sd card on iMac not working with el capitan

Hi everybody.

I did what Necr0n99 suggest and went to https://bugreport.apple.com/ and filed a bug report about this problem.

I suggest that all the persons on this thread do the same so that Apple can see that this is not an isolated problem, nor it is limited to a single mac model.

Let's hope that they solve this problem in the next update.

I have the same problem. I have run the SMC and the PRAM (NVRAM) reboots. The only way I can read the SD card is to do the PRAM (NVRAM) while the SD card is in the slot. All worked like normal, but if the card is ejected (or removed) the SD card reader longer works and cannot be found. If I do the PRAM (NVRAM) reboot without a card in the slot, then the SD card reader does not work at all.
This is NOT an option for me because I use the SD card slot several times during a work day. P.S. this 2010 iMac has worked flawlessly until El Capitan was installed. No issues with anything up to updating to El Capitan. I have tried several SD cards and it will read a card if I do the PRAM (NVRAM) reboot. So I know it is not a hardware issue. It is a software issue.

What other ideas are there? There must be some kind of workaround.

The only "work-around" *I* can think of is an El Capitan update.

I have 4 motion-sensitive cameras that I monitor every few days, all with SD cards. I have to view them on my TV. Yeah, that's a LOT of fun. And then I have to clean them in-camera. More fun.

Come on, Apple. Please?

Oh, and I just noticed that in the first post of this thread the problem has been marked "Solved". I sincerely hope that Apple doesn't think so!

Dave

it does feel like this is only a workaround solution that needs addressed in an update. got mine to work by doing the NVRAM reset but have only tested it once atm.

i also noted in the "about this mac">'system report'>"hardware'>"card reader" that it says

"This computer doesn't contain any Apple Internal Memory Card Readers."

i dont know how important that is but seems relevant?

i always like to wait a bit before doing an upgrade so i dont have to deal with issues such as this.

Update: I eagerly installed the update yesterday to 10.11.2. First thing I did was insert an SD card and view it. While I was scrolling through the photos on it using Preview, I get the all-too-familiar Disk not ejected properly and the SD card no longer is accessible. Same old, same old....

Then I tried something new: I powered down and unplugged EVERYTHING. Discs, scanners, printers, 2nd monitor, external hard drives. Everything but the keyboard. I use a USB keyboard. Then I did the PRAM reset procedure. System came up as usual. Plugged everything back in and now it's been 12 hours and I can still read the SD card. I hope this isn't premature, but I've never been able to read the SD card for this long since the El Capitan update.

We'll see what happens tonight.....

Dave

Update: This morning I put the SD card in the reader and left it there all day. Just a bit ago I copied 137 photos to it, unmounted it, removed it and re-inserted it. Used Preview to look at the contents (as I usually do), then reformatted it, unmounted it, removed it and re-inserted it. After 24 hours it is still functioning like normal.

I hope I don't jinx it by saying so, but the problem seems to have been resolved.

Addendum: I forgot to say in my previous post that when I reset PRAM, I had heavy fingers and help down Option, Command, P & R a little too long and heard the startup sound three times instead of two, like the instructions say.

Obviously, your mileage may vary. Good luck.

Dave

Well, I spoke too soon. It worked for a few days and then quit. I then clicked on the Apple logo in the upper left corner -> About This Mac -> System Report -> Card Reader and it says "This computer doesn't contain any Apple Internal Memory Card Readers." I have never known an Apple product to lie before....

I just got a new iPad Air on Saturday. Looks like I'll be buying the SD card adapter for it and wait (for **** to freeze over) until Apple fixes this problem.

And it IS their problem whether or not they want to admit it.

Dave

Another person chiming in with the same issue. Late 2009 iMac 21.5", updated to El Capitan and now I'm seeing the same as above - "This computer doesn't contain any Apple Internal Memory Card Readers." Reset PRAM, no luck.

There's a reason I hadn't updated this computer since 10.6 - have yet to see an Apple product software update that *didn't* completely break something.

Been following these posts the last few months about iMacs not recognizing photo cards since "updating" to El Capitan, hoping to learn about a resolution to this problem that I too have been experiencing (I also have a late 2009 iMac). When I checked again today to see if Apple has resolved this problem (NOT!), I noticed that there have been 5,988 views about this problem, so obviously this is a consistent and prevalent problem that needs to be addressed. Hey Apple, WAKE UP!

I just today ordered from Amazon an SD card reader that SHOULD work with my iPad Air.

If I thought I could get away with it, I'd send the bill to Apple. 😁

Dave

After 4 hours on Apple Chat with several very understanding senior technicians, they came up with a plan for me to try. They wanted me to do a full, new, Time Machine backup and then shut down the iMac and do a COMMAND+R reboot and reinstall of El Capitan. Below you can follow what I did and the results. There is definitely some serious issues with El Capitan. The good news is that has been submitted to engineering at Apple and the have been made aware of this discussion. The bad news is that while mine did work better (found a way to not have to shut down the iMac to read an SD card), it still does not work correctly.

Status update:

I will try to do the best I can to explain what is going on after the COMMAND+R reinstall of El Capitan.

1. Did a full Time Machine backup

2. Shutdown PC, but did not unplug it from the wall

3. Put an SD card in the slot

4. Performed COMMAND+R reinstall of El Capitan

5. Waited for the process to complete

6. SD card was recognized on the desktop and functioned correctly

7. Ejected SD card using the software

8. Reinserted that SD card and it was NOT recognized.

9. I tried several more SD cards and none was able to be recognized

10. Did a RESTART

11. The SD card was recognized and worked (this did not require the PRAM reboot)

Now this is where it gets weird

12. REMOVED the SD card (not eject)

13. The warning tab did NOT pop up for improper ejection

14. INSERTED another SD card

15. Double clicked on the original SD card icon

16. Disc not ejected properly pops up

17. CLOSE the warning tab

18. Icon for the new SD card is NOW on the desktop

19. The new PHOTOS program takes over and starts loading photos for import without asking

20. Use the COMMAND+W to close PHOTOS program

21. SD card is ready to use

As long as I keep a card in the slot and do NOT eject it, I can change SD cards by just taking it out and inserting another SD card

But I always have to deal with the Disc not ejected properly process. So, for now, I keep a 256k SD card in the slot as a placeholder.

At least for now, I can function. But this software in El Capitan is not functioning correctly.

After updating my iMac on version 10.11.2 the bug still continues. Please apple wake up, I am starting to get angry about this. I am very much disappointed about you not solving this issue. Fix it!!

At my IMAC the SD card reader is simply lost during operation while importing photos, so this unfortunately does not help me.

Same Problem here. iMac Late 2009 (21,5") with El Cap Beta (10.11 Beta (15A278b))

Filed a bug with number 24021830 for this.

Hope this gets Apple's attention.

Same issue, late 2009 27" iMac. Apple still not respond to this thread - what's going on? Is this an Apple ploy to get us to buy new computers?? I've noticed no-one with a new mac complaining.