What to Do When Your Camera Can’t Read Its Memory Card?

Digital cameras have revolutionized how we capture and store photos in memory cards. These cards have made it convenient to share photos and video files effortlessly. They provide higher storage capabilities to help you save all your perfect and imperfect camera shots.

You must first format your camera's SD card before and after every shoot to make it compatible with your device. However, people have often complained that their camera can’t read its memory card or the card is undetectable while trying to capture photographs. As a result, you can't view your images or save any images on the memory card.

In this blog, we have explained why your camera cannot read the memory card and how to fix this issue.

Why Camera Can't Read Memory Card?

Several reasons why your camera can't read your memory card include incorrect formatting or file system errors. Here are some more common errors:

• The memory card may not be compatible with your camera.
• The metal contact in your camera's memory card slot is damaged or dirty.
• The memory card is physically damaged or corrupted.
• The camera's firmware may have bugs or compatibility issues.
• Your memory card is not formatted correctly.
• File system of memory card is not supported.

Methods to fix the 'Camera can't read its Memory Card' error

Now that you know why your camera can't read the SD card, let's look at some of the best solutions to fix this problem.

Method 1: Inspect if its Memory Card or Card Slot

Check whether your memory card or your camera's SD card slot is faulty. Insert the memory card in other devices or connect it to your computer to see if your card is detected or not.

If your SD card is not detected, there may be an issue with your camera's SD card slot, or it is due to an incompatible file system.

Method 2: Reinsert SD Card & Reboot Camera

Remove and reinsert the memory card to see if the “camera can’t read its memory card” error still persists. Often, rebooting the camera also helps in fixing minor issues like these.

Method 3: Check the Memory Card Compatibility

Ensure your memory card is compatible with the camera's model. For this, you can refer to the user manual or the official website of the camera brand. For example, the Nikon DSLR series only support XQD and CFexpress type memory cards. Whereas, a Canon camera supports various types of memory cards, including CF, SDHC, SDXC and others.

If your card is compatible with the camera but still unreadable, try to use a different memory card to rule out the possibility of a faulty or damaged SD card.

Method 4: Format the Memory Card

Often, file system errors can also make your memory card unrecognizable by the camera. Moreover, if your card is corrupted, your camera can't read its memory card.

Try formatting the card to resolve the file system or corruption issue in the memory card. However, formatting will erase all the data stored on your card, so keep a backup beforehand. You can format your card either on the camera itself or by using the computer. To know more, read – How to format SD cards on different devices?

Method 5: Check the Lock tab and How Card is Inserted

Often 'camera won't read SD card' error arises when inserted the wrong way in the camera card slot. You need to insert the memory card correctly inside the camera slot to make your device recognize it. However, the direction to insert the SD card in the camera depends on the card type. For example, it can be a microSD card or an XQD, CF or CFExpess card.

Also check the Lock switch of your memory card. This switch protects anything from being deleted or written from the memory card. You need to ensure that the switch is unlocked; if not, remove the memory card and unlock it first.

Method 6: Clean the Card Slot

With time, lots of dirt, debris, or dust can accumulate in the terminal of your camera's memory card slot, making it difficult for your camera to read the memory card.

In such a scenario, you need to power off your camera first and then clean the card slot with a soft brush or a compressed air can. Once cleaned, reinsert your memory card, and see if your camera can read it.

Method 7: Update the Camera Firmware

Outdated camera firmware can also cause compatibility issues with memory cards. You need to check for any available firmware updates for your camera by visiting the manufacturer's website. Once you have updated the firmware, restart your camera and check whether the card is readable.

Method 8: Perform CHKDSK Scan

CHKDSK scan can check any errors related to your camera memory card and fix it. Moreover, it is an efficient way to repair corrupted or damaged SD cards. Here’s how to run the CHKDSK Scan:

• Connect your camera’s memory card with your computer using USB cable.
• Type CMD in the Windows search and click Open to launch Command Prompt.
• Type chkdsk X: /r /f and press Enter. (Here X is the affected SD card.)

How to Recover Data from a Memory Card that shows 'Cannot Read Error"?

The error ‘camera cannot read SD card' can lead to data loss, making photos and other media stored in it inaccessible. You can use SD card recovery software like Stellar Photo Recovery to retrieve lost or inaccessible media files.

This photo recovery software can recover lost or deleted photos, videos, and audio from corrupted, damaged, or inaccessible SD cards – Mini, Micro, SDHC, SDXC, memory card, etc. Stellar Photo Recovery supports the recovery of all popular photos and video file formats like JPEG/JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV, etc. It can even recover lost RAW image files from popular camera brands like Canon, Nikon, etc.

This advanced software can recover photos, audio, and other media files lost due to virus attacks, formatting, corruption in the SD card, etc.

Steps to restore lost photos and videos from memory card

• Connect your memory card to your computer using an SD card reader.
• Download and install Stellar Photo Recovery software on your Windows or Mac.
• On the home screen, select the SD card from where you want to recover your files. Click Scan.

• Once the scanning is completed, you can see the scan result and preview the recoverable files.

• Select the media files you want to restore, click Recover and browse to save them at any desired location.

Watch this video to know & Fix: Why is my Camera not reading my SD card

https://youtu.be/cRofAdDZXts

Conclusion

You now know why your Nikon camera won't read the memory card and what can be done to resolve it. The priority should be recovering lost photos and other media files from the memory card using an advanced SD card recovery software like Stellar Photo Recovery.

You can avail the software’s free trial to check its effectiveness.

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