Secure Digital I/O slot help requested

[Icey]

OK, Icey the thicko strikes again!

I have got a 'secure digital I/O slot' on my lovely shiny new laptop and I can't get the blasted thing to read or do anything for that matter when I put my memory card into it

I've checked with the lovely IT boys in my office and the memory card did its little 'ding-dong something new has been plugged in' thing on their laptops but it won't do it on mine. They attempted to show me how to see if I have cleverly managed to disable it but I can't remember how to do it now and I'm too embarrassed to go back and show them what a nitwit I really am

Please help! There are pictures from the BFG on there!

Thank you

It does of course help if I put this on the right thread

[frodo]

Originally Posted by Icey

OK, Icey the thicko strikes again!

I have got a 'secure digital I/O slot' on my lovely shiny new laptop and I can't get the blasted thing to read or do anything for that matter when I put my memory card into it

I've checked with the lovely IT boys in my office and the memory card did its little 'ding-dong something new has been plugged in' thing on their laptops but it won't do it on mine. They attempted to show me how to see if I have cleverly managed to disable it but I can't remember how to do it now and I'm too embarrassed to go back and show them what a nitwit I really am

Please help! There are pictures from the BFG on there!

Thank you

It does of course help if I put this on the right thread

Just wondering if you're sure of the type of card you put in it - is it an SD card or an MMC card.

The reason I mention this is that an MMC card will fit but do nothing. Every other card reader I've come across that supports SD cards also supports MMC cards, so an MMC card would likely work in other peoples machines.

I assume you've tried it both ways up


To check if it's disabled got to the "Run" option on the start menu.

Type "%systemroot%\system32\devmgmt.msc"

Towards the bottom there should be an entry "Secure digital host controllers".
If you expand that entry there should be a sub entry "SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller".

If it is disabled it should have a red cross against it. If so you can right click and select "Enable".

[Icey]

Originally Posted by frodo

Just wondering if you're sure of the type of card you put in it - is it an SD card or an MMC card.

The reason I mention this is that an MMC card will fit but do nothing. Every other card reader I've come across that supports SD cards also supports MMC cards, so an MMC card would likely work in other peoples machines.

I assume you've tried it both ways up


To check if it's disabled got to the "Run" option on the start menu.

Type "%systemroot%\system32\devmgmt.msc"

Towards the bottom there should be an entry "Secure digital host controllers".
If you expand that entry there should be a sub entry "SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller".

If it is disabled it should have a red cross against it. If so you can right click and select "Enable".

Whats the difference between a MMC and a SD card? The card is a 32mb one that I got free with my mobile (camera) phone and it also works fine in the the digital camera I had over the weekend. Am confused.

I will try the %systems% thing when I get home tonight.

Thank you
(A computer illiterate icicle)

[David Bailey]

The obvious point that occurred to me is that if it works on everyone else's and doesn't on yours, there could be a hardware fault with your machine.

Can you try (or have you tried) any other memory cards on your laptop, and do they work? It seems unlikely (although not impossible) that card reading would be disabled by default on your laptop...

[Icey]

*Points and LMC and tells her firmly "NO streaking in my thread!"*

[LMC]

I faithfully promise not to streak through any threads in Geeks Corner - I wouldn't want to distract the geeks...

But if they are posted elsewhere, they're fair game (can I get there before a mod does? )

[ducasi]

Originally Posted by frodo

To check if it's disabled got to the "Run" option on the start menu.

Type "%systemroot%\system32\devmgmt.msc"

Typing just "devmgmt.msc" into the "Run..." box should also work (I think!)

You can also get to the Device Manager by right-clicking on "My Computer", selecting "Properties", and finding the tab that has a button called "Device Manager" (or something like that – I'm going by memory as I try to avoid using that operating system.)

[Icey]

Evening,

I tried the dvemgmt thing and it looks OK, no little red crosses or anything that looks untoward. I'll cart the laptop into work on Monday and try to bribe the IT guys with tea and cakes to take a quick look at it.

Thanks for your help so far.

[frodo]

Originally Posted by ducasi

Typing just "devmgmt.msc" into the "Run..." box should also work (I think!)

That is very true - I'm not sure why I type the whole lot.

Originally Posted by Icey

Whats the difference between a MMC and a SD card? The card is a 32mb one that I got free with my mobile (camera) phone and it also works fine in the the digital camera I had over the weekend.

http://flash.atpinc.com/articles/vie...rticle_id=1008 has some differences.

The key one is SD cards are 2.1 mm think vs 1.4 mm think for mmc cards, so if you've got a ruler you can tell which you have ( if it doesn't say SD or MMC on it that is ).

[Icey]

Evening all,

Finally found out why the I/O reader won't work - because it only reads SD cards not MMC cards. I've now learnt the difference

Sooooo, does anyone have any experience of an external MMC card reader that is any good and also where is a good place to get one? According to PC World they are about £10 and on eBay they are about the same price once I include P&P from Hong Kong or Outer Mongolia or somewhere. I want one now, I've got BFG photos on it Oh yes McJester ... that photo

Thanks in advance

[Robin]

If its not a stupid question , why don't you just plug the camera in to the laptop with the supplied cable and access the pictures that way ?

[ducasi]

Originally Posted by Robin

If its not a stupid question , why don't you just plug the camera in to the laptop with the supplied cable and access the pictures that way ?

My camera uses SD cards, but I don't have a SD card reader. Somehow I manage...

[Icey]

Originally Posted by Robin

If its not a stupid question , why don't you just plug the camera in to the laptop with the supplied cable and access the pictures that way ?

It would make the most sense however, it wasn't my camera, I borrowed it from my mum. The card is mine though which I got with my mobile. As I'm not in the financial position to be buying a digital camera of my own anytime soon I'll be continuing to borrow one but I'll have any photos on my card.

Also, when I do get around to buying a digial camera apparently I'll find that it will have a SD card in it rather than a MM card so it'll work on my laptop

Make any sense? Probabley not ... oh well

[Robin]

Originally Posted by Icey

It would make the most sense however, it wasn't my camera, I borrowed it from my mum. The card is mine though which I got with my mobile. As I'm not in the financial position to be buying a digital camera of my own anytime soon I'll be continuing to borrow one but I'll have any photos on my card.

Also, when I do get around to buying a digial camera apparently I'll find that it will have a SD card in it rather than a MM card so it'll work on my laptop

Make any sense? Probabley not ... oh well

did you get a cable to connect your mobi to your pc ? maybe you could do it that way for low / no cost

[Dreadful Scathe]

an sd card reader will cost you about 5 pound including postage from ebuyer.co.uk you may as well get one

[killingtime]

Originally Posted by Robin

did you get a cable to connect your mobi to your pc ? maybe you could do it that way for low / no cost

Or via Bluetooth or your connection of choice.

[Clive Long]

Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe

an sd card reader will cost you about 5 pound including postage from ebuyer.co.uk you may as well get one

I used one of these card readers with a friend's Win XP machine and my Olympus XD cards. It worked flawlessly and appeared as another drive under Win Explorer. Win XP takes a few seconds to recognise the device - as it does for all Usb device. Oooh how I love this dynamic attaching of USB devices.


Clive