14" Macbook Pro SD Card not mounting problem

I have a similar problem with the new 14" MacBook Pro. Copying images TOO the card fails at random points in the process when using the built-in card reader. Using a USB-C reader the card appears to work perfectly.

I have a similar problem with an SD card that worked before upgrading to Monterey. It works in the camera and used to work in my MB Pro, via the same card reader that I'm using now. It also does not mount, when the camera is plugged into the MB Pro, which also used to work. I've tried rebooting and plugging the reader into different USB ports. I ended up transferring the images to my iPhone, via the Canon app and then from the iPhone to the MB Pro. I feel like this is a Monterey problem.

Same on 16" MBP 2021. I had this problem with my MacBook Pro 2015, ie the SD card would only mount after frigging around putting it and pulling it out of the slot etc. I resorted to a USB card reader which worked fine always. I'm just staggered that the my new MacBook pro 16" 2021 has exactly the same problem and intermittently does not mount the SD card (Sandisk Extreme Pro 64 GB). My camera (Sony RX10 Mk IV) has never had a problem with the card - I use it day in and day out.... however my new, rather expensive, Mac laptop seems to be little better than what I bought from Apple in 2015. I would imagine it's a hardware problem but (hopefully) I am wrong! I'm glad to find it's not just me with the problem.

I am running 12.1 on my MBPro. However, the card would mount on my wife's Mac that was still running an older version of MacOS. I ultimately saved everything from the card on my wife's computer and moved the files over to my Mac, via network. I then reformatted the SD card and it now mounts. I don't know what caused it. But having an older OS available, on which to store the files from the SD card, saved me. The only thing I am sure of is that, since the SD card mounted on my wife's older MBPro, it's clearly a problem with Monterey.

My experience with all cards is at best they're hit or miss. I finally just gave them up; flash drives too mostly.

For $28US each, at the time anyway, I got a pair of PNY 250GB SSDs. I've had them over a year and so far they've been flawless. Obviously, you can't use them in Cameras and such, but then those devices seems to do much better than any Mac I've ever owned. For picture transfers to our Macs, we used a cable or wireless if the camera is so equipped.

I do still use flash drives for bootable OS installations, but that's it. I got sick of dismal transfer speeds.

This is frustrating! I have a 2015 13” MBP and am ready to buy a 14”. I am not buying a new MacBook Pro for now due to concerns the SD drive issue is hardware not software. If it were software I’d be willing to buy now and wait on the software fix but … we don’t know. I could really use the 14” -now- for photography and for a grad college class I’m teaching this Spring. Alas, old tech it is. I hope my 13” holds me a little longer. It isn’t like the old days - Windows is much better than it used to be, and I say this as someone who has used macs for over 30 years. Brian

I hear you and I'm not just saying it to be saying it .. I feel your pain. I was a Windows power user for many years and it's a shame Apple can be so backwards on this when there are good reliable card readers out there. I have several, 5 or 6 in all and frankly it's inexcusable. Thing is, don't let a reader mean the loss of a new MacBook ... there are ways around the problem that aren't all that painful. But, and I say this with some trepidation, if Apple's history on these readers portents the future, don't hold your breath.

Aside from that. The latest from Microsoft does not speak well of them. As if anything ever did, but if they follow through with their stated plans, Microsoft is about to abandon literally millions of faithful users, home and professional, with the requirements for Windows 11. If you haven't read comments on Windows forums, you should. Microsoft is still not to be trusted in my opinion. A trashy SD card reader is one thing, abandon millions of users is another when they do not have to. I get all the security issues but this is a choice for them.

I am affraid I have to report that as of 20th of january 2022, the SD card reader on my brand spanking new Macbook Pro 14 inch (late 2021) still doesn't work. The Monterey 12.1 update did not fix it for me.

The card I'm using is a sandisk extreme pro and it does work in absolutely everything else from multitude of lumix cameras, USB card readers and (!) a nearly 10 year old mid 2012 macbook pro...

On the 2021 Macbook Pro 14 it takes a while to be able to view the directory tree and when you go inside a folder, it takes even longer. In the end, when you try to copy a file from a card, it's just stuck on the copy preparation status. So yeah, great that the sd card reader is back, but it's not really, yet (I hope...).

Does the monterey 12.1 update actually fix this for anyone?

Thanks for the info

D.K.

This month. But I have to clarify - in the meantime I have tried more sandisk extreme pro cards and they seem to work but this one (non pro) still does not. But it works everywhere else. Strange... maybe the exfat file system could be the problem.

The built-in card reader claims to read card that are UHS-I speeds or faster.

if it does not do that for multiple such cards, and especially for a new card, the reader could be defective.

Consider contacting support about it:

Get Support

.

This is a known issue for the newest generation Macbook Pro laptops. Some new owners have had relief by contacting support and getting a new laptop from Apple, but I gather not all. I hope a solution presents itself soon, as I'd like to buy.

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/macbook-pro-2021-models-reportedly-hit-by-sd-card-reader-problems

That information from Tom's guide is not a deep analysis of the issues -- it is just anecdotal.

It supports, as I suggested above, that once you eliminate the obvious incompatibilities with cards that will never work, if you still have problems, you should push any remaining problems back to Apple Support for resolution.

DO NOT stand idly by and "wait for Apple to hand you a solution". It may not be a software issue.

This could be a hardware issue with this new hardware, and the solution for that is Hardware replacement.

So here's and update:

I have tried all the cards that I own, and funny enough, the one I first tried is the only one that does not work properly - or rather it works intermittently now. I was able to sort of copy from and to it but sometimes it gets stuck, sometimes it doesn't. It's just weird since it still works everywhere else. Reformat or first aid did not help.

I also went to a mac store and tried the card on another 14 inch macbook pro and guess what - exactly the same behaviour. At this point I think this specific card reader just doesn't like this one card for some unknown reason. Faster and newer cards are ok, older and slower are okay, cards formated in the same camera are okay, but just not this one...

So the good news seems to be, that the vast majority of the cards (I have) work and if there was a software problem, in most cases it should be resolved.

So if anyone is curious, here is the list of SD and micro SD cards that I have tried and that work in 14 inch Macbook Pro, late 2021, A2442 (including very old ones):

Sandisk Extreme Pro 128GB, 95 MB/s (exfat)

Sandisk Extreme pro 128GB, 170 MB/s (exfat)

Sandisk Extreme Pro 256GB, 170 MB/s (exfat)

Sandisk Extreme PLUS 128GB, 150 MB/s (exfat)

Sandisk Ultra 32GB, 40 MB/s (Fat32)

Sandisk SDHC Class4 16GB (Fat32)

Samsung EVO PLUS 32GB (Fat32)(micro SD)

Kingston SDHC 32GB (Fat32)(micro SD)

Kingston SDHC SD4 32GB (Fat32)

The only one that does not work properly in built-in card reader:

Sandisk Extreme 128GB, 90MB/s (exfat)

I hope this helps. If you experience a card that does not work, please tell others.

Thanks for the comments and advice

D.K.

Yeah, anecdotal ... there are many articles on the problem, and many reports of problems. Not just Tom's -

One person reported Apple knew about the problem and was working on it. In any case, an immediate fix was not made ... and we hope it is software. I assume the spacing inside the MBP is quite limited and "swapping out" the card reader for a different brand is subject to size limitations ... which is perhaps why they chose the drive they did? Speculation. In any case, many have reported it, and some had success when their new MBP was swapped for another, and others did not. That sounds like hardware.

The good news is a few new reports that OS 12.2 fixed their problem. We'll see if this success is widespread - I'm hoping, as I'm ready to buy.

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