Q: MacBook Pro won't read Sandisk SDHC cards since Lion 10.7.1 update

I'm on Mac OS X 10.8.2 with the symptom described and the X11 update fixed it immediately.  Applause!

it worked perfectly... I just gave the card slot a huge puff, and I got it to work! Thanks again for the advice.

In installed XQuartz and rebooted.  But nothing (other, older SD cards work fine).  Should it work automagically, or do I need to do something else?

Resetting PRAM fixed it for me.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

**** this totally worked!

Had problems reading SD cards after a Mountain Lion update. XQuartz no longer comes with new Macbooks only X11.

See this support page from Apple on where you can download XQuartz.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5293?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

You can download Xquartz directly from here:

http://xquartz.macosforge.org/landing/

This should be the most up to date version.

Simply re-insert your SD card and voila!

Thank to the original poster!

Hey guys I suggest you try giving it a big air puff first. It solved the same problem we are talking about here. I'm a dentist and some dust from my materials might have gotten into the slot. Thanks for all the pieces of advice though, some may work for others! Saludos from Lima Perú!

If anyone is having problems with an SD card reader, or any connector for that matter, a touch of WD40 on the connector first then inserted in an out of the mac a couple of time should revive any connections. Unless brutal force was used to chew out the connector typically it is just contact dirt that interferes with the voltages, similar to crackle on a dirty volume dial. Additionally on new unibody macbook it seems to me that the backplate helps to ground some of the connectors or at least pushes on a series of small buttons lined along the connectors. Its worth making sure its on tightly near to the connectors else one thing might start talking to another or simply become mute and not talk at all. Hope this helps Its revived many connectors of mine countless times

My MacBook was mounting my Sandisk 4GB fine until today.  I installed Mac’s update 10.8.3, now it won’t mount the disk.  I’ve done the obvious, confirming the finder preference to show the disk, and downloading and installing XQuartz-2.7.4.  I’m not into applying WD-40 to the USB connector. The card reader was new last week. When I install the card reader the LED flashes once, briefly, an indication the MacBook knows it’s there I guess, but it remains dark and the disk never mounts. What should I do?

Here's an interesting twist.  We bought both a Macbook Pro and a Mac mini in December 2013.  My mini reads the SDHC card just fine, but the Macbook Pro won't.  Here's the difference: We upgraded the OS on the Macbook to 10.8.3.  The mini is still at 10.8.2.  Obviously, a problem in the update.  Apple better fix this soon.  You can bet I'm not upgrading the mini until this fixed.

doubt that is it for my MBP is still on Snow Leopard at 10.75 and it stopped doing it at some point as well.....

Hi Vivaldi,

could you try the following:

Go to the menu of Finder > Preferences > Sidebar > then check the External Disks box. If it is checked already uncheck it an check it again.

Then try to insert your card again.

That worked for me and solved my problem.

Let me know if that worked out for you too.

It helped me like a magic! Thanks a lot!

I tried the update, and it didn't help.  My problem is that the Sandisk card I bought yesterday isn't recognized in Iphoto.  I bought it to take pix off the computer to have prints made, but when I put the card into the slot, it doesn't appear in the Iphoto sidebar - it appears on my desktop.  Any ideas?  Thanks

Sounds like a different software issue - did you update iphoto, OSX etc?

Hi, I've tried everything here. I have a brand new MacBook Pro Retina of 256 flash and I've tried doing the following and still it does not work... any ideas on how to make it work? (OS X 10.8.3)

1. I have the XQuartz 2.7.4 (If it works just as it should be, when I insert the SD Card should XQuartz open something?? What is the response that I should expect from it?)

2. I have checked (and unchecked and checked it again) on the Finder>Preferences>External Disks

3. Gave it a puff

4. Put the SD card in and then pulled it out waited... and then put it back in 3/4

5. Restart Mac several times

6. Attached a SD Card reader via USB

and still nothing. It is not reading it.

It reads my Samsungs External Memory (USB) just fine but it cannot read the SD Card!!

The SD Card can be read in my Lumix cam and it reads it perfectly in my husbands iMac, so the SD card is fine.

Any light on what the issued might be?