Card Reader Not Detecting Cards

[SmilerUK]

PC running Vista 64 bit witha multiformat card reader. When I put a card in, nothing happens. When I put a USB drive in, it is detected. If I leave a card in and reboot, the system hangs since it has detected a card and is trying to boot from it. So, I don't think it's a hardware problem.

Device Manager doesn't show any problems, generic drivers in use and they're up to date.

I can't find anything on the M$ site to point to a problem either.

Digging around the registry I found that the VID is 058F pointing to Alcor, the PID is 6362 which just points toone of their generic controller chips, and the version is 058F312D81B which looks like it maps to a few generic multicard readers by various manufacturers. Physically examining the reader doesn't show any manufacturer's logos or marks.

I've tried physically disconnecting and reconnecting the reader from the internal USB port via a few restarts and the problem remains. Ditto if I use a different internal USB port. Ditto if I go into Device Manager and uninstall each of the 4 drives. A few restarts later and it has detected the "new" hardware and re-installed the generic drivers but still nothing happens when I put a card in.

Has anyone here come across this problem before and solved it?

Oh, and be gentle with me please. I'm relatively technically minded but this is my first foray into Vista after living happily for many years with a Win98.

 

[SmilerUK]

I guess tha answer is a big "no" then.

PC running Vista 64 bit witha multiformat card reader. When I put a card in, nothing happens. When I put a USB drive in, it is detected. If I leave a card in and reboot, the system hangs since it has detected a card and is trying to boot from it. So, I don't think it's a hardware problem.

Device Manager doesn't show any problems, generic drivers in use and they're up to date.

I can't find anything on the M$ site to point to a problem either.

Digging around the registry I found that the VID is 058F pointing to Alcor, the PID is 6362 which just points toone of their generic controller chips, and the version is 058F312D81B which looks like it maps to a few generic multicard readers by various manufacturers. Physically examining the reader doesn't show any manufacturer's logos or marks.

I've tried physically disconnecting and reconnecting the reader from the internal USB port via a few restarts and the problem remains. Ditto if I use a different internal USB port. Ditto if I go into Device Manager and uninstall each of the 4 drives. A few restarts later and it has detected the "new" hardware and re-installed the generic drivers but still nothing happens when I put a card in.

Has anyone here come across this problem before and solved it?

Oh, and be gentle with me please. I'm relatively technically minded but this is my first foray into Vista after living happily for many years with a Win98.

 

[treefrog07]

It sounds like Vista can see the card reader, have you tried a different card? Is your card compatible with the reader?

 

[SmilerUK]

I've tried various cards and formats, all of which are readable on my laptop which runs 32bit Vista

 

[treefrog07]

Maybe the card reader is bad. You've tried all your USB ports, and it shows up in device manager - just doesn't read any cards.

 

[SmilerUK]

Yes, I thought that, but the fact that the boot up stalls implies to my simple mind that the BIOS recognises the presence of a card in the card reader and tries reading it. Nothing OS related on the card so the system stalls. If that's the case then doesn't that prove the reader to be working?

 

[treefrog07]

Yes, I thought that, but the fact that the boot up stalls implies to my simple mind that the BIOS recognises the presence of a card in the card reader and tries reading it. Nothing OS related on the card so the system stalls. If that's the case then doesn't that prove the reader to be working?

Maybe. But we know both the OS and the BIOS are seeing the card reader, and neither cares whether or not there is a card in it.

Try booting without a card to see if it stalls.

Is there a USB setting in the BIOS you could change? Just shooting in the dark on this.

 

[SmilerUK]

Boots fine with no card in a slot, boots fine with the reader unplugged too. Mind you, if the OS is looking for a "card reader controller" with status "card present" then it finds it. If the card reading process is gubbed then its a hardware fault in the reader sub-system.

New internal reader is a fiver, so I think I'll swap it out and see if the problem solves itself.

What's annoying is the reader is months old and never been used. System manufacturer simply says "send us the reader at your expense and we'll test it". Postage is damn near the cost of a new reader anyway!

 

[treefrog07]

Try that and let us know if it works.

I have two USB multi-card readers, one always works, and one is really finicky about how I insert the card. WinXP always finds the readers, whether there is a card in them or not. It will open the card if it can see it - well, it will ask me if I want to open it.

