SD Card reading issue

[isadal]

Hi, I have an SD Card that all of a sudden stopped reading. I've updated my drivers and everything, I've rebooted and done everything they've said online, and it still won't work. It can't even find anything in Device Manager, it's like it just stopped existing. I know the SD Card isn't the problem because it works when I put it into another laptop, but won't work in mine. Does anyone know how to help or should I just go get it fixed at a service center

[NonSequitur777]

@isadal,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

If the hardware has completely vanished from Device Manager, the motherboard has likely cut off power to the SD card reader slot due to a corrupted ACPI state or a BIOS-level restriction.

Because the SD card works flawlessly in other computers, you have already successfully ruled out data corruption or a faulty flash memory card.

Before you spend money at a repair shop, perform these deeper physical and system resets to force the motherboard to re-detect the hardware.

1. Perform an EC Reset (Hard Power Drain):

Laptops can get stuck in a state where a hardware port is left powered off. A hard reset forces the embedded controller (EC) on the motherboard to re-initialize all integrated ports.

• Shut down the laptop completely.
• Unplug the power adapter and all external devices (USB drives, mouse, etc.).
• Press and hold the Power Button down for a full 40 seconds.
• Plug the power cord back into the laptop, turn it on, and check Device Manager.

2. Force Windows to Show Non-Present Devices:

Windows hidden device viewing can sometimes hide deep driver system crashes. You can force the operating system to show hidden ghost devices.

• Press the Windows Key + X and select Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
• Type the following command and hit Enter: set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
• Type: start devmgmt.msc and hit Enter to open Device Manager.
• In the top menu bar, click View > Show hidden devices.
• Look for a category named Memory technology devices, SD host adapters, or Other devices.
• If you see any grayed-out or warning-triangle entries like Realtek PCIE CardReader, right-click and choose Uninstall device, then restart the computer.

3. Check for a Disabled Slot in the BIOS:

Motherboard firmwares can randomly disable integrated components during a bad Windows update sequence.

• Restart the laptop. The moment the screen goes black, tap-tap-tap the F10 key repeatedly until the BIOS setup utility opens.
• Navigate to the Advanced, System Configuration, or Built-in Device Options tab.
• Look for Internal SD Card Reader, Media Card Slot, or Card Reader Controller.
• Ensure the setting is toggled to Enabled. If it is already enabled, toggle it Disabled, save and exit, then reboot back into BIOS to toggle it Enabled again to refresh the motherboard's hardware tables.

If the card reader still refuses to show up under hidden devices or BIOS settings, let me know:

• What is the exact model name or product number of the HP laptop?
• Did this problem start immediately after a specific Windows 11 update or a power surge?

Knowing this will allow me to check if your specific model uses a replaceable secondary USB/SD board or if you should use a cheap USB-to-SD external adapter to bypass the broken port entirely without paying for an expensive motherboard repair.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777