How to Fix 3DS Not Reading SD Card in 6 Ways

As a gamer, you may have encountered an issue where your 3DS is unable to detect or read the SD card, preventing you from launching your games, as shown in the example below:

"When I turn on my 3DS XL, it says, 'SD Card Not Detected. Software on the SD card cannot be displayed.' Any solutions?"

6 Ways to Fix 3DS Not Detecting SD Card

You can try six practical solutions to fix the “3DS can't detect SD card” issue:

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Fix 1: Change the 3DS SD Card Reader to Make it Detectable

If your device is unable to read or detect your 3DS SD card, you may need to replace your SD card reader. Follow the steps below to replace the 3DS SD card reader. (The following example will be for a 2015 Nintendo 3DS SD card reader.)

First, remove the two 3mm Phillips #0 screws from the top edge of the device.

Step 2: Turn on the device.

Remove the front cover: Pull the label on top of the front cover outward and toward you. Lift the front cover and remove it from the slot at the bottom of the device. Set the back cover aside.

Step 3: Remove the battery

Insert a plastic opening tool into the gap, and pry up the battery.

< strong > Step 4. Gently pull the SD card reader out from the two notches on the edge, releasing the lock on the top of the SD card reader.

Step 5: Remove the 3DS's SD card reader.

Gently lift the SD card reader out of its socket, and then use a spudger to pry the SD card ribbon cable up from its socket on the motherboard.

Finally, try removing the SD card reader from the lower shell. Try connecting your 3DS SD card to the device again to see if it works properly.

Will this fix resolve your error? Please share this fix on social media to help others facing the same issue.

If another SD card reader also fails to read the card, your 3DS might need to be repaired. If the card is okay, you can fix it by following the methods below.

Solution 2: Update the 3DS SD Card Driver to Fix Detection Issues

When you connect your 3DS's SD card to your computer, you might get an “SD Card not accessible” error. To fix this issue, you need to update the SD card driver. Follow the steps below to resolve the problem in detail.

Step 1: Insert your memory card into the reader and connect it to your computer.

Step 2: Open 'My Computer' and choose 'Properties'.

Step 3: Click on “Device Manager” in the left-hand pane, then click the “+” sign next to “Universal Serial Bus controllers.” You should see a yellow exclamation point.

Step 4: Right-click on it, and select “Update driver software.”

Step 5: Click on "Search for driver software online automatically" ...

Wait for the process to complete, then re-connect your SD card to your computer and see if it can be recognized.

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Solution 3: Run CHKDSK to Check and Fix SD Card Errors

If your SD card is having issues, you can run CHKDSK to check and repair the 3DS SD card. This may allow it to be detected.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + X button to open the Power User menu.

Step 2. In the Advanced User menu, select Command Prompt (Admin).

Step 3. When the User Account Control (UAC) prompt asks for permission to run Command Prompt as an administrator, click Yes.

Step 4. In the new Command Prompt window, type chkdsk E: /f /r /x. Replace E with the letter assigned to your microSD card.

Fix 4: Run CHKDSK as an alternative to check and fix SD card errors

Please download the CleanGenius utility and install it on your computer. Now, let's proceed to scan and fix file system errors on your device.

Step 1: Click "File Display" to proceed.

Step 2: Select the target device and check the box for "Check and repair file system errors." Click "Run" to begin repairing the problem device.

Step 3: After the repair is finished, click “Here” to turn on and use your device.

Fix 5: Format 3DS SD Card to FAT32

Another fix for an undetected SD card is to format the 3DS card. Since you can't access the card, you can't transfer your games to another drive. What you can do is reformat the SD card.

You can use the free SD card formatter tool – Partition Master. It allows you to format HDD, SSD, USB, memory card, SD card, or delete partitions for reuse. It also has many other highlights:

• Resize or move partitions
• Combine partitions
• Clone partition
• SSD 4K alignment, and more

How to format an SD card:

Step 1: Right-click on the partition of the SD card that you wish to format and select “Format…”

Step 2: Specify a new label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and cluster size for the selected partition, and click "OK".

Step 3: Click “Yes” in the dialog box to continue.

4. Click "Run 1 Task" in the toolbar, then click "Apply" to begin formatting your SD card.

Solution 6: Replace your old 3DS SD card with a new one

For users who are still having issues, it is recommended to replace the SD card if the 3DS is unable to detect it after formatting.

Step 1: Purchase a new 3DS SD card.

Step 2. Connect your old SD card to your computer.

On the SD card, you should see a folder called “Nintendo 3DS.” Copy and paste this entire folder to your desktop.

Step 3: Copy the data to your new SD card.

Step 4: Insert the new SD card with all of the data into your 3DS.

Power it up, and everything should work as if nothing had ever happened.

Additional tips to fix the issue of undetected SD card (Error code: 007-2073)

Step 1. With the system powered off, remove the SD card and verify compatibility.

If you have a New Nintendo 3DS XL, you'll need a #0 crosshead screwdriver to remove the battery cover. You'll need to remove the battery cover to access the micro SD card.

Step 3. Make sure your SD card is not locked.

Step 4. The microSD card does not have a lock switch.

Step 5: Insert the SD card and power on the system.

• If the error message mentions that the **SD Card** may be full, try deleting any unused data. • If the issue only occurs with a specific downloadable game or application, use the Nintendo 3DS Download Repair Tool to check for and repair errors with the game or software, if necessary. • You can choose to run the repair tool even if no errors are found.

Step 6: Restart the game or app to see if the issue is still there.

Conclusions

The above six solutions can easily and quickly fix the 3DS not reading SD card issue. By following these solutions, you can access your 3DS SD card. By the way, there are two ways to prevent the 3DS from failing to detect the SD card:

• Do not remove or insert the SD card while the system is on. • Do not remove the micro SD card or micro SD card adapter while it is still plugged into the system.

3DS Unable to Detect SD Card: Troubleshooting Guide

If you're still having issues, you can look at this list of common 3DS problems to help fix your issue.

What happens if you put a 3DS game in a DS?

The DS and 3DS use different processors for logic and graphics, which means that 3DS game carts have to be "recompiled" into DS code. Great question, but, simply put, it's not possible. The code on the game cart is unreadable by the DS.

Why does my 3DS keep saying my SD card has been removed?

It could be that your SD card is the issue. Backup your data and try a different SD card. If the message still comes up, then there might be an issue with your 3DS console, and you should get it repaired.

What kind of SD Card does the 3DS use?

The Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL (known as the Nintendo 3DS XL in some regions), and Nintendo 2DS systems are compatible with SD cards up to 2 GB in size, and SDHC cards from 4 GB to 32 GB. Other types of SD cards aren't considered compatible. When used with an SD card adapter, miniSD and microSD cards are also compatible.

How do I transfer my SD card to 3DS?

For transferring data between an SD card and a microSD card:

Step 1: Eject the SD card from your system.

Step 2. Insert the SD card with your Nintendo 3DS data into the SD card slot or reader.

Step 3. Open File Explorer on a PC or Finder on a Mac, and then navigate to the SD card.

Step 4: Highlight the folders, and drag them to your desktop. If you're moving your entire system, drag all of the folders in the order they appear. Do not click into the folders and drag out their contents – move the whole folder.

Step 5. Eject the first SD card, and insert the second one into the slot or reader. Again, use Explorer or Finder to access the SD card.

Step 6: Drag the data from your desktop to the new SD card.

If you recently performed a system transfer and selected to delete the data on the destination system's SD card, choose to Copy and replace duplicate folders or files.