SD Card Slot Disappears After Sleep (Gone Until Reboot)

You can disable Spotlight's background indexing for a specific volume using the Privacy tab in System Prefs -> Spotlight.

A volume can be excluded from TM backups using the Options settings in System Prefs -> Time Machine.

If you have other backup, antivirus or diagnostic software that may be running on the SD card in the background, you'll need to configure that, too, in order to test the theory.

There is no solution. Only work-arounds.

To the best of my knowledge, if you only use the Mac OS you will not see this disappearing SD Slot problem. BUT - if you utilize Bootcamp to run Windows (any version) and you allow your computer to go into "SLEEP MODE" while using Windows (when you close the lid or just let it time out) - then you WILL encounter this problem.

When s Mac running Windows in Bootcamp goes into sleep mode, the Bootcamp SD Slot goes dormant and cannot be waked up without a power off/on of the machine - which will restore the SD Slot. And for most folks a simple restart of Windows will restore the SD Slot, probably because it goes through the full boot-up process.

Workarounds;

You can utilize the Hybernate mode (instead of SLEEP mode) and never see the problem. The difference involves the fact that Hybernate involves a full power off of the computer whereas the SLEEP mode leaves the power on (albeit in a low power state.) Or you can use a full SHUTDOWN in lieu of SLEEP mode. In this case the SD Slot is fully functional upon reboot of the WIndows OS.

In my case I had always preferred to use the SLEEP mode because it is quicker to wake up. But once I started using the SD Card slot extensively while in Windows, I had to change to either SHUTDOWN or HYBERNATE to ensure that the SD card would be functional when I needed it.

This problem has existed for over 3 years. Apple has seemingly acknowledged it as a problem on occassion, but has yet to ever bother with a fix. I suspect it relates to the fact that this problem only affects users who run Windows on their Macs. And why would Apple bother to fix something that they disapprove of in the first place. <sarcasm detected!>

cyongsak-

Are you by any chance using the power button to wake up from your test of sleep mode? If so then you aren't really in SLEEP mode...

While I'd be most interested to know that something has been done by Apple to remedy the "lost SD card" when awakening from "SLEEP" mode I've got to say that yours is the only report I've seen to suggest it has been fixed.

On my Macbook Air (mid-2013) the SD card slot disappears every time it is waked up from SLEEP mode. And by waked up I mean when I hit the ENTER key to light up the screen...

A restart, hybernate, or a shutdown/startup will restore the SD card slot. But a SLEEP/WAKEUP does not.

If your computer is truly in SLEEP mode, you will be able to wake up your computer using the ENTER key. But if your restart process involves use of the POWER key then you aren't really in SLEEP mode. Can you clarify if you can wake it up using only the ENTER key - and subsequently access the SD Card?

Just to be clear - having the screen timeout and go dark to save power is not the same as SLEEP mode.

Curious minds are hoping you have found the cure! 🙂

Sounds great. I am encouraged that maybe Apple has found a fix.

My Macbook Air mid 2013 running the latest High Sierra OS. And the latest Fall Creators Windows 10. I don't use Parallels or Fusion - just boot either into Bootcamp or MacintoshHD.

Are you running as a dual boot (either Bootcamp or MacintoshHD) or are you running Windows (possibly with a Bootcamp partition) via Parallels or Fusion as a virtual machine? IOW, is Mac OS running in the background while you are in Windows?

For the past year I was on the Windows Preview build program and tried dozens of Windows incremental updates.

Currently on the Fall Creators build (1709) ver 16299.15 with all updates. On the Mac OS side I upgraded to High Sierra about two weeks ago. The only Windows feature that doesn't seem to work is the restart assistant in bootcamp. It cannot see the Mac OS - requiring me to reboot using the Option key to select the Mac OS.

I tried SLEEP mode again today. Set the "what happens when I close the lid" option to SLEEP. Closed the lid, waited a few minutes. Opened the lid and it came back to life promptly enough. But the SD Slot w/512gb card disappeared totally. A reboot brought it back.

I've solved this problem on my MacBook pro 13" 2015 with Windows 10 1709.

1. Install Windows 10 normally(DO NOT install any driver).

2. Locate the Boot Camp directory, it should contains two folders: $WinPEDriver$ and BootCamp.

3. Delete these files/folders:

\BootCamp\Drivers\AMD

\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple\.DS_Store

\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple\AppleDisplayInstaller64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple\AppleODDInstaller64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple\AppleRemoteInstaller64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple\AppleSDCardReader64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple\AppleWirelessMouse64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple\AppleWirelessTrackpad64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple\BCDriverMerge.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Atheros

\BootCamp\Drivers\Broadcom\BroadcomBluetooth64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Broadcom\BroadcomCardReader64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Broadcom\BroadcomComController64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Broadcom\BroadcomEthernet64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Broadcom\BroadcomWirelessLegacy64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Broadcom\BroadcomWirelessWin7x64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Cirrus\CirrusAudioCS4206x64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Intel\IntelEthernetInstaller64.exe

\BootCamp\Drivers\Marvell

\BootCamp\Drivers\NVidia

\BootCamp\Drivers\RealTek

\BootCamp\Drivers\.DS_Store

\BootCamp\BootCamp.xml

4. Lanuch the \BootCamp\Setup.exe to install drivers, reboot computer.

I don't exactly know which driver caused the issue, but now it works.

You should have an Apple (not Broadcom) SD Card Controller on a 2015 MBP. None of the other listed drivers have any bearding on the SD Card issue. If FCU 1709 fixes device discovery issue(s), it should address the SD card issue.

I have had the same issue on Windows 7 and now with the fresh install I just did on Windows 10 on my late 2013 Mac Book Pro Retina 15" (11,2). Apple please fix this issue with a new SD card driver! Btw I don't have this issue on any other computer (Microsoft Surface, Dell XPS etc.)!

Apple needs to fix two problems that relate to using Boot Camp on the Macbook Air and Pro models - specifically when Boot Camp is implemented in dual boot mode.

1. Correct the problem related to not detecting the presence of the SD Card Slot when waking the computer from SLEEP MODE. How hard could this possibly be!???

2. Create an APFS driver for Windows 7 and 10 so that the Boot Camp Control Panel in Windows will be able to access the MacintoshHD drive partition on High Sierra versions of Mac OS. This update would allow users to operate seamlessly between Windows and Mac OS - as it was designed to do.

The frustrating part of this is that BOTH of these issues appear to be quite simple for Apple to correct. But apparently they resist doing so because it solely benefits users of Windows on their Apple computers. They ought to realize that they are driving Windows users (like me and so many others) away from buying Apple computers. My next computer will likely be a Dell XPS 13 or HP Spectre 2in1 13". VERY similar form factor to the Macbook Air - but at least I won't have to depend on Apple to keep my Windows environment fully functional. And I can opt for a touch screen!

Apple has failed to address issue #1 for over three years - telling users suffering this problem to just reboot their computers to wake up the SD card slot. This essentially makes using the SLEEP mode unsatisfactory for many of us.

It is increasingly obvious to me that Apple believes that this non-support for Windows users on Macbook computers is somehow justified. I could not disagree more!

here the disk utility screenshot.

1. Can you repair the BC drivers - Boot Camp: Install or repair Boot Camp drivers?

2. What version of the drivers do you currently have installed?

Can you try an SMC reset - Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) - Apple Support ?

Do you have a Bug ID?

This is one that i can find - Mac computers: Don't change SD cards while computer sleeps - Apple Support.

I'm having the same issue - reboot is the only way I can bring the SD slot back. I've tried changing the driver from "Apple SD Card" to the native "USB Mass Storage" devive, but no change.