Q: SD card reader not working with El Cap.
The iMac do not recognise the SD card when inserted. Nothing in Finder. If I leave the card in the slot and restart the iMac, it is recognised. This all started after upgrade to El Capitan. Anyone?
iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)
Posted on Aug 13, 2016 6:38 AM
Community Specialists
Hello leiffromtonsberg,
Thanks for seeking help in the Apple Support Communities. Seems like you are experiencing issues reading an SD card with your iMac. Here are the things I would check.
The first thing you want to ensure is that the data on your Mac is safe. You will need to use Time Machine to make a backup to an external hard drive. The recommendation is to use an external hard drive two times the size of your internal hard drive. Use this article for help making a backup: Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac.
Then, you need to determine what you want to open or to show when you input the SD card in. If you are looking for Photos to open when you insert the SD card, when you input the SD card, open Photos. In the import tab, there is a check box to "Open Photos for this device". Make sure that is checked. If it is checked, uncheck it, and re-check it. That is necessary sometimes to get those settings reset.
If you are only looking only to have a picture pop up on the desktop, please open Finder, then click the word Finder up on the menu bar next to the Apple. Click Preferences. Ensure you are checking the General tab, and that the box for External disks is checked. If it is checked, uncheck it, and re-check it. Close the Finder Preferences.
If you still are not able to find the SD card on the desktop or in Photos, you will want to check if it shows in Disk Utility. You can check that by opening Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Make sure that the SD card is showing properly in Disk Utility without restarting the Mac.
If you still have issue, with the card insert and being read by the Mac, check for more updates. There may be a new driver or firmware update necessary to get this working properly with the new operating system. Use the App Store, Updates, or contact the manufacturer of the SD card to see if they can provide any update information.
Thanks again and have a great rest of your day.
Posted on Aug 13, 2016 8:18 PM