Monday, July 4, 2011

Troubleshoot A Sandisk Memory Card

There are a variety of ways to resolve memory card issues.


Sandisk makes a variety of different memory cards, but each uses the same basic format for storing data. The files stored on your Sandisk card can become corrupted in several different ways, or they may become inaccessible if the card's security lock is turned on. Although there are a wide range of problems that can occur with the card, there are only a few troubleshooting solutions to go through to pinpoint and resolve the issue.


Instructions


1. Check the left side of the Sandisk memory card to see if it has a plastic locking tab. Slide the tab up into the unlock position if it is currently set to the locked position.


2. Insert the Sandisk memory card into your computer's card reader. Select the "Open a folder to view files" option from the autoplay window. Try opening or modifying any of the files on the card.


3. Access your computer's Start menu and navigate to the Control Panel. Click "System and Security" and then "Device Manager." If you are using Windows Vista instead, click "Classic View" in the Control Panel and then choose "Device Manager."


4. Click the "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" option. Locate the entry for your computer's card reader in the list of options. Right-click the entry and select "Uninstall."


5. Click the "Scan for hardware changes" icon at the top of the window to reinstall the card reader. Right-click the entry again and choose "Update Device Driver." Navigate back to the memory card's window and try using any of the files again.


6. Remove the card from your card reader if the problem persists. Open the Start menu and type "regedit" in the Search field. Click the registry editor icon.


7. Open the folder named "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" and then navigate through the subfolders named "SYSTEM," "ControlSet001," "Enum" and "USB." Right-click and delete the entry at the right side of the window named "VID_0781&PID_6100."


8. Back out of the "USB" and "Enum" folders and then open the folders named "Control" and "DeviceClasses." Delete the entry at the right side of the screen that starts with "a5dcbf10-6530."


9. Close the registry editor and restart the computer. Insert the Sandisk memory card back into the card reader. Follow the "Installing new hardware" prompts that appear on the screen to reinstall the Sandisk registry values.


10. Try using the card again. Open the Start menu and choose "Computer" if the problem continues. Right-click the entry for the Sandisk memory card and choose "Format."


11. Click the "File Format" box and choose "FAT32" if the memory card is 4 gigabytes or larger, or choose "FAT" if it is 2 gigabytes or smaller. Click "Start" to format the memory card.

Tags: memory card, card reader, Sandisk memory, Sandisk memory card, Right-click entry, Start menu, your computer