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Ikester Author

Level 1

36 points

SD Card not showing up in Finder Sidebar (other removable drives do) - Big Sur

Since I upgraded to Big Sur, SD Cards inserted into my 2015 MPB 15" do not show up in the Finder Sidebar. They do appear on the desktop and and in Finder windows under my Mac.

Other removable drives (e.g. USB drives) show up and disappear when ejected as normal.

I checked in Finder Preferences and removable drives are checked on under the Sidebar items.

If an SD Card is mounted, I can drag-and-drop its icon to the sidebar. However, once ejected, its entry remains on the Sidebar. Clicking on it obviously doesn't work since the SD Card is no longer inserted/mounted.

On Catalina SD Cards used to behave like any other removable drives. That is, they would automatically appear on the Finder Sidebar when mounted, and I could eject them from there as well. After ejecting them they would automatically disappear from the Sidebar.

Anybody else experiencing this?

Posted on Nov 16, 2020 6:25 PM

Top-ranking reply

pasbair

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Jan 5, 2021 4:33 PM

Yes, Apple, please fix this to go with the $2200 Mac Mini I just bought and loaded with Big Sur. I'm a professional and I am having to go back and forth between two different computers to read the photos I'm downloading from jobs.

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65 replies

Old Toad

Level 10

210,545 points

Jan 12, 2021 11:26 AM in response to Ikester

The screenshot was for a card that was formatted in the camera, a Panasonic. I have another camera, a Canon which I formatted the card in the camera and it also shows in the sidebar.

Have you tried it in Safe Mode?

Jan 12, 2021 11:48 AM in response to Ikester

In my case the microSD card contains navigation map for my Subaru. The card is keyed to the vehicle and the map it contains. A special app is required to update the map, can't just copy files to the SD, and can't use a replacement SD from Walmart. I dare not reformat or even rename for fear of having to purchase a $150 replacement.

Ikester Author

Level 1

36 points

Jan 12, 2021 11:52 AM in response to Old Toad

Perhaps Panasonic names the card "NO NAME". I have a Fuji and the card is named "Untitled". According to others on this thread, it seems like the Finder in Big Sur has an issue with SD cards named that particular way.

I'm not sure what trying Safe Mode would do. I've reset the PRAM and done all other typical things. But I need this to work in normal boot mode regardless.

Jan 17, 2021 6:57 PM in response to Ikester

Stupid problem - here's how to fix. With disk inserted, open Disk Utility. You'll see the disk with no name. Right click to Rename the disk. Name it. Eject it (use Disk Utility to eject). Re-insert and it will show up in the Finder.

Jan 17, 2021 8:28 PM in response to estnyboer

That is not a fix, that is a bandaid.

Some (such as myself) have an SD card known to contain rights management shenanigans so we dare not modify the card outside specific instructions from the vendor.

Specific example: Subaru navigation map. Only costs $150 to replace damaged card.

Ikester Author

Level 1

36 points

Jan 18, 2021 12:35 PM in response to estnyboer

That is only a short term fix. The problem most people are reporting here is caused by external equipment (e.g. a camera) formatting the cards, which is outside the Mac's control. It's very common to re-format SD card media in the camera before a new project. So you would have to do that every time you insert the SD card in the Mac again.

Jan 19, 2021 4:14 PM in response to Ikester

I posted relating to this issue a few weeks ago.

Just now, I popped in a couple of SD cards from something I just shot and miraculously they both show up in the sidebar!

This is the first time this has happened. I have not updated anything recently other than Pages, Numbers, and Keynote three days ago.

They didn't show up when I downloaded a couple of cards from an assignment yesterday, either.

Interesting...

Ikester Author

Level 1

36 points

Jan 19, 2021 4:40 PM in response to Ikester

I spoke too soon. Turns out that one of my SD cards showed up, but not the other. Both where on the same camera and formatted in the same way.

I then inserted the first card again (the one that worked) and it didn't show on the sidebar.

Even more strange.

DCE123

Level 1

4 points

Jan 21, 2021 12:12 PM in response to Ikester

I was unable to find an SD card in finder, desktop, or disk utility. I did a ton of searching on the internet, finding nothing. I am using the Satechi USB-C Multiport Pro. I plugged the Satechi into my work laptop (Lenovo) and added an SD card. Card showed up immediately. I ejected, and repeated the process with a micro SD. I then brought the Satechi back to my (Brand new) MacBook Pro, plugged in an SD card and... It worked.

No idea why, I had combed through every possible setting and visibility before trying this. Hope you find success.

Jan 23, 2021 9:25 AM in response to DCE123

To find your SD card open Terminal.app

type: ls /Volumes

Get something like this (I don't have an SD card attached at the moment but do have 2 Time Capsules).

Last login: Fri Jan 22 08:51:55 on ttys000

Brown-MacBook-Pro:~ dkelly$ ls /Volumes

Macintosh HD@

Time Machine Backups/

Time Machine Backups 1/

com.apple.TimeMachine.AirPort Disk 4T-xxxxx/

com.apple.TimeMachine.Seagate 4TB-xxxxx/

Brown-MacBook-Pro:~ dkelly$

Mark_Jay

Level 1

4 points

Jan 23, 2021 1:05 PM in response to Ikester

Same issue, would love to know if anyone has fixed this problem. I insert SD cards formatted on the Sony camera's and they don't appear in the finder. I have to go into Disk Utility to see them and access them there. Which I find a little stressful as I don't like to leave disk utility open.

Feb 10, 2021 1:59 PM in response to Ikester

I've run into this problem as well. While it's a work around, after renaming the card as suggested by others, you can drag it over to the Locations section in the sidebar. Of course, this doesn't help once the card is reformatted but at least you don't need to reboot or relaunch finder or eject and reinsert. Seems like this should be a simple fix on apple's part. We'll see if they actually address it since this is at least 3months old now.

Feb 18, 2021 1:23 AM in response to Ikester

My Sony SD cards won't show in the sidebar on a 2019 16" MBP. I can see them under the computer name but I can't see that in the Final Cut Pro import dialogue. This is killing my video workflow, please fix it Apple.

Feb 19, 2021 8:21 AM in response to Ikester

I have the same problem, SD Cards not showing in the sidebar, but have found an easy workaround for now. My Fuji camera renames my SD cards as Untitled when I format the card, which I do regularly. Renaming the card each time is a bit of a pain and doesn't work for my work flow.

My SD cards do show up in Finder if I choose to view My iMac, from the locations section. In Finder Preferences, General tab, I have set Finder to always open a new window showing My iMac, then my SD card is right there.

Hope this helps some of you.

Feb 20, 2021 2:23 PM in response to Ikester

FOR ALL THAT WANT THE ANSWER... This is BIG SUR and not an error. Don't even bother with said workarounds or other suggestions. This is 100% Apple messing with Finder again.

This is beyond ridiculous! Come on Apple. First, you handicap Finder's preview area, now this. Please fix it. The creatives in the world that use Finder for more than marking up images and adding pretty colors to files are upset with your constant tinkering. Maybe if we "tag" the SD card, give it a color code, write sweet nothings for a label, we will be able to find it again. Really???

SD Card not showing up in Finder Sidebar (other removable drives do) - Big Sur