What to do if the black box doesn’t see the memory card

Why the black box doesn’t see the memory card and how to fix it

Memory cards are a necessary addition for the full work of the car DVR. It is on it all the information is recorded and saved in the form of video files.

But sometimes it happens that when you insert a card into the DVR slot, the latter cannot read it. This can happen not only with new cards, but also with old drives that were previously successfully and without problems used in the device.

Therefore, you should understand all the possible causes and decide what you need to do in this or that situation to restore the performance of the recorder.

Main reasons

Situations in which the DVR does not see the memory card are quite a lot. And in each of them there are different causes.

It looks quite obvious when a motorist bought a new card, inserted it into the DVR slot, and it does not read it. There is a high probability of the wrong choice.

Much more questions are caused by situations in which an old flash drive, previously working without problems, suddenly stops functioning.

Basically, the inability of the DVR to read and see the installed drive is due to the following reasons:

• the device does not support the card;
• there is a problem with the black box itself;
• there is a problem with the formatting;
• there is a problem on the adapter side;
• there is damage or defect;
• virus infection;
• mismatch of class and recording speed.

Each problem and ways to solve it should be considered separately.

No card support

If you have purchased a new drive for your DVR, and it does not want to read and see it, there is a high probability that the device simply does not support this flash drive.

There are several varieties of memory cards. But not all of them can be installed in the DVR slot.

You can find miniSD and microSD cards of different generations on the market. Also SD is considered an older format, but it is the slot of a large number of inexpensive video recorders. To solve this problem, many small format cards are equipped with universal adapters. Inserting a card with an adapter in the slot, the device reads it without any problems.

But there is a different situation when this option does not work. The flash drive is not readable, and therefore you have to return the card back and buy a new one instead.

Not all DVRs read memory cards installed in the adapter.

Even visually it is not difficult to determine which card format is necessary for a particular DVR. Sometimes you can only check the readability of the adapter by experience. Even with full compliance in terms of class and speed, in some cases the adapter interferes with the card reading.

Problems with the black box

The black box is a small computer device with its chips, microchips and other components. Therefore, the occurrence of software failure for them is quite natural.

This is especially true for those models that are equipped with additional features, large display, touch buttons, etc.

It is banal that the recorder can freeze or glitch. This problem can be solved quite easily. To do this it is enough to reset the device. Similar to smartphones, computers or tablets. Having rebooted, the device starts functioning normally again.

If your DVR suddenly does not see the installed memory card, which it previously read without problems, there is useful advice on what to do in such a situation. Press the reset button. Usually this is Reset or some other way to restart. If the problem does not go away, however, the cause is more serious.

Hardware incompatibility

Memory cards have certain standards and speed classes. Video recorders are also built to support cards with certain parameters.

If you have a budget recorder at your disposal, there is not much chance that it will be able to read a new generation microSDXC type drive with speed class 6 or higher.

There are some models of recorders for which it is mandatory to use a full-format miniSD or SD drive. No adapters will help here.

You have to decide this before you buy a data storage device. Read the technical specifications of the data logger. Focus your attention on the items that relate to the standards and classes of supported cards. Choose drives strictly within the supported range. Inexpensive models usually support flash drives with speed class 2, 4 or 6. More advanced and modern models will read class 8 and 10 cards.

Formatting

It also happens that a memory card intended for the DVR is incorrectly formatted to the wrong file system.

In general, the recorders support the file systems FAT32 and exFAT.

Because of this, the software simply can not determine that a storage device is installed in the slot.

Having determined which format of the memory card is relevant for your DVR, you can try to correct the situation. Most budget and mid-budget models support FAT32. More advanced models are able to work with exFAT.

The motorist will only have to perform formatting.

Separately, it is worth talking about how you can format your memory card for the DVR by yourself. It is recommended to do this with the help of the device itself.

A rough instruction looks like this:

• insert the card into the slot of the DVR;
• turn the device on;
• enter the menu;
• Find the Settings or Options item;
• Find the Format menu;
• click on Format card;
• wait for the process to complete.

You can also try doing the same via smartphone or computer by connecting to one of the selected gadgets.

The problem is in the adapter

Separately, it is worth mentioning the topic of the adapter.

Yes, there are examples when the DVR does not accept a memory card of a different format, installed in the slot through the adapter. Here the problem may be on the side of the demanding recorder, or on the side of the adapter.

Some adapters, available with the drive or purchased separately, may simply not work. In general, it is a sin of cheap Chinese products.

As soon as you use a new adapter, everything starts working right away. So do not be in a hurry to blame it all on your flash drive or DVR. It is possible that you need to replace the adapter.

Factory defect

Buying new flash drives, many buyers are trying to save money. And for this they order drives from China, because there the prices are the lowest.

The experience of motorists clearly shows that the cheap products can last 2-3 months, after which partially or completely fail.

There are also such cheap cards, which even with full compatibility with the recorder do not want to be read. The reason is in low quality, in the presence of factory defects. The information on the package or on the device does not correspond to reality.

Do not save on a quality storage device. If you choose a good device, the memory card can last for many years.

If possible, try to return the product and your money. Add a little more and get a normal flash drive from a leading manufacturer. It is best to shop through certified sellers. Ideally from an official representative.

Viruses and bugs

There are several ways to infect a flash drive. Mostly it happens when you connect it to your computer, tablet or phone. The infected gadget transmits a virus to the recorder.

Viruses are unlikely to do any harm to the DVR itself. But problems with the drive are not excluded.

You can get rid of viruses with the help of:

• anti-virus software;
• special utilities;
• formatting.

After performing a fairly simple procedure, try again to insert the card into the slot and check whether it is now read by your DVR.

Overwrite protection

There are drives that have a rewrite lock on them.

As a result, once the card is full, you can no longer write data to it again. The video recorder does not see the flash drive, does not want or cannot work with it.

The problem can be solved in several ways. To do this, you can use:

• Manual unlocking. Mostly relevant for SD format cards. They have a lever on the side that moves in 2 directions. It can stand in the Lock position. To remove the overwriting protection, drag the lever in the other direction.
• Formatting. There are several formatting methods available. Choose between them at your discretion.
• Using Anlockers. These are special devices inside which cards are inserted. Unlocking is performed automatically. After using an unlocker you need to format the flash drive.

Also a very common problem, which is not so difficult to solve on your own.

Mechanical defects

We can not exclude an extremely trivial cause. This contamination of the contacts, damaged connectors, mechanical defects in the card.

It is worth checking first with a visual inspection. If no defects are found, for prevention, take absorbent cotton and alcohol, cleaning the contacts. The slot inside the body of the DVR is also recommended to clean.

If there is a mechanical failure of the drive or slot, the problem is more difficult to fix. The help of specialists will be required.

As you can see, there are really a lot of problems with memory cards. Start with the most obvious and simple causes. Many of them can be easily eliminated with your own hands.

Video recorder does not see the memory card and flash drive: what to do next

Many car owners are interested in what to do if the DVR does not see the memory card. The easiest thing, of course, is to throw out the nasty flash drive and buy a new one, the price of them today, quite loyal. However, the problem can often be solved without extra fees, and for the saved money it is better to arrange for SPA-procedures for your iron horse at a car wash. How do you like the idea?

Why the recorder does not see the flash drive: causes

To begin with, let’s look at the reasons why the DVR doesn’t see the memory card:

1. The flash drive and the DVR do not have the same file systems;
2. The storage capacity of the memory card is too small or too large;
3. The flash drive recording class is too low;
4. The gadget doesn’t see the flash drive because it doesn’t support the flash drive view;
5. Sometimes the DVR won’t read the memory card due to a malfunction in either the main gadget or the drive. But keep in mind that if there is a problem with the gadget itself, you may notice other malfunctions as well. For example, the DVR may not charge.
6. Problems with the slot;
7. Viruses and errors on the card;
8. Factory defects.

These are the main reasons why the DVR does not see the memory card, as a rule, one of them is always revealed. Let’s find out what to do in each situation, how to solve the problem without going to specialists and other drastic measures.

What to do if the device does not see the flash drive?

Above we outlined the cases in which the DVR does not read the memory card. Now we will methodically go through the list and tell you what to do for each of the points.

• The file system is an algorithm that applies to the way data is stored, written and named on the digital storage device. The most popular file systems are “NTFS” and “FAT32”. If the flash drive is formatted in one and the recorder supports the other, there will be a conflict and the gadget will refuse to see the drive. Simply insert it into your computer and format it in the desired file system (My Computer – Format). Don’t forget to copy important documents, because formatting will irretrievably delete ALL data;

• Sometimes the memory card is not readable due to its very small capacity. The recording to the flash drive is performed cyclically, in a circle. Modern recorders, as a rule, record in the high resolution and of excellent quality. If the time interval of the cycle contributes to the creation of video, the size of which exceeds the total capacity of the drive, a failure occurs. Video is either not recorded, or the recorder does not see such a card at all. The solution to this problem will be to reduce the recording cycle time or buy a higher-capacity flash drive. There is another option – the removable drive, on the contrary, is too voluminous. Some video recorders are not able to see and read discs with a capacity of more than 64 GB. The optimal size for a black box is 16-32 GB.

• Some modern DVRs can’t see a sim card with a low write speed class. The best flash drives today have a class 10, more outdated ones may support 2, 4, 6 or 8. This indicator is indicated directly on the body of the drive, in the form of a number placed in an unclosed circle. In this situation, though, you will have to shop around, namely order a new card.

• Popular types of memory cards today are SDHC, miniSD and microSD. Typically, recorders support all varieties, since they are equipped with a built-in adapter, with which you can insert a card of any size into the slot. But there are some that work only with one particular type of flash drive. It is advised to study the manual to your device.

• You should not exclude the option of malfunction of the DVR. The flash drive itself, if it is not new, could also get dusty contacts, dirty cardholder. Here’s what you need to do: clean the slot and adapter, the flash drive, and especially the contact areas. Dry them, maybe in the car is too humid and the technique fails for this reason.

• If the answer to the question why the DVR does not see the flash drive is a problem with the slot, you will have to make repairs. Cleaning and a simple visual inspection may not help, in this case, you will have to go to the service center.
• Viruses and memory card errors are solved radically – its formatting. Just do not forget to copy important information. It should be done before the procedure!
• Factory defects in the drive can be detected during its first use. If the memory card can not see neither the DVR, nor the computer, nor any other device, there is nothing to do, it is better to return it back to the store.

As you can see, some problems are solvable, others require replacing the flash drive. In conclusion, let us introduce you to one universal secret, which is used by absolutely all programmers. Many advise to periodically reset the recorder with the RESET key.

It is located on the body of the device and sometimes recessed into the depths (you need to use a thin toothpick). Surprisingly, but in 8 out of 10 cases, this method allows you to adjust the black box, without going into the causes of trouble, including if it does not see the memory card. Good luck in setting up your gadget!