SD Card Not Recognized Problem In Windows 7

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So you plug-in your Camera’s Secure Digital (SD) card into your Windows 7 PC for copying the photos and videos into your PC. But Windows 7 doesn’t recognize the card. The same card when inserted into your friends Windows Vista or Windows XP machine works well!

SD_CARD

This issue has been identified. This problem occurs when you use certain SD cards that do not behave according to the SD card specification. According to Microsoft, the issue is not with Windows 7. Microsoft has modified the driver for SD Card (sdbus.sys) in Windows 7 and made it more strict for security reasons. SD Card should comply to Standard Specifications to work properly in Windows 7. Which means you may have trouble if you get a duplicate manufactured cards. The problem should not happen if you get SD cards manufactured by recognized manufacturers.

Following are the common problems and messages associated with SD Card inserted in Windows 7 PC. (Source:KBA981642)

- Windows 7 does not recognize the SD card and it does not appear on Device Manager.
- Windows 7 recognizes the SD card several minutes after it is inserted and then it appears on Device Manager.

However, trying to browse the SD card in Windows Explorer generates the following message, prompting you to format the SD card:

You need to format the disk in drive (drive letter): before you can use it.
Do you want to format it?

You are able to format the SD card after the message appears. However, in several minutes, you will receive the “Windows was unable to complete the format” error message and fail to format it.

Published on March 16, 2010
  • http://www.pharmacytechnicianblog.com/ pharmacy technician

    nice post. thanks.

  • http://www.pharmacytechnicianblog.com/ pharmacy technician

    Keep posting stuff like this i really like it

  • Harald Gruber

    I appreciate the answer to this question, but even cards manufactured by recognized, I think SanDisk is, manufacturers do not work. If I go to format the card in Windows 7, it does not matter what size the card is, WIN 7 only will format it 984 Kb. Not a Windows 7 problem?

  • joe

    install virtual pc xpmode in W 7

    ==> attach usb device + sdcard ==> copy pictures into your W 7 system

  • Richard Hankins

    I have the problem and my SD card is made by SanDisk. So presumably SanDisk is not a “recognised manufacturer?

    I think the problem is with Microsoft. It wouldn’t be the first time they have misread a specification….

  • Nez

    Thank you for the responses. So besides installing virtual pc xp mode is there any other way to get the data off the sd card? mine is a San Disk too and it’s driving me crazy since my work updated to Windows 7. Thanks in advance for your help!

  • Nez

    Thank you for the responses. So besides installing virtual pc xp mode is there any other way to get the data off the sd card? mine is a San Disk too and it’s driving me crazy since my work updated to Windows 7. Thanks in advance for your help!