So the last time I pulled an SD card out of the slot on my laptop...

[Grasswire2]

...it same out slightly damaged. A little piece of the corner fell off in my hand.

NOW I find that if I insert any other SD card into the drive, the drive is not recognized! Nothing comes up on computer. No usual sound that follows insertion, nothing showing in the FILES.

Ugh. This is a pretty vital function to me, to be able to take a photo in my camera, transfer the SD card to the laptop and use the image.

Any thoughts?

[intrepidity]

1. A USB to SD card reader adapter?

Cheap and easy to find.

[Grasswire2]

2. Gee! I have one.

Just inserted it, but don't see where the images show up in files.

Sorry for being so stupid.

[intrepidity]

6. Oh, that may require more info

Like, what platform, specs, etc to troubleshoot why your laptop doesn't recognize the device--if indeed that's what is happening (with the USB adapter, I mean).

Usually, such devices nowadays are simple plug n play: plug the USB device, add the SD card, and a thing should popup on screen informing you that a new thing is available and how to interact with it.

Sorry I don't have more specific advice, but someone else surely will.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. Click 'This PC' and look under Devices and Drives

Perhaps the new usb/sd drive will show up there?

IF that new sd card is brand new/empty/unformatted, you might need to right-click the Start menu, then choose Disk Management, and see if you see the new drive in the list.
As long as there's nothing on it (that you care about), you can then format card by right-clicking the 'disk' in that interface.

[Pobeka]

3. Small, bright flashlight. Tweezers. Reading glasses

Maybe you'll get lucky and see the broken piece and be able to extract it.

Tight spaces.

Make sure the laptop is off and unplugged.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

7. Shaking it gently so the piece would fall out is a good start as well

Do it over a white sheet so you for sure see it if/when it falls out.

Sounds like OP is saying that s/he already has the piece though as it broke off after removal. Guess there might be another one but seems unlikely.

[WHITT]

4. Had The Card

you removed been "mounted", and you failed to "unmount" it before removal? That would explain why the laptop is not recognizing other cards, as it's expecting to 'see' the first one.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

5. That shouldn't happen but if it did worst case close the previous open directory view window

and then re-open it, or hit right-click/refresh (F5)

Unmounting is really to just close any open handles to the drive (a file on that drive open in excel or the like).

[WHITT]

11. I Was Trying To Delineate

whether the laptop considered it part of the system storage or just external storage (even though it's not physically external).

[intrepidity]

9. An old motto: "when in doubt, blow it out"

That is, with compressed air.

Used to be my go-to first effort for troubleshooting hardware.

[Grasswire2]

10. another bit of information

Since this event, when I open FILES, the "e" drive shows up with a question mark. Tiny image of drive with a ? on it, labeled E:/
Clicking on that has no response.

[intrepidity]

12. Was that your formerly working SD drive? nt

[Grasswire2]

14. evidently nt

[intrepidity]

15. What does right clicking do? nt

[Grasswire2]

13. okay, with the USB adapter I can see the files on an undamaged SD card.

The next question becomes this.

How do I retrieve the files from the damaged SD card?

And I guess I assume now that the SD drive is kaput.

[intrepidity]

16. Don't give up yet, not by a long shot.

Of course, you already tried the damaged card in the USB adapter, right? Or maybe not, if you worried it might kill that too...

[intrepidity]

17. I'd ask you to post pics of the damaged card, if it wasn't so ironic

Be helpful to see what the damage looks like.

[Grasswire2]

18. as I recall (it was a few days ago)..

..several little pieces fell off the upper corner that is not already slanted. Looking at the card from the front, that would be the upper left corner.

[Grasswire2]

19. that card is not now being recognized in the camera or in the SD slot.

I'll have to figure out how to save the images that are on that card.

[intrepidity]

20. One thought is whether another adapter might help

I'm thinking of those bigger ones that hold the smaller ones, not sure of the naming, but they were popular when microSD cards were introduced.

I mean, for the longer term project of accessing the damaged card contents. Depends how the interfaces interact and whether the damaged part interferes. Worth exploring if you hit a roadblock.

[Grasswire2]

23. Is a camera store or computer store able to access a damaged card, I wonder.

Thanks for your hints.

[intrepidity]

21. BTW, what kind of card, specifically, is it?

The damage may just be to the plastic case and there's a sensor in the slot that isn't getting contact.

Can you delicately put some tape over the damage to reconstruct this missing piece? If so, first test it in the cheap USB device in case it gets stuck.

Just things I'd be trying.

ETA: unless you mean the damage is where the metal contact strips are?

[Grasswire2]

22. SanDisk SDHC 16 gb

The front of the card is broken off at the upper left corner, which means yes -- that location is over the double bar metal contact strips are in the back.

I would post a photo except for DU's inability to do so without first putting it on a host site. Ugh.