Computer & Accessories FAQs

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Setup

Question 1: How do I set up my card reader using Windows?

Question 2: How do I set up my card reader on a Mac?

Question 3: What should I do if my card does not appear in My Computer/Computer (Windows)?

Question 4: What should I do if no icon appears on my desktop (Mac)?

Question 5: How do I remove my memory card once I have finished working with the files?

Drivers

Question 6: Where can I find the drivers for this card reader?

Hardware

Question 7: I receive an error message when I try to access my memory card or try to save to it.

Question 8: How do I format my memory card?

Question 9: What should I do if my Windows computer is not reading my SDHC or SDXC cards?

General

Question 10: Where can I get more information about my card reader?

Question 11: What types of memory cards are compatible?

Question 12: Is my computer is compatible with my card reader?

Question 13: How do I transfer files from my memory card to my computer?

Question 14: Can I use this card reader with my tablet?

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Windows XP, Vista, or 7:

1. Remove the cap on one end of the card reader and plug the USB connector into an open USB port on your computer.
• Your computer automatically installs the correct drivers.  A new Removable Disk drive appears in My Computer/Computer.
2. Insert a card into the appropriate slot. The blue LED lights.
   Caution: Cards must be inserted into the correct slot and in the correct direction; otherwise, you may damage the card and/or the slot. Only insert one card at a time.
• Cards must be inserted label side up into the SD slot.
• Cards must be inserted label side down into the microSD slot.



3. Click Start, then click My Computer/Computer.
4. Double-click the appropriate drive to access the data on the memory card.

Windows 8:

1. Remove the cap on one end of the card reader and plug the USB connector into an open USB port on your computer. Your computer automatically installs the correct drivers.
2. Insert a card into the appropriate slot. The blue LED lights.
   Caution: Cards must be inserted into the correct slot and in the correct direction; otherwise, you may damage the card and/or the slot. Only insert one card at a time.
• Cards must be inserted label side up into the SD slot.
• Cards must be inserted label side down into the microSD slot.
3. Navigate to Computer, then click on your memory card.
4. Use normal Windows procedures to open, copy, paste, or delete files and folders.

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1. Remove the cap on one end of the card reader and plug the USB connector into an open USB port on your Mac.
2. Insert a card into the appropriate slot. The blue LED lights and a new icon appears on the desktop.
   Caution: Cards must be inserted into the correct slot and in the correct direction; otherwise, you may damage the card and/or the slot.
• Cards must be inserted label side up into the SD slot.
• Cards must be inserted label side down into the microSD slot.

 

3. Double-click the new icon to access the data on the memory card.

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• Make sure that your memory card is fully inserted into the slot on the card reader.
• Make sure the card reader is securely connected to your computer. Unplug and reconnect your card reader.
• Try a different memory card of the same type in the same slot. If a different memory card works, the original memory card should be replaced.
• Disconnect your card reader and shine a flashlight into the empty card slots. Look to see if any pin inside is bent, then straighten bent pins with the tip of a mechanical pencil. Replace your card reader if a pin has bent so much that it touches another pin.
• Unplug your card reader from the USB port and restart your computer. Reconnect your card reader to your computer.

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• Open the Finder, then locate your memory card in the list on the left.
• Make sure that your disks are set to appear on your desktop by navigating to Finder Preferences.
• Make sure that your memory card is fully inserted into the slot on the card reader.
• Make sure the card reader is securely connected to your computer. Unplug and reconnect your card reader.
• Try a different memory card of the same type in the same slot. If a different memory card works, the original memory card should be replaced.
• Disconnect your card reader and shine a flashlight into the empty card slots. Look to see if any pin inside is bent, then straighten bent pins with the tip of a mechanical pencil. Replace your memory card reader if a pin has bent so much that it touches another pin.
• Unplug your card reader from the USB port and restart your computer. Reconnect your card reader to your computer.
• Your memory card may not be in the correct format. See Question 8 for instructions on how to format your memory card.

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Caution: Do not insert or remove memory cards while the blue LED is flashing. Doing so may cause damage to your card or loss of data. Only insert one memory card at a time.

Windows:

1. Right click the memory card drive in My Computer/Computer, then click Eject. The blue LED turns off.
2. Remove the memory card. 
   
   

Mac:

1. Click and drag the memory card  icon to the Trash or Eject icon.
2. Remove the memory card. The blue LED turns off.
   
   OR
   

1. Right-click the memory card icon on the desktop and select Eject.
2. Remove the memory card. The blue LED turns off.

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• The card reader is a plug-and-play device and uses drivers already on your computer.

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• Make sure that your memory card is fully inserted into the slot on the card reader.
• Some memory cards have a read/write security switch that may be set to ON/OFF or Locked/Unlocked. Make sure that the security switch is set to Write Enabled/ON/Unlocked.
• Make sure that the amount of data you attempted to store has not exceeded the capacity of the card.
• Inspect the end of the memory card for dirt or material closing a hole. Clean the contacts with a lint-free cloth and small amounts of rubbing alcohol.
• Try a different memory card of the same type in the same slot. If a different memory card works, the original memory card should be replaced.
• Some memory cards are not compatible with Windows XP such as SDHC and SDXC. If you are using Windows XP and a SDXC memory card see Question 9.
• Your card may not be in the correct format. See Question 8 below for steps on how to format your memory card.
• If errors persist, replace the memory card.

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Caution: Formatting a memory card permanently deletes all files on the card. Be sure that you copy any valued files to a computer before formatting a memory card. Do not disconnect the card reader or remove the memory card while formatting is in progress.

Windows:

1. Right-click the memory card in My Computer/Computer.
2. Select Format.
3. Type a name into the Volume Label box. The name of your memory card appears next to the icon.
4. Click Start, then click OK in the Warning dialog box.
5. Click OK on the Format complete window.
6. Click Close to finish.

Mac:

1. Click Go, then click Utilities.
2. Double-click Disk Utility from the list.
3. In the left-hand column, select the memory card you want to format, then click the Erase tab.
4. Specify a volume format and name for the memory card, then click Erase. A warning box opens.
   Note: If prompted, select FAT-32 as your format option.
5. Click Erase again. The Erase process takes a minute or so to erase and reformat your memory card.

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• Make sure you have run Windows Update and that your computer has all the latest updates installed.
• With Windows XP drivers, it is possible that you may not be able to read an SDHC card with a capacity higher than 8GB.
• Refer to your card manufacturer to see if your card is compatible with your OS.