Getting Your Laptop Card Reader to Read 4GB SD Cards

I always refrained from changing drivers due to horrible experiences. Tudor,however, encouraged me. So I changed my SD card reader driver according to his advice, and, a miracle or a friendly cosmic computer wizzard helped: My card reader now can handle the big cards it prior refused. "The card reader and my computer are now again best friends"
Thank you Tudor!
Robert

Cheers I was having the same problem. Worked without going into device manager as well. :)

I've tried this a thousand times on my HP notebook, but it just doesn't work.

There is no install option when I right click here:
"You now have to go to the location (C:SWSetupSP33416BaseprogramfilesTexas Instruments IncTIPCI) with all the extracted files and to right click on the file tifm21.inf; choose install."

I don't have this in my device manager either.
"2nd generic cardbus control"

Has anyone had these problems and fixed them?

Thank you very much for this manual. I had problems with a 2 GB (!) SD card from Dane-Elec... I thought it was an error in the card (because it was a lot cheaper than common SD-cards), but now everything works fine!

Does this make it read SDHC cards or only bigger SD cards?

After months of not being able to use my card reader this worked first time - thank you

I have been having the same problem but
would the driver work on windows vista as well?

I'm glad the article got your laptop and SD card to be best friends. :)

I still cannot get my HP to read a 4gb card. 2gb works OK, I have a Ricoh 5 in one reader. Not TI. Vista OS.
Any suggestions?

That's strange. Being a new OS, Vista should have fixed this. Have you tried looking for a driver update for the Ricoh reader?

It worked for me, although it does appear to have disabled the sony memory stick port. I don't use this anyway and am far happier with th SD recognising cards above 1Gb.
The PC is a Vaio NR21Z
Many thanks

Thanks for the tip it worked a treat

Thanks for the info, but I'm still having problems... I did the first step and now I see 2 external drives (my SD card, but both ask me to insert disk) did the 2nd step, but when trying to install I don't see the 2nd Gen PCI, I see the TI PCI and if I try to update driver tells me that there is no better update than what I have... Any sugestions ?

after you uninstall your old driver you need to scan for hardware changes to see the second controller. You can do this with the right click option.

I did this for my XP HP Laptop TI Reader and still no bueno :(2GB is still good but not 4GD :(

Phone reads it but not my Laptop!!

Benq 53S Joybook works great!

Thanks a lot!
I have an aspire 9300 and it works great!

Wow, fixed my gateway.....THANKS

After using use the link, and follow according to the description of installing the driver, it doesn't hep at all, the notebook still unable to read the 4Gb HC SD Card, is still incompatible as mention, and I can't find the PCMCIA Adapter in my system therefore I can't reinstall it manually. So pls help me what is the most efficient way to install and read the Carrd.

I just downloaded the driver and installed it. (couldn't find Texas drivers to UN-install)

The already inserted 2GB card was immediately recognized.

This MAXDATA Laptop only eats 1 gb SD cards.
Now at least it also understands 2GB.

Thanks

Since the success with the 2GB i bought a 4gb SD card but this doesn't work.
So i went from1GB to being able to read 2GB but no more than that.

Revert back to the card reader.

Thanks anyway.

I've learned a lot through this article, even though it did not work on my Dell Inspiron. Will have to download photos from Canon camera via cable. Thanks anyway.

Thank you very much, Tudor! After 2 days of fruitless attempts,I finally forced my Compaq laptop to read 4 Gb SD card. The point was - you should download the right driver from the link to Softpedia's driver database (not from HP link - they are different). I'm happy now! Thanks again.

When I complete the final step, I get an error message that says "The specified location does not contain information about your hardware." What can I do about that?

THIS IS INCREDIBLE!! THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH!!! =DD

Thanks so much for the tip... it worked in Medion Laptop

Big Problem Solved

I installed the newer version: Texas Instruments Media Card Reader 2.0.0.8 and it worked like a charm. Thanks!

Why does everyone keep referring to 4gb memory cards as "SD"? SD, or SecureDigital as it means, is only made in smaller memory card capacities such as 32mb, 64mb, 128mb, 256mb, 512mb, 1Gb and 2Gb. The whole technology of "SDHC" means a High Capacity card, which starts at 4Gb and works its way up to 32Gb. You should be clear on this article, it can confuse a lot of people.

@Kathryn

There are non-HC 4GB SD cards available from a variety of manufacturers. Stop confusing people through your own confusion.

HEy this work! thanks mate many thanks!!!

regards from spain

I have a nc6120 the six above did not work, however should you have a compaq then try this link: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c00950902&lang=en&cc=us&taskId=&prodSeriesId=447346&prodTypeId=321957
it really works well and I am sure could be hacked to assist other vendor machines.

Thanks,

Nothing else worked, but this driver worked on my 3 year old Compaq nx6320

Thanks for this comment and link. It worked to coax my old nw9440 to read a 4GB micro SD card (in the adapter).

I am attempting to help a family friend with a Gateway laptop freezing when she tries to "open" anything on the card. It will see the card but if she opens she states it will Freeze up.

With out having my hands on the PC is this what you were all seeing also?

Thanks ahead for your help

Well I figured out the reason for this. It's the driver PLUS a registry setting. At least for HP/Compaq laptops.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCo­ntrolSet001Services ifm21Parame­ters

Original Key Value: SDParam = 16 (Decimal)
New Key Value: SDParam = 1

Then reboot. After reboot. walla! 4GB and above cards. Interesting to note the card (drive) will not show up in disk management.

Best of luck all!

@JJ Gunn
"Interesting to note the card (drive) will not show up in disk management."

Where DOES it show up, how can I access data on my card? I followed all steps and the light on the reader looks like it recognizes the card but I don't know where I can do things like format or drop files onto it.

I'm still having the same problems of a couple other readers here.

I have tried both the .6 and .8 version of the drivers, but when I get to the "right click on the file tifm21.inf; choose install", i have no install option, and am unable to open the file.

Oh, and my computer is an alienware Area-51 m9750, running windows XP. Usually have zero issues. This bugs me greatly.

@CK
There should be three files with that name(Tifm21); you need to right click the 'Setup Information' file (for me that is the second of the three). It's icon is a notepad with a gear, in my case.

Thanks!!!!!! 2.0.8 Work in Vista.

Thanks a lot man, it works (Win XP), it evan installed it selfs.. :)

Kenny

If your using an HP use this link to the driver http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=ob-58364-1&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=1832444&os=228〈=en
worked perfect on my dv8000t

There is a newer driver out by HP version 2.0.0.9 works perfect on my dv8305us with WinXP Pro. Reads all size cards without any registry editing.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&swItem=ob-70996-1&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

Thank you, that helped me! Ahhh, I'm so happy now! :)

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&swItem=ob-70996-1&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

THIS TOTALLY WORKED FOR ME WHEN NOTHING ELSE DID. I HAVE A SONY VAIO VGN-TX750P RUNNING XP

This FINALLY WORKS for me on my Sony VAIO VGN-TX750P under Win/XP SP3! I can now access my 32-GB SDHC card! Thanks for posting this fix ... totally a life saver!

Worked like a charm on my Gateway!!! Way to go...!!
Many thanks

Thanks for the link to the new version, Blackwolf647. My 4GB SD card works well on nw9440. It doesn't work with v2.0.0.6 installed.

This method does not work. In the last step when I choose "have disk", it simply says "this file does not contain information about system hardware"???? O_o

Many thanks. Finally got my Acer Travelmate 3300 to read 2GB SD cards. Woo!

all I had to do was download the install the .exe file and it worked. no need to add/remove etc. PC is a Gateway XP sp3. MS says SP3 solved this problem!

Great! But, what to do with Windows Vista in this case?

