Troubleshooting the Memory Card Reader

If you are having problems reading from or writing to a memory card, try the following:

￿Some cards have a read/write or security switch on the card. Make sure that the read/write switch is set to Write Enabled before attempting to write data to the card.

￿Make sure that the amount of data that you want to store is not larger than the storage limit of the memory card.

￿Make sure that the memory card is one of the supported types: CompactFlash

Type I and II, Microdrive, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital, SmartMedia, or xD media.

￿Make sure that the memory card is fully inserted into the correct slot.

￿Remove the memory card when the activity light is not blinking, and shine a flashlight into the empty slot. If any of the pins are bent, replace the memory card reader, or have the computer serviced if a pin is touching another pin. To straighten slightly bent pins, use the tip of a fine-point retracted ballpoint pen with the computer off.

￿Inspect the ends of the memory cards for anything that could be blocking a proper connection. Clean the contacts with a lint-free cloth and small amounts of alcohol. Replace the memory card, if necessary.

￿The memory card reader is a device that uses the Safely Remove Hardware task. This appears as a taskbar icon next to the time. Do not click Stop in the Safely Remove Hardware window. Doing so disconnects the drive. If this happens, restart

the computer.

￿Do not insert or remove memory cards when the activity light is blinking. Doing so may cause data loss, or it may permanently damage the card reader.

￿Format a memory card before you use it. See “Formatting a Memory Card.”

124Getting Started (features vary by model)