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SD card in the cd slot

I just did a very stupid thing!!!

I wanted to upload some photos from my SD card, and I accidentally put it in the cd/dvd slot instead of in the SD slot. Now it's stuck there, and I can't get it out - anyone knows if it's possible to get it out without harming the iMac, or do I have to go to the Apple Store to get help?

Stupid me 😟

Happy New Year everyone!

iMac 21.5", Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Dec 31, 2009 2:27 PM

Reply
277 replies

Sep 12, 2012 2:41 PM in response to Panteleimon

Thanks so much, everyone. Can't believe I did that, but at least I know to be more careful next time I'm inserting the SD card (which will be shortly; a friend's wedding pix at that). I shut down the machine, unplugged, turned it on its side (no joy until I did that) and inserted an L-shaped piece of mat board. Out came the SD card and everything still works. Love these forums a lot. The video link posted helped a lot, too.

Sep 16, 2012 7:32 AM in response to kootenaylinda

Hi kootenaylinda,

kootenaylinda wrote:


Thanks so much, everyone. Can't believe I did that, but at least I know to be more careful next time I'm inserting the SD card (which will be shortly; a friend's wedding pix at that). I shut down the machine, unplugged, turned it on its side (no joy until I did that) and inserted an L-shaped piece of mat board. Out came the SD card and everything still works. Love these forums a lot. The video link posted helped a lot, too.

I tried the cut out ereal paper as shown on youtube in previous post and it didn't work.

Any idea why? Am I doing something wrong?

How do you mean you turned the machine on its side; which side was it?

Should the tool be made of materal thicker than cereal paper?

Thank you

Sep 17, 2012 2:26 PM in response to Ruben Tomasov

Hi Ruben,


Hopefully by now you've cracked the code, but if not...First I tried some cardboard that was the equivalent of cereal box thickness. Didn't work. I then rummaged around and found some photo mat board and cut the L-shaped thing out of it. Still didn't work. I had to shut down and unplug the machine, finally, and carefully turn it on its side so that the slots were facing down. Then the SD card shifted slightly, I guess, because I was then able to extricate it with the L-shaped mat board. Good luck!

Oct 1, 2012 11:09 AM in response to grisling

I just posted this problem myself, and then found this forum. I used a doubled over business card cut into an "L" shape, but to hedge my bets I then taped the short ends together so that if I caught the sd card, it couldn't slip out. I have to admit, it worked like a charm! Thank you all!!! This seems to be a design flaw if so many of us have experienced it, hope they address it in newer models.

Oct 25, 2012 9:43 PM in response to grisling

Stupid design froma design icon... Apple need to move the location of the SD slot (Bottom?)


This is the second time I did it. Wont happen again as the DVD drive is taped up now.


This is what I did to get my very valuable SD card out:


(1) took the 27"imac and turned it on its side with the DVD slot facing down.


(2) Shook the thing


(3) Swiped the card out with a kitchen knife.


NB: I'm not botehred about the DVD drive ... they are only $10 to buy (external USB). The pictures on the card are worth uch more than that to me

Oct 31, 2012 1:23 AM in response to grisling

I've heard many people having this problem but I don't quite "get it".


I always put in the SD card "blind" but it's easy enough to feel the slot with the tip of a finger to make sure you don't put it in the wrong hole. Hasn't been a problem for me.


When a friend of a friend of mine had this issue, I used a bent piece of .75mm copper wire I had laying around in much the same way the paperclip trick is done, worked like a charm and everything still works fine.

Nov 10, 2012 7:16 PM in response to grisling

I accidentally pushed in an SD card into the CD drive of my iMac. Don't try to put a CD to get it out because we did and they both got stuck. I used the previous suggestion of using a large paper clip and bent in an "L" shape. Push it all the way in and then the CD came out and grab it quick. Then I put the clip all the way in again and I was able to drag in the SD card.

SD card in the cd slot

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