How to Fix SD Card Not Showing Up in File Explorer

A corrupted SD card can significantly impact your workflow since you can't access anything. If the SD card not showing up in File Explorer question occurs on your computer, worry no more; this post will take you through fixes to help you solve the problem that an SD card is not showing up in File Explorer.

Preparation Before Fixing SD Card Not Showing Up in File Explorer Issue

A damaged or corrupted SD card won't show up in your File Explorer. When fixing, you may risk losing your crucial documents. In preparation for fixing the problem, you can first secure your data with the trustworthy software EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, which is reliable and effective for data recovery on a corrupted SD card.

As one of the best SD card recovery software, the EaseUS software surpports SD card recovery both on Windows OS and Mac OS. This powerful software can retrieve lost or deleted files from an SD card, including images, videos, documents, etc.

In addition, it can recover formatted SD cards, so when you have to fix the corrupted SD card by formatting it, you can retrieve lost data with the EaseUS SD card recovery tool.

Check out the following steps to recover your stored data on the SD card that does not appear in File Explorer:

Step 1. Select the SD card to scan

• Download and install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your Windows PC.
• Use the proper way to connect your SanDisk/Lexar/Transcend SD card to the computer. 
• Open EaseUS SD card recovery software and choose SD Card Recovery on the left panel. All connected drives will display here. Select your SD card and click "Scan".

Step 2. Check for scan results

• Wait for the scanning process to complete.
• Specify one or several file types to show up, like Pictures or Videos.
• Click "Preview" to check if they are the wanted files.

Step 3. Recover SD card data

• Preview the recovered files and click "Recover".
• Choose a different location to save the recovered files instead of the original SD card.

After saving the recovered SD card data to a safe storage location, check the following 6 methods to fix the SD card not showing up in File Explorer issue:

1. Fix 1. Check Your SD Card
2. Fix 2. Run Windows Troubleshooter in Settings
3. Fix 3. Change Your SD Card''s Drive Letter
4. Fix 4. Turn Off Write Protection on Your SD Card
5. Fix 5. Check SD Card Errors in Device Manager
6. Fix 6. Update Your SD Card Reader Driver

Fix 1. Check Your SD Card

Before proceeding with the fixes, you must physically check your SD card. It may not be showing on the file explore because you last used it a while ago and may have dust or debris.

If you have used it for a long time, it could have scratches or even become defective. Again, check whether your SD reader is compatible with your SD card since old SD readers may not support new cards. You can assess the issue effectively by using a different SD card in Windows.

Fix 2. Run Windows Troubleshooter in Settings

You can fix the SD card problem by running the Windows troubleshooter using the settings. Check this out:

Step 1. Connect your SD card to the PC and go to "Settings".

Step 2. Click "Update & Security > Troubleshoot".

Step 3. Select "Hardware and Devices > Run the troubleshooter".

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Fix 3. Change Your SD Card's Drive Letter

Here, you need to assign a new Drive Letter; this is the deal!

Step 1. Press "Window + R" and a "Run" dialogue box will open.

Step 2. Type diskmgmt.msc, and click "OK".

Step 3. Select the "Disk Management" option in the list.

Step 6. Check whether your SD card is detected with assigned drive letters. If not found, you must assign it by right-clicking on the SD card.

Step 7. Select "Change Drive Letter and Path", and a "Add Drive or Path" window will appear.

Step 8. Select "Assign the following drive letter".

Step 9. Click "Add" to assign a new driver letter to the SD card reader.

Fix 4. Turn Off Write Protection on Your SD Card

When write protection is enabled, your SD card will show as read-only. It means you won't edit anything in it.

Step 1. Eject your "SD card" from your PC

Step 2. On its side, locate the "lock switch".

Step 3. Turn the write protection off by sliding the lock switch upwards.

Step 4. Connect your SD card to see if your computer detects it.

Fix 5. Check SD Card Errors in the Device Manager

The device manager lets you view all devices connected to the Windows PC, including those with errors. Here is the deal!

Step 1. Press "Window + R" and a "Run" dialogue box will open.

Step 2. Type diskmgmt.msc, and click "OK".

Step 3. Click "Action" when the "Device Manager" opens.

Step 4. Choose "Scan for hardware changes".

Step 5. Expand the "Portable Device", and the SD card in the list should appear with yellow exclamation marks.

Step 6. Right-click on it and select "Properties".

Step 7. Open "General > Device status". Enable the "Device status" and check for error messages.

Fix 6. Update Your SD Card Reader Driver

Updating your SD card reader driver will make it appear in the File Explorer. Check out how to update.

Step 1. Open your "Device Manager" on your computer.

Step 2. Locate your "SD card", right-click on it, and select "Update Driver".

Step 3. A pop-up window with "Update Driver Software" will appear. Choose "Search automatically for updated drive software".

Step 4. Install any update driver you see, restart your computer, and connect your SD card reader.

Conclusion

Your SD card should start showing up after thoroughly checking it, running the Windows troubleshooter in settings, changing the Drive letter, turning off write protection, checking errors in the device manager, and updating the SD card reader driver. Get EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to secure your data from the SD card before proceeding with other fixes.

SD Card Not Showing Up in File Explorer FAQs

Here are some questions for more insights.

1. How do I find my SD card in File Explorer?

Check out this guide to help you find your SD card in File Explorer.

Step 1. Go to "File Explorer".

Step 2. Select "This PC".

Step 3. Open "Device and drives" and identify your SD card

Step 4. Click it to open.

2. Why is my SD card not showing up on my computer?

The causes of an SD card not showing on your PC include;

• The SD card has not been allocated to the drive letter on your PC.
• The SD card is corrupt or damaged.
• You have not updated the Windows device drivers.
• The SD card reader isn't correctly connected.

3. Why is my SD card showing in Device Manager but not showing on my computer?

A corrupted or damaged SD card only appears in the device manager. So, to see the SD card in the computer, you will need to fix the error in the drives using a quick format.