Pavilion dv6 sd card reader not working

[rv9a]

I have searched the boards and have not found an answer to my built in SD card reader not working any more.  It worked fine until a couple weeks ago. When I go to "my computer",  the sd card does not show up as an available drive. I have tried several cards with no luck. The cards work fine when I use a USB card reader, just not the built in one.

I checked the driver in device manager - at least the one I believe is the correct one - Realtec PCIE Card Reader.

Any other ideas? It is a pain having to carry around an extra card reader. Thanks for the help

rv9a

[AttackofZaq]

Hello rv9a.  I understand you're having some trouble with your built in card reader.

The fact that it is detected within Device Manager is a good sign.  Normally when you experience a hardware failure the device disappears from Device Manager.  Have you tried uninstalling the driver and allowing Windows to reinstall it?  Try the following.

1. Click Start, type "Device Manager," and press Enter.
2. Expand the section containing your card reader.
3. Right click on the device and select "Uninstall."  If prompted remove the driver only.
4. After the uninstallation completes reboot your notebook.
5. Allow Windows to reinstall the driver software.
6. Verify that the problem is resolved and post the result.

If this doesn't work I'd like to locate the specific device driver.  To do this I'll need your product number.  This document can show you where it is located.

If you find this helpful or want to say thanks make sure to click the white star under my name to give Kudos; I really appreciate it!

Have an excellent weekend!

[rv9a]

I uninstalled the driver, re-booted, and the SD card reader is not working. The model # is A6X94UA#ABA.

The driver is Realtek PCIE Card Reader  -  Realtek Semiconductor Corp.  -  6.1.7601.83

Any other ideas? Thanks for the help. 

[AttackofZaq]

Good morning rv9a.  

Prior to the uninstall did the computer make a noise to indicate it recognized the card when you put it in?

You should go ahead and reinstall the specific driver for the card reader just to make sure that doesn't have an effect on the issue.  Here is the link for Windows 7 and here is the link for Windows 8.

Another possibility is the the Plug and Play service is deactivated.  Try the following to check.

1. Press the Windows+R keyboard shortcut.  
2. Type "services.msc" into the box and click okay.
3. Scroll down until you find "Plug and Play" in the list.
4. Ensure that it is started.  If it is not right-click on the service and select Start or Enable.

I'll keep an eye out for your response; have a great day!

[rv9a]

When I put the sd card in, I do not hear any noise. It clicks in, but other than that, nothing. I downloaded the deiver you linked and re-installed, but still no luck. When I go to "Computer", the drive does not show up. The C:, HP Tools, and Recovery are there along with the DVD drive. My other USB ports work fine and the autoplay was already started.

It must be a hardware failure. Unless you have any other ideas, it looks like I will have to carry a card reader with me.

Thanks for the help. 

[AttackofZaq · Accepted solution]

Good morning rv9a.  

Do you have an idea around which day this began a few weeks ago?  It is possible that you could restore your computer back to a time before this moment.  This will help verify that the issue is hardware related.  If you perform the restore and the issue persists it is likely that the hardware is experiencing issues.  A final step to confirm, if you wanted to do so, would be to perform an HP System Recovery to take the notebook back to factory conditions.  If the issue persists after the recovery then you can say it is a hardware issue with 99% certainty.  Just know that you will lose any data you do not back up PRIOR to the Recovery.  If you perform a System Restore it should not delete your user files (just make sure to back up anything on your Desktop).  

How to perform a Microsoft System Restore in Windows 8.

How to perform a Microsoft System Restore in Windows 7.

How to perform an HP System Recovery.

I also took a look at your notebook's HP Part Surfer page.  This site lists the available parts for the notebook and gives you a good idea what you'd be able to replace yourself.  I do not see the card reader listed here.  This means that it would likely require a motherboard replacement to resolve the issue.  I doubt this is worth the trouble for you, but if you choose to you can purchase the part on that site.

However, if this notebook is in warranty (check here) I am going to urge you to contact HP Support and inquire about a repair on the computer.  The number for US/Canadian customers is 1-800-474-6836.  If you're in another part of the world you'll need to visit HP Support Worldwide to get your region's contact information.  

If you find this information helpful or just want to say thanks you can click the white star under my name.  This gives me Kudos and I really appreciate it!

I will watch for the results of these steps; if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.  I hope you have an amazing day!  

[rv9a]

Thanks. The info you have given me has been a huge help. I don't remember when it stopped working, but probably too long ago to do a restore to that date action. I may do a backup and then do a restore to factory defaults just to get rid of all the - excuse the word - crap that builds up on a computer!

I can't remember if my computer is covered for repairs now, but I couldn't be without it for even a day. I will check and if it is, I may purchase a new one, get this one repaired and use it as a backup.

Thanks again and thanks for the info about leaving kudos. There is no star to click under your name, but I will keep looking to make sure you get credit for the help. Have a good afternoon.

[carpecibus]

i have an hp pavilion g4 and my SD card reader hasn't worked from the very beginning, but since i only had an old SD card, i thought it was because the card was so old.  

i have recently gotten a new card and realized that my computer doesn't recognize this, either.

when i read your instructions today, i tried what you suggested and found that my computer doesn't seem to realize it can read SD cards.  the device doesn't seem to even be there for me to uninstall and reinstall.  

i have a lot of information on my computer and would really like to avoid returning it to factory settings, but am beginning to wonder if that would be good, because i also have a problem with my touchpad, where every time i restart my computer, it stops scrolling and i have to fix it manually every time i restart it.

anyway, if there's anything you could help me with for either of my computer glitches, please let me know and thank you in advance.  

regards

[RedRose0528]

Hello @Carpecibus,

I understand your card reader is not working, is that correct? I will try to assist you.

Sometimes when you have more than one problem it might be better to start from scratch. That at least rules out software issues that might be causing the problems. The biggest concern is your important files and data, you may want to back that up first.

Please respond back at your earliest convenience.

Thanks

[carpecibus]

hello RedRose0528,

that is correct, my SD card reader hasn't been working since i got the computer, but because my SD card was old, i thought that was the problem.  considering my computer has never-including when i brought it home with factory settings on it- recognized that it, in fact, has an SD card reader, i'm wondering how useful wiping the computer will be.  

i understand that starting from the bottom up is probably a good idea, but since it didn't seem to have a factory setting telling it to read SD cards, i find it hard to believe that will solve it.

when an SD card is inserted into the reader, it doesn't even make a sound to recognize that anything has changed.

i'm sorry if i'm being difficult, but i'd just like to have options.

thank you for your response