should be formatted as FAT32.
- The removable drive is infected with malware. The reason for the lack of access to it may be blocking by the antivirus that runs on the phone, or the actions of the malicious program itself.
- The file system of the memory card or flash drive is damaged. Reasons: incorrect shutdown (for example, during recording), use on a faulty device (including connection to a faulty reader or adapter), unstable power supply, viruses, etc.
Why doesn't my phone detect or read memory cards and flash drives?
Reasons on the phone side can also be hardware or software. The first group includes:
- Mechanical failure of the memory card slot or USB connector. Often easily identified by eye. In this case, the phone most likely will not recognize any SD card. And if the USB socket on it is broken, then there will be problems not only with reading flash drives, but also with charging.
- Malfunctions in the electronic components of the board. A failure can manifest itself in the fact that when installing any drive into a slot, the phone freezes, reboots, etc. Or an apparently intact slot and a working card are not detected in the system in any way. Or they are identified and disappear.
- Malfunction of devices connected to the phone (SIM cards, etc.). It manifests itself in the fact that problems with recognizing a memory card (flash drive) arise only when connected together with a faulty device.
Software reasons:
- Incompatibility with microSD cards of a certain type or size (lack of driver). In such cases, cards can be detected, but incorrectly and without access.
- Operating system failure. It appears as errors “SD card does not work” and other similar ones. Or the removable media is not detected at all.
- Installation of blocking applications.
- Virus infection of the phone.
How to fix the problem yourself
Below is a sequence of actions that will help you fix the problem in about 80% of cases (in the rest, only a service center or buying a new drive will help you out). If the previous action did not give the desired result, move on to the next one. Recommendations for flashing devices are provided for reference only. They are performed at your own risk.
If the likely culprit is a card or flash drive:
- Make sure there are no mechanical failures of the drive. Some of them (the connector blade) can be easily removed with your own hands if you know how to use a soldering iron.
- Clean the memory card contact group with an eraser or wipe with alcohol. This will remove the oxide layer from their surface and restore signal transmission.
- Connect the media to your computer (if you are using a reader or adapter, make sure they are working). Make sure its file system is supported by your phone. If not, format to FAT32. Do not forget to first copy information from it to another medium, for example, to HDD PC.
- Scan the media antivirus program.
- Check it for file system errors. To do this, you can use a standard Windows tool (the chkdsk utility, which is used to find and fix disk errors): open the drive properties in Explorer, go to the “Tools” tab and click “Check”. In the next window, check “Automatically fix system errors” (by the way, in Windows 10, auto-fix for errors is enabled by default, so this window does not appear).
- If the probable cause is a failure of the firmware of the flash drive, in some cases it can be restored using service software, which can be found on specialized web resources. However, after this procedure there will be no data left on it. In addition, if the firmware is unsuccessful, the drive may completely fail.
If the likely culprit is the phone:
- Make sure there is no mechanical damage to the memory card slot or USB socket.
- If a slot has not been used for a long time, dust may have accumulated in it. If possible, remove it with a brush or dry cotton wool wrapped around a toothpick. If the slot contacts are accessible, remove the battery from the phone and clean them with alcohol.
- Disconnect all external devices from the phone, except for the problematic drive, and restart the system. If after this it is detected normally, the reason is something disabled.
- Scan your phone for malware infection.
- Uninstall apps that you installed shortly before the crash.
- Temporarily remove your antivirus (it may block removable media).
- Do a factory reset.
- Reinstall your phone's operating system.
If the likely culprit is not identified, use the recommendations from both groups that best suit your situation.
Support for external memory cards for many Android users is an important criterion when choosing a new device. Luckily, most of them still support this option. However, failures may occur here too - for example, a message about a damaged SD card. Today you will learn why this error occurs and how to deal with it.
The message “SD card is not working” or “SD card is empty: needs formatting” may appear in the following cases:
Reason 1: Random single failure
Alas, the nature of Android is such that it is impossible to test its operation on absolutely all devices, therefore, errors and failures occur. Perhaps you moved applications to a flash drive, it crashed for some reason, and as a result, the OS did not detect the external media. In fact, there can be many such reasons, but almost all random failures are corrected by rebooting the device.
Reason 2: Poor contact between slot and memory card
A portable device like a phone or tablet is subject to stress during use, even when it is in a pocket or bag. As a result, moving elements, which include the memory card, can move in their grooves. Therefore, if you encounter an error about a damaged flash drive that cannot be corrected by rebooting, you should remove the card from the device and inspect it; It is also possible that the contacts become contaminated with dust, which in any case penetrates into the device. Contacts, by the way, can be wiped with alcohol wipes.
If the contacts on the memory card itself are visually clean, you can simply wait a while and insert it again - perhaps the device or the flash drive itself just got hot. After some time, insert the SD card back, and make sure that it is seated all the way (but do not overdo it!). If the problem was poor contact, after these manipulations it will disappear. If the problem persists, read on.
Reason 3: There are bad sectors in the map file table
A problem most often encountered by those who like to connect a device to a PC and, instead of safely removing it, simply unplug the cord. However, no one is immune from this: this can cause an OS failure (for example, shutdowns when the battery is low or an emergency reboot) or even a banal file transfer (copying or Ctrl+X) using the phone itself. Cardholders with the FAT32 file system are also at risk.
As a rule, a message about erroneous recognition of an SD card is preceded by other unpleasant symptoms: files from such a flash drive are read with errors, files disappear altogether, or digital ghosts appear. Naturally, neither a reboot nor an attempt to remove and insert a flash drive will correct the cause of this behavior. In such a situation, you should act like this:
Reason 4: Physical damage to the card
The worst case scenario is that the flash drive was damaged mechanically or through contact with water or fire. In this case, we are powerless - most likely, the data from such a card will no longer be recoverable, and you have no choice but to throw away the old SD card and buy a new one.
An error accompanied by a message about a damaged memory card is one of the most unpleasant that can happen to users of devices running Android. Fortunately, in most cases this is just a single glitch.