My finicky reader has little LEDs - one yellow and one green. I think the yellow LED lights when WinXP finds it - because it'll show as a drive. When the green LED lights WinXP displays the card.

I agree that some of these conveniences can be very annoying.

 

[SmilerUK]

Right, I swapped out the card reader with a brand new one and I've got exactly the same problem so I'm sure its not the hardware.

Somewhere there is something in the registry that's stopping card detection?!

 

[treefrog07]

I don't believe your Vista controllers and drivers are the problem because you've updated the drivers and tried so many different readers on all the USB ports.

The only other item I can think of is the board BIOS. Have you verified that the BIOS settings enable USB? Usually you can enter the BIOS settings by pressing the delete key right after you power-on the computer. On Dell, HP, Acer, I think you have to press the F1 or the F2 key, and not the delete key.

Depending on your board, you should be able to find several BIOS settings for USB: legacy, 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 - ensure they are all enabled. I have also read that the enabling sleep mode (or is it S3 (i cannot remember)) in the BIOS of some boards can adversely affect USB connections.

Can you post your board's make and model? Maybe we can find some solutions using that and google.

 

[SmilerUK]

The board is an Asus M4N78.

Checking the BIOS I have:
USB Configuration
-------------------
Module Version - 2.24.3-13.4

USB Devises Enabled :
1 Keyboard, 1 Mouse, 1 Hub, 4 Drives

USB Functions [enabled]
USB 2.0 Controller [enabled]
Legacy USB Support [Auto]
USB 2.0 Controller Mode [HiSpeed]

> USB Mass Storage Device Configuration
------------------------------------------
USB Mass Storage Reset Delay [10 Sec]

Device #1 Generic USB SD Reader
Emulation Type [auto]


Checking through the options, I can't spot anything that looks out of place ... but then if I could, perhaps I'd have solved my problem lol

 

[treefrog07]

Settings look good. I searched the ASUS forums for your board, but didn't find any USB probs.

What are the choices for "Emulation Type [auto] ?" (Glad you had the reader connected.)

Yes, I'm grasping at straws here, but when I use a bootbale USB stick on my board, I need to choose an emulator - auto doesn't work.

 

[SmilerUK]

Choices are auto, floppy, forced FDD, hard disk or CDROM.

I've tried auto and hard drive and still no change.

 

[treefrog07]

I am totally stumped. You might try the CDROM, even each of the other choices.

I'll have to re-read this thread, and do some more thinking and googling on USB-Vista and USB-Asus M4N78.

 

[treefrog07]

Most my googling resulted in hits that were for Asus M4n78 PRO. You wrote earlier that you have that model without the "PRO." Asus shows the PRO has an on-board graphics processing unit, while the non-pro does not, and requires a GPU. So, I'm going with your description - no on-board graphics. For we're trying to do, I don't think it really matters.

Two USB related items:
1) Sharing of ports, graphics and USB, really just a lead.
2) One solution, down the page to jbarrett1205
Sounds like he enabled Plug n Play OS and disabled legacy USB in BIOS
3) Manual for M4N78 here
-- e(lectronic) p. 29 (hard page 1-19 describes jumpers for USB device wake-up from the internal USB connectors (not rear panel ports). Probably nothing to do here.

If you try the various BIOS changes, just do one, see if it accesses the card - if not reset to original setting and try the next change.

-- ep. 52 describes Plug and Play OS in BIOS. If you have it set to YES, try resetting it to NO (just guessing here, but we can see if has an effect on reading your USB card reader.

-- ep.53 (hard page 2-15) shows the various USB settings in BIOS. Based the other thread above, try disabling legacy USB.

Have you changed any of the default settings on the Power menu (ep. 54)?

If these suggestions do not work, can you return your board for a replacement at no additional cost? As we discussed earlier, your board/vista SHOULD find a generic USB card, and you should not have to do anything to the BIOS for it to work..

 

[JimmyC_69]

Ok, I had the exact same issue with an ASUS mobo as well. Card slot of the reader is unresponsive but the USB port on the reader works just fine. Tried changing the USB ports on the mobo, BIOS settings and what have you until I decide to take a closer look at the card reader itself. And what do I see? The pins that connect to the SD card are on the UPPER side, meaning I have to slide the card in with the label facing DOWN. How much sense does that make? Anyway, it now works as it should, obviously.