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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

Jan 1, 2010 7:00 AM in response to grisling

You're not the only one - a friend of mine did the same.

We removed the card by using a large unfolded paperclip, bent into an 'L' shape (so as to create a hook)

Gently insert the paperclip into the middle of the slot, as far as you can, then move the paperclip down until you feel the end of the hook hit the side/bottom of the optical drive.

Then pull the paperclip out slowly, and it will bring the SD card with it.

You may have to try a few times to snag the card, what with it being so thin.

Might have been better if Apple had put the card slot on the other side!

Jan 20, 2010 6:04 PM in response to grisling

I did that very same stupid thing! I imagine lots of people will - the slots are just too close together and they are not visible from the side you are typically looking at. Oh, well, it is a BEAUTIFUL and powerful machine, just not quite perfect, yet!

My husband fished out the card for me. Here is what he did:
I took a sheet of cereal-box cardboard (about .4 mm thick and folded it in half vertically and then horizontally to get a quadruple thickness. From this I cut an "L" shape 13cm tall, 6.5 cm across the base, and about 1.7 cm wide, with the second fold along the tall back of the L and the first fold along the base. This way, the base tends to spread out somewhat. (Previous sweeps with single thicknesses of cardboard had failed to catch the SD card.) Compressing tip
of the base with my fingers, I inserted it high into the CD slot (unit unplugged, by the way), hooked it downward until it felt as if it hit the bottom of the slot, and dragged it outward. It pushed the SD card out. At no point was any noteworthy amount of force required.

Feb 15, 2010 9:47 AM in response to jaye07

OK this happen to me too. I took it to the mac store and they tried to recover it and said they failed. This is not covered by warranty, so they were going to try and charge me to repair it/retrieve it and for a new optical drive. Stating that once retrieved that the original optical drive would be ruined.
I read this discussion and thank you to the person who stated using the paper clip.
I tilted the mac on it's side and used the L shape paper clip and it came right out. Just saved me $240!!
Apple really should start covering this under warranty, it's so common.
Good luck, use the trusty paper clip!

Feb 15, 2010 9:48 AM in response to grisling

OK this happen to me too. I took it to the mac store and they tried to recover it and said they failed. This is not covered by warranty, so they were going to try and charge me to repair it/retrieve it and for a new optical drive. Stating that once retrieved that the original optical drive would be ruined.
I read this discussion and thank you to the person who stated using the paper clip.
I tilted the mac on it's side and used the L shape paper clip and it came right out. Just saved me $240!!
Apple really should start covering this under warranty, it's so common.
Good luck, use the trusty paper clip!

SD card in the cd slot

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