If you have an older Mac laptop, it comes with a useful SD card slot where you can insert the standard SD card or mini SD card/microSD card with an adapter. The SD card can be used asextended storage for the Mac instead of paying hundreds of dollars to upgrade the Mac's storage. But Apple dropped the built-in SD card slot on its MacBook Air in 2015 and MacBook Pro in 2016. Now users have to connect an SD card to a MacBook through a USB card reader or a USB hub with an SD card slot.
After an SD card is inserted or attached, the icon and its name will pop up on desktop and appear in the left list of the Finder and the Disk Utility. However, if the SD card is not recognized by macOS and, there must be something wrong with the connection or the SD card itself.
How to Fix an SD card that is not working properly?
1.Check the connectivity
The unrecognized SD card could result from bad connectivity. Go to check all the components that could result in the macOS not detecting the SD card well. Here is a checklist:
- The SD card reader.
- The USB port.
- The SD card adapter.
- The USB hub if you are using one.
- The USB cable for the USB hub.
After checking all of them, reboot the Mac to make the macOS show up the SD card.
2. Change the Finder's preferences
Finder is the built-in application for Mac users to access and manage files and open other applications. If you can't see the SD card and then can't open it to access the files, you are supposed to check the Finder settings.
You need to open Finder and Preferences from the top menu bar. Then check if the boxes in front of External disks are ticked under the General tab and Sidebar tab.
3.Repair the SD card
Mac has a built-in tool in Disk Utility called First Aid. It can help check and repair errors in the partition table, file system, and root directory on a storage disk.
You need to open Disk Utility through Launchpad and Other. Then select the SD card at the left column and right-click it. Choose First Aid at the context. Click Run. It is recommended that you run First Aid more than twice to get a consistent result.
4.Format the SD card
Any software related problems on a storage device can be solved by formatting. If your SD card is not mounted or becomes unreadable on Mac, you can format it easily in Disk Utility to make it work again.
You need to open Disk Utility through Launchpad and Other. Then select the SD card at the left column and right click it. Choose Erase in the context. Give the SD card a name, choose FAT or ExFAT as the Format, and keep GUID as the Scheme. Click Erase.
What made the SD card stop working?
SD cards have a relatively long lifespan of more than 5 years, but improper operations, unexpected disconnection, virus infection and other unknown reasons may greatly shorten it.
- You pull out or eject the SD card without ejecting it safely first on a computer.
- You don't insert the SD card to an adapter or a slot correctly.
- The SD card is dusty or damaged by water or other materials.
- The SD card is connected to the computer during shutdown and restart.
- A sudden power shortage happens.
- The SD card is detached by accident.
- The SD card is formatted on a digital device instead of on a computer.
- The SD card has been used on multiple different devices.