Interestingly... I'm using the version 2.0.0.8 drivers which work fine, although it is still quite picky with what it accepts. It can read an 8GB SDHC (I insert very quickly, otherwise I end up with an 'unformatted media' error), however it still cannot read a 4GB microSDHC in an SD adapter however insertion I try. It's a relatively old reader so I guess I have to accept it can't do everything anymore...

worked for me perfectly.. thank u!

Omg...Thank you thank you thank you.

Thanks! I accidentally deleted my old driver... now it works again. Thank you

OMG your a genius thankyou so so so so so much!!

Likewise..I was having no luck reading 4gb cards in Compaq V2418AU...but this solution worked...thank you...

Encountered same problem with this 'fix' as others... "In the last step when I choose "have disk", it simply says "this file does not contain information about system hardware"

Interesting thay not a single person has responded to this wrinkle. Perhaps no one know?

@boweasel I get the same message. Did you go into PCMIA as it says to? Device Manager on my machine didn't include that entry; I went
Secure Digital host controllers> SDA Standards Compliant SD Host Controller
and tried to update this driver.

I go to right click on the second of the tifm21 files, and on clicking install an install error appears saying "The INF file you have selected does not support this method of installation" HELP!

Works on HP Compaq nc6320 and San Disk Ultra II 4Gb

Thank you.

For what it's worth:
Tried all the above on my (still excellent) TX3XP upgraded to Windows 7 but just couldn't get any SD card to format.

Uninstalled the Texas driver via Control Panel, but also thru Device Manager/PCMCIA Adapters/Texas Instruments (it was still there).

Then tried the 2.0.0.9 driver from HP and can now read/write 16gb cards - file name sp43509.exe and available here:-

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en

What do you mean by, "now you have to go to the location, (SWSetupSP33416BaseprogramfilesTexasInstruments IncTIPCI )? Where is that location???????????? Also what do you mean by with all the extracted files how do I extract the files???

That is the location of the HP file if you download and double click it ... but should read
C:\\SWSetup\SP33416\Base\programfiles\TexasInstrumentsInc\TIPCI

Worked for me on an old Gateway laptop. It now reads my 2GB SD cards. Prior to this it was asking me to format the cards although they worked perfectly in my camera and desktop SD drives. Thanks.

Thank you very much this info. this has been a very great help to me:-) I got a Packard Bell easy note lap top.

Weird enough, I have a Sony vaio, and I was experiencing problems with my SD card reader. I followed these steps, but when I tried to right click and install "Tifm21.inf", a error message popped up. Slightly frustrated, as I am in Italy and want to share my pictures with family, I unistalled the Texas Instrument driver. I inserted my SD card just for kicks and, quite like magic, it worked! So in a weird way, Thank you!

you are a genius, looked everywhere this is a great fix, i have an asus windows 7

Today's Date 10th July 2011.The original article was started November 17th 2006, by Tudor Raiciu.

I have no idea if a SD Card - USB Reader Adaptor existed in 2006.

But they certainly do now, So All you need IMHO is a all in one..( SD, SDHC, SDXC )...Reader and connect it to your USB port and your computer, recognizes it as a USB External .

Here are some samples

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=electronics&field-keywords=sd+-+usb+card+reader&x=0&y=0

After-all it is 2011 and that USB port is there for a reason.

yeah but you shouldn't have to carry that reader around everywhere if you have a slot for the card ,u should be able to use the slot

I followed these instructions to find the HC compatible SD TI driver for my HP Compaq nc6220. Worked like a charm. I've been trying for untold hours to figure this out. Thanks!

wont work on win7... any1 help??

Plot needs some work. Pacing was great though.

I dont know how to update my 4GB sim card ...I was trying to find out how to reset it { delete everything on it}

Thank you very much. Realy helps :)

thanks so much !!!! I bought a netbook to use for summer travel, becuase I have online classes and didnt want to bring my big screen, but this darn thing woulnt read my SD card, all the photos I have I was nervous about losing, with your article I finally got the pics loaded and email out! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge