card reader not recognized

[newmanor]

I have an HP Envy notebook with internal SD card reader. The SD card reader is not showing up on Device Manager. Have tried all the various suggestions from on line. Nothing works.

[Elohi_NR]

Hi @newmanor,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

I’m sorry to hear about the issue with your SD card reader—it’s always frustrating when a component you rely on doesn’t function as expected. Let’s try to pinpoint the cause and get it working again.

• Have you recently updated or reinstalled Windows, or made any major system changes before the SD card reader stopped working?
• Have you tested multiple SD cards to rule out an issue with the card itself?
• Do you see any "Unknown Device" or error icons in Device Manager that might indicate a hidden or malfunctioning driver?

Let's try these steps. 

Check for Hidden Devices in Device Manager

• Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
• Click View in the top menu and select Show Hidden Devices.
• Look under Disk Drives or Universal Serial Bus controllers for any hidden or grayed-out devices.
• If you find one for the SD card reader, right-click and select Enable or Uninstall, then restart your computer.

Install or Update Drivers

• Visit the HP support website and download the latest chipset and card reader drivers for your model.
• If the SD card reader is not listed on HP’s website, try using Windows Update:
  • Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and click Check for updates.
• Alternatively, check for generic SD card reader drivers using a third-party tool like Driver Booster or Snappy Driver Installer.

Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator (Windows + X > Command Prompt (Admin)).
• Type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic and press Enter to launch the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.
• Follow the prompts to detect and resolve any hardware issues.

Check the BIOS/UEFI Settings

• Restart your computer and press F10 (or your laptop’s specific key) to access the BIOS/UEFI menu.
• Look for an option related to the SD card reader (it may be under Advanced > Device Configuration).
• Ensure the SD card reader is enabled.

Test the Hardware

• Insert the SD card and gently wiggle it to ensure a secure connection, as dust or debris might block contact.
• If the issue persists and the SD card reader still doesn’t show up in Device Manager, the reader may have a hardware fault. In that case, consider using an external USB card reader as a workaround or contact HP support for a repair.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[newmanor]

Thank you for your response. To answer your questions,

Yes I recently upgraded to Windows 11, but the card reader did not show up in pervious Windows 10. I was hoping that the upgrade would get the card reader to show up again. It did work at one time

 I have tested multiple SD cards that work on an other computer

There is no Unknown Device in the Device Manager. I have gone through every entry on Device Manager, including hidden devices, but found no indication of an SD card reader, have used the HP Support assistant,  updated all the drivers and used the troubleshooter. Nothing found

Unable to get into Advanced settings in the BIOS/UEFI. I'm told that HP locked out users.

Have used external card reader with no problem

I'll try to find a third party driver to see if that helps. I have downloaded two Realtec card reader drivers but that did not help.

Again, thanks for your help, I'll keep trying

[Elohi_NR]

Hi @newmanor ,

We apologize for the inconvenience. The issue seems to persist even after attempting the troubleshooting steps mentioned above.

This might require one-on-one interaction via remote assistance to fix the issue over the phone. 

I've sent you a private message with further instructions. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name or simply click on this link.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!