Card Reader Drivers

Card readers are devices on home computers that read various types of portable media and transmit the data on that media to the computer’s hard disk drive. There are many types of memory cards designed to work in card readers. These include media such as SD cards, Sony Memory stick, MMC cards, Smart Media (SMC), and Intelligent Sticks (I-Stick). These cards are used in many digital devices such as digital video cameras, still cameras, cellular telephones, and music devices, among other things.

The driver is a piece of software that actually communicates with the hardware and translates the hardware’s language into a language the operating system, such as Microsoft Windows or Mac OSX, can understand. Without these drivers, the operating system and hardware could not communicate. It is because of this that in order to have properly working hardware, the right drivers must first be installed.

Common problems involved in improperly working card readers can be caused from incorrectly installed or missing drivers, drivers that are corrupt or badly designed, or drivers not designed to function with the hardware on a computer. This can lead to a number of problems including operating system malfunction, including freezing, crashing, or loss of data. It will also cause your card reader to function improperly or not function at all.

TROUBLESHOOTING CARD READER DRIVERS

1. If using a USB or Firewire card reader, ensure that both sides of the cable are plugged in firmly. One end in your computer, and the other in your card reader.
2. Ensure that the media card is properly inserted into the card reader firmly to ensure a quality connection.
3. If the media is properly inserted, remove and replace the card a few times in order to ensure the metal contacts on the card are making a solid connection with the metal contacts inside of the card reader.
4. Ensure that the proper drivers are installed on your computer. To do this in Windows 7, click your start button, navigate to Control Panel, click “System & Security”, click “Device Manager”, and search for anything with a yellow exclamation mark beside it. This would indicate a piece of hardware that is not working properly.
5. Ensure that the name of the hardware matches the name of your card reader. If it does not, this could indicate improper drivers installed.
6. Right click on the name of the hardware and click “Update Driver Software”. This will allow you to connect to Windows Update and Windows will automatically search for the appropriate drivers for your Card Reader.
7. If Windows Update cannot locate the proper driver for your hardware, contact your hardware’s manufacturer in order to obtain further instructions pertaining to your particular situation.