How to Fix Windows 11 SD Card Not Detected Issue

Why SD Card Not Detected in Windows 11?

SD cards are a great way to store data and are usually provided for cell phones or cameras. If you want to access it on your computer, there is usually a dedicated slot, or you can use an external card reader. But some users have reported that their SD cards are not recognized in Windows 11.

When you encounter this problem, don't panic. This article will list some of the best solutions that can help you solve this problem. Before knowing the solutions, it is necessary to know why the problem of Windows 11 not detecting SD card occurs. Some of the reasons are as follows:

• The SD card is damaged.
• The in-built SD card reader has damaged pins.
• The SD card is infected by a virus or malware.
• You are not using an updated device driver.
• Proper drivers are missing on your PC.
• The drive letter is missing from the SD card.
• The Write Protection switch is not disabled.
• Presence of bad sectors on your PC.

Possible Solutions for Windows 11 SD Card Not Detected Issue

Listed above are probably all the common reasons why SD card not recognized in Windows 11. Next, you can try each of the 6 methods below to fix the problem.

Solution 1. Some Basic Checks

Before we start the complex solution, there are some basic checks that may help. First, remove the SD card and wipe it with a clean cloth. Also, blow a light breeze into the ports on the computer to remove any dust buildup or debris.

If you are using an external SD card reader, unplug it and connect it to another USB port. See if your SD card is detected. You can also try connecting the SD card to another computer and check if it works there. If so, the problem is with your computer and the methods listed below should fix it.

Solution 2. Disable Write Protection

A write protect switch or feature is provided on the SD card to prevent deletion of stored data or adding new data to it. Normally, SD cards have a physical Write Protection switch on the side of the card. If the SD card has a button, then you should slide it to the OFF position.

If your SD card does not have a write protect switch, then you can follow the steps below to disable Write Protection for your card.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2. Find your SD card under the Disk drives section. Right-click it and select Properties.
3. Under the Policies tab, make sure the box next to Enable write caching on the device is checked.

Solution 3. Assign A Drive Letter for the SD Card

If your SD card does not show up in the Windows 11 file system, you can check to see if you have a disk letter for the SD card. If not, follow the steps below to assign a disk letter to the SD card.

1. Press Windows + X or right-click the Start icon and select Disk Management from the list of options.
2. Now, right-click on the problematic SD card and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.

3. Then click on the Add button to change drive letter and paths for new volume.
4. Next, select a drive letter from the drop-down menu or use the default selection, then click OK at the bottom to save the changes.

Solution 4. Update SD Card Driver in Device Manager on Windows 11

Faulty, incorrect or outdated card reader drivers are the main reason why SD cards are not detected on Windows 11. Therefore, please try to download the latest driver to resolve this issue.

1. Press Windows + X or right-click the Start icon and select Device Manager from the list of options.
2. Now, locate the SD card, right-click on it and select Update Driver.

3. Then click Search automatically for drivers to update SD card drivers.

Solution 5. Run CHKDSK to Repair Corrupted Files

The CHKDSK utility sweeps for any errors in the file system and automatically fixes any logical system file errors as they are found. Your Windows 11 PC may not recognize the SD card due to a corrupt system file. Therefore, to resolve this issue, simply run the CHKDSK command and see if this resolves the problem.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue. Type cmd and press Enter.
2. Then type the following command in the Command Prompt window and press Enter to execute it:

• chkdsk C: /f /r /x

Note📝: Make sure to replace /x with the drive number of the SD card.

Solution 6. Scan For Malware and Viruses

Systems infected with malware or viruses may malfunction and cause the Windows 11 SD card to be undetected. If this is the case, running a scan should eliminate the error.

1. Press Win + S to launch the search menu, enter Windows Security in the text field, and click on the relevant search result.
2. Click Virus & threat protection.

3. Next, click Scan options to view all available scans.
4. Select the Full scan option and click the Scan now button at the bottom to deeply scan your PC for viruses or malware.

Backup SD Card Regularly to Avoid Data Loss

SD cards are a great tool for users to store data. Some people also choose to back up their important data on the computer to the SD card to prevent any accident on the computer. However, if you encounter the problem of Windows 11 SD card not detected issue, this can be very disturbing for you. Therefore, it is recommended that you back up your SD card regularly after this issue is fixed.

Also, according to the 3-2-1 backup strategy, it is best to keep at least 3 copies of your data. For those who are used to backing up important data on their computers to SD cards as backups, it is also important to store these backups in a different location. SD is small and portable, but it is not immune to the possibility of loss.

AOMEI Backupper Standard will be a great helper for daily backups. It’s a free backup software for all Windows PCs. It is embedded with rich features including backup, restore, clone and synchronization. It is simple and streamlined, and all users can operate it smoothly, whether they have computer knowledge or not.

Follow the steps shown below to see how to back up the data on your SD card.

1. Download AOMEI Backupper Standard and install it on your computer.

2. Choose Backup -> Disk Backup on the main interface.

3. Click + Add Disk to select the SD card you want to backup.

4. Choose a destination to save the backup image file from the SD card.

Tip 🧱: You are allowed to backup SD card wherever you want, like computer local disk, external hard drive (HDD/SSD), USB flash drive, cloud drive, CD/DVD, network shared location (NAS), etc.

5. Press Start Backup >> to backup SD card easily and quickly in Windows 7/8/10/11.

Tips:

• Options: The program allows you to modify backup image files such as compressing, splitting, encrypting (Paid), or enabling email notifications after the backup task is completed.
• Schedule: You could run the SDcard backup once, daily, weekly, monthly, event triggers, or USB plug in. The last two options are premium features, please upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional or other full version to enjoy.
• Scheme: Enable this backup scheme will allow you to delete old backup image automatically to manage your disk storage space easily.

In the End

If you encounter the problem that your Windows 11 SD card is not detected, you can refer to this article for help. The 6 solutions provided on this page will help you get rid of this problem. Please remember to make a routine backup of your SD card to avoid data loss in daily use.

The software provided in this article can also help you backup your SD card before formatting. If you upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Technician version, you can use it to create a portable SD card duplicator.