SD card reader problem

This is a massive fail. I just spent $600 on a new panasonic ft3 with gps tracking and $90 on 2 x class 10 SDHC cards and I can't even get my photo's into Iphoto because my cards won't read.

I am using an 8gb Sandisk extreme class 10 SDHC card and trying to load it onto my 2011 13' macbook pro.

The card will be detected in finder straight after being formatted in my camera, however once it has been taken out and had a couple more photos taken on it finder won't detect it anymore.

I have spent hours searching forums and the apple website for some indication of the problem but have found nothing. Like DWFaust all the fixes I have seen don't actually work and with the specs of the mac pro you shouldn't have to jump through these hoops for something so simple anyway.

Has anyone had any luck with using a usb SD adapter? I have heard mixed results depending on adapter types, etc. Would love to know if a certain brand/spec is required before i go out and waste more money. I really need a solution to within the next day or two.

Really hoping Apple can fix this soon or at least give an indication of how we can get around this.

Here's one "solution" that appears to show some promise... it worked for me, at least for now...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2116213?answerId=10151579022#10151579022

Re: SD Card Reader Not Working

Sep 7, 2009 10:37 PM (in response to ttang)

A call to Apple support suggested that I try to reset the System Management Controller.

follow the directions: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411 (Apple Portables: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC).

My SD card was able to mount after that...

I finally took a needle nose plier and removed the bloody express card adaptor, blew on it and inserted firmly.

When I inserted the SD card into the adaptor - bingo!

It must be a mechanical thing that over time it just loosens up like cables on a car battery.

uillis wrote:

I finally took a needle nose plier and removed the bloody express card adaptor, blew on it and inserted firmly.

When I inserted the SD card into the adaptor - bingo!

It must be a mechanical thing that over time it just loosens up like cables on a car battery.

I dispute the "over time" suggestion... my MBP was less than 3 DAYS OLD when it started acting this way... Apple's only suggestion? "Return it"... thanks...

I have had my 15" MBP for 10 days, it reads my slower cards but will not ready my 45mb cards. All cards can be read by my 1.5 year old iMac. I just got off the phone with Applecare. They act as if they do not know about this problem. I don't know how they can not with all the posts online detailing it.

The Tech had me download a file that captured information from my computer and then e-mail it back to her. They are to get back to me in 3-4 days.

I'm on vacation and can not download any photos I have taken. That is the reason I bought this computer. I have 3 days to return this MBP. If I don't have an answer soon, I have 4 days to return it.

This is so unacceptable from a $2500 computer! I was hoping to find solutions here, but it does not appear that anyone else has been able to come to any acceptable resolution.

OK, I spent over an hour at the Apple Store yesterday with my MacBook and my camera and two employees. If you put the card into a regular MacBook or iMac it can read it. Then after being able to read it on those, when you insert it in a MacBook Pro, it will recognize it. However, once you take another picture with the card, put it back into the MacBook Pro, it will not be recognized again.

Totally crazy. I came back from Vacation a day early to try to resolve this. In the end I returned the computer. I had bought the one in stock with an anti-glare screen but it only had a 5400 speed HD. Really wanted the 7200 speed anyway. When they get this fixed, I'll order the one I really want. Can't bring myself to buy a windows laptop!

Until then, my iMac and I will be just fine. 🙂

Dang! I have an SD card reader that was free, came with the card. I picked it up in China while living there. Works like a charm. Just sayin....

Joseph

I'm not sure this hasn't been mentioned here, but if my mechanical solution doesn't bring any joy why not invest in a bluetooth SD and Bob's your uncle!

Joseph, are you using the older MBP or the newest 2011 MacBook Pro?

Ullis, hadn't looked into bluetooth SD reader. Do you use one? If so, which do you have? And do you have the newer MBP?

As mentioned, I really wanted the 7200 drive anyway. If I can be assured that a good card reader will work, I'll take the plunge and order the 15" MBP I wanted with the faster drive.

Thanks guys!

Joseph, I have a 2010 17" MacBook Pro. I ran into this problem this year. I thought it may have been an OS update; however 'kicking the TV set' did the job (pulling out the Express Card Adaptor with needle nose pliers and slamming it back in).

As for for a 'bluetooth reader', I wrote 'blue tooth SD' as in card. I haven't purchased one yet, but I know there are SD cards with bluetooth capacity and all you do is 'set up device' under bluetooth in System Preferences. I believe some camera phones use this bluetooth technology as well.

That should take Apple's SNAFUs out of the equation entirely!

Just to clear the record... I posted ealier that resetting the SMC showed some promise... well it did for about 2-3 reads... then it reverted to manifesting the prpblem again. This is definitely a software issue between Apple and Sandisk...

One solution that I did find was to try a PNY 16GB class 10 SDHC card... it works fine in my Nikon D7000, and so far, my MacBook Pro has read it every time... More confirmation that the issue is software related and specific to this one (type of) card.

I just looked up the PNY class 10 card and it is a 20mb card. Do they make a 45mb card? The Sandisk card that will not read is the 45mb card. Maybe the problem is the the MBP can't handle this higher speed?

Does anyone know for sure, will the Sandisk 30mb cards work in the new MBP? That seems to be the closest card to the 45mb that may work?

'45mb'? I don't think SD cards come in megabytes anymore. I remember when one bought a new digital camera it always came with a useless 15 Mb card - what an insult - so cheapskate!

These days no one has less than a 4 Gigabyte SD card.

Buy a new SD card - perhaps one with bluetooth.

photosbypam wrote:

I just looked up the PNY class 10 card and it is a 20mb card. Do they make a 45mb card? The Sandisk card that will not read is the 45mb card. Maybe the problem is the the MBP can't handle this higher speed?

Does anyone know for sure, will the Sandisk 30mb cards work in the new MBP? That seems to be the closest card to the 45mb that may work?

You may be right... I have contended all along that the issue was the speed of the card. I saw that the card was a Class 10, so I bought it to test it out... never looked at the actual specs...

I don't know where the "tipping point" is on this issue, but Apple seems to either not know or at least to be not saying anything - in typical Apple fashion (ignore/deny the issue until the fix is available)...

But I have two relatively fast 16GB cards for my Nikon now that can be read reliably in my MBP, so I am satisfied... just annoyed that I need to use an external card reader for the Sandisk cards.

uillis wrote:

'45mb'? I don't think SD cards come in megabytes anymore. I remember when one bought a new digital camera it always came with a useless 15 Mb card - what an insult - so cheapskate!

These days no one has less than a 4 Gigabyte SD card.

Buy a new SD card - perhaps one with bluetooth.

The 20mb and 45mb numbers refer to the transfer speed in megabits/second, NOT storage capacity of the card.