LG Gram 17 2021 SD Card Reader stopped working

[Steerpike]

The SD Card Reader on my LG Gram 17 (2021 model - 17Z95P) just stopped working; no obvious cause (no updates applied, no physical issues, etc).   Tried two cards; both cards can be read in an external SD card reader.  Device Manager 'Disk Drives' shows only the two SSDs that I have installed; I'm guessing that - if the card reader were working - there'd be an entry for the card reader there. 

 

Any thoughts? 

[aldarxt]

On 1/14/2024 at 12:08 AM, Steerpike said:

The SD Card Reader on my LG Gram 17 (2021 model - 17Z95P) just stopped working; no obvious cause (no updates applied, no physical issues, etc).   Tried two cards; both cards can be read in an external SD card reader.  Device Manager 'Disk Drives' shows only the two SSDs that I have installed; I'm guessing that - if the card reader were working - there'd be an entry for the card reader there. 

 

Any thoughts? 

Have you tried to reinstall the drivers and in device manager try view, show hidden devices to see if it's there, if not sound like it died, versus it being dirty/damaged contacts

[Steerpike]

2 hours ago, aldarxt said:

Have you tried to reinstall the drivers and in device manager try view, show hidden devices to see if it's there, if not sound like it died, versus it being dirty/damaged contacts

I did try 'show hidden devices', and under 'disk drives', there are two 'Generic Mass-Storage USB Devices' and one 'SMI USB DISK USB Device' - non indicating any problems. 

 

It would be interesting to know what exact device 'should' be there for future reference! 

[aldarxt]

31 minutes ago, Steerpike said:

I did try 'show hidden devices', and under 'disk drives', there are two 'Generic Mass-Storage USB Devices' and one 'SMI USB DISK USB Device' - non indicating any problems. 

 

It would be interesting to know what exact device 'should' be there for future reference! 

I don't have an LG Gram, but there are a few on this forum. Ask if they can show you their Hardware IDs to figure out if it is there or which one

[John Ratsey]

On 1/14/2024 at 5:08 AM, Steerpike said:

The SD Card Reader on my LG Gram 17 (2021 model - 17Z95P) just stopped working; no obvious cause (no updates applied, no physical issues, etc).   Tried two cards; both cards can be read in an external SD card reader.  Device Manager 'Disk Drives' shows only the two SSDs that I have installed; I'm guessing that - if the card reader were working - there'd be an entry for the card reader there. 

 

Any thoughts? 

I've just tested my Gram 17 and the microSD card reader shows up as a storage drive but only after I've inserted a card. Consequently, a dirty contact which stops a card from being recognised would prevent the reader from showing up as a storage drive. This is much more plausible than a hardware failure. Contacts are always one of the troublespots in electronics.

 

How to clean it? I would start by trying to blast the slot with some canned air. The next step would be to make a small piece of good quality cardboard with a thickness to suit the slot and cut to a suitable width cut but longer than a micro SD card. I would then wet the bottom side of this card with some Isopropyl alcohol and jiggle it in and out of the slot to try to wipe off any dirt.

 

IIRC the ports on the right side of the computer are on a daughter board connected to the mainboard by a ribbon cable so disconnecting / reconnecting that cable is another troubleshooting option.