Mac not reading SD card? 7 effortless data recovery solutions!

A Mac might not read an SD card due to a faulty or incompatible card, a loose connection, outdated reader drivers, a corrupted file system on the SD card, or issues with your Mac's hardware or software.

An SD card is one of the most popular portable storage devices used in cameras and dashcams to store crucial photos and videos. However, due to its small size and lightweight, it's prone to damage, leading to data loss. This article will introduce you to 7 proven methods to fix the "SD card not readable on Mac" error.

To protect your precious memories from damaged SD cards, we've provided 7 effective solutions to the problem of Mac not reading SD card, along with a professional way to recover data from corrupted SD card – something you should consider doing sooner rather than later.

How to recover data from an SD card that won't read on Mac?

When your Mac fails to detect an SD card, the first concern is usually how to avoid losing the files stored on it. In this case, a reliable SD card recovery tool comes in handy. We recommend using Tool: Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, which can recover files from a damaged SD card that your Mac can't read, including photos, videos, documents, and more.

It uses deep scanning to find all recoverable data from the problematic SD card. This utility can help retrieve your files even if the SD card has turned RAW or been erased. Download the SD Card Recovery software for Mac and follow the steps below to restore your SD card data:

Step 1: Choose the SD card

Connect the memory card to your Mac correctly. Launch the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool. Proceed to “SD Card Recovery,” find your Canon/Nikon/GoPro/DJI/Sony SD card, and click “Search for lost files.”

Note: Before data recovery, it is better to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup of your SD card to prevent further data loss. After backing up the SD card, the software can restore data from the SD card backup, and you can then remove the SD card and use it again.

Step 2: Filter the lost SD card data

When the scan is finished, all files will be displayed in the left pane of the scan results. Find the photos, videos, and other files you want.

Step 3: Preview and recover the data

Preview the SD card data and select the files you want, then click the “Recover” button. To prevent overwriting of data, do not save the recoverable files to the SD card itself.

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After saving the recovered SD card data to the hard drive, you can try out these 7 fixes to resolve the SD card not readable issue:

• Solution 1: Check for Physical Damage on the SD Card
• Solution 2: Review Finder Desktop and Sidebar Settings
• Solution 3: Check if the SD Card is Locked
• Solution 4: Restart Your Mac to Fix System Issues
• Solution 5: Manually Mount the SD Card in Disk Utility
• Solution 6: Use First Aid to Check for Errors on the SD Card
• Solution 7: Format the SD Card without Data Loss using Disk Utility

Note that these methods vary in difficulty and time consumption. It's recommended to back up important data with a tool before attempting to fix the SD card to avoid permanent data loss.

Fix 1: Check for Physical Damage on the SD Card

You can tell if it's physically damaged by checking the SD card, especially the port where you insert it. If you have more than one computer or SD card, you can determine whether the problem is with the SD card itself or with your Mac. For instance, if your SD card is not readable on Mac, but it works on a Windows PC or another Mac, or if your Mac can read another SD card, that might mean the SD card is damaged.

Fix 2: Check Finder Desktop and Sidebar Settings

A common configuration issue can cause a user to believe that an SD card isn't being read when inserted into a Mac. Follow these steps to confirm if this is the case for you:

Step 1: Open Finder and click on “System Preferences” > “General.”

Step 2: Check the “External drive” option.

Fix 3: Check if the SD card is locked

Some SD cards have a physical lock switch on the side that prevents a Mac from reading its contents. If your SD card has this switch, and it's in the “locked” position, slide it to the “unlocked” position.

These three methods should resolve most common SD card read issues, but if you've tried them and your SD card or Mac still seems to be having deeper problems, download a utility to perform a more in-depth scan of your SD card for important data that might be salvageable.

Fix 4: Restart your Mac to fix system issues

A restart can fix temporary system issues or crashes that might keep your Mac from reading an SD card. Click the Apple icon in the top menu bar, then click Restart to reboot your Mac. Try connecting the SD card again to see if it reads now.

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Fix 5: Mount the SD Card Manually in Disk Utility

When you come across mount errors like "com.apple.DiskManagement.disenter error", your SD card becomes unreadable on Mac. Here's how to mount the SD card using Disk Utility:

Step 1: Open "Disk Utility" and click on the sidebar option to "Show All Devices."

Click “Show all devices.”

Step 2: In the left sidebar, select your SD card and then click “Mount” from the top menu.

If the "Mount" button is grayed out and you can't manually mount the disk on your Mac, refer to this guide and find the solution:

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Fix 6: Use First Aid to check for errors on the SD card

The built-in First Aid feature in macOS can help you safely check for disk errors. To check for errors on an SD card that your Mac isn't able to read, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Disk Utility and select your SD card.

Step 2. Click the “First Aid” button from the top menu, and then click “Run” to confirm that you want to proceed with the repair process.

When it's done, it will display a message like “First Aid found corruption that needs to be repaired.” Click the “Repair” option.

Solution 7: Format SD Card with Disk Utility without Losing Data

The last resort to fix an unreadable SD card is to format it, which can resolve issues caused by incompatible file systems. Before formatting the SD card, bear in mind that this process will erase all data on the card. Therefore, back up any important data beforehand if the card contains it.

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Backup Your Mac and Never Lose Data

Back up and restore your MacBook/iMac without using Time Machine, iCloud, or an external hard drive.

Then, format the unreadable SD card by following the steps below:

Step one: Open Disk Utility, select your SD card, and click the “Erase” button.

Step 2: Choose a macOS-compatible file system for your formatted SD card, give it a name, and click the “Erase” button.

Click “Erase”

Conclusions

In this article, we will introduce 7 solutions to fix the problem of an unreadable SD card on a Mac after insertion, including checking for physical damage, examining Finder settings, unlocking the SD card, restarting the Mac, manually mounting the SD card, using the "First Aid" feature, and formatting the SD card.

To avoid losing data on the SD card, it's recommended to recover data from the SD card first with a professional and reliable SD card recovery tool – Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

"People also ask"

Here are some frequently asked questions related to "How to fix a Mac that can't read an SD card": 1. Why isn't my Mac recognizing the SD card? 2. How do I fix a corrupted SD card on my Mac? 3. What should I do if my SD card shows as "unreadable" on my Mac? 4. How do I format an SD card to work on my Mac? 5. Are there software tools to fix an SD card that my Mac can't read? 6. Do I need to check the SD card's permission settings for it to work properly on my Mac? 7. What troubleshooting steps should I take when encountering SD card reading errors on my Mac? 8. How can I recover lost data from an SD card on my Mac? 9. Are there any differences in solving SD card reading issues across different versions of macOS? 10. What should I do if the SD card is physically damaged?

1. What should I do if first aid doesn't fix my SD card?

When the First Aid process fails, you can try the following repair methods:

1. Solution 1: Restart your Mac and run the "First Aid" feature in Disk Utility again
2. Solution 2: Verify SD card compatibility with macOS
3. Solution 3: Run the FSCK command on your Mac
4. Solution 4: Mount the SD card using Terminal on your Mac

< strong > 2. Why Can't My Mac Read the Video Files on My SD Card?

1. ⚠️Video files on the SD card are hidden.
2. ?Some sectors on the SD card are locked.
3. ?️Video data on the SD card is lost or deleted.
4. ❌The SD card is damaged.